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Ric Hassani makes first Ugandan show count
Ric Hassani during his performance. PHOTO/ANDREW KAGGWA
What you need to know:
- For most of his performance, the background artistes were part of his act; they did not just sing from a distance; they walked the stage, sang and gave out roses with him.
If you are here for a detailed review of the Sho-NaLe event that took place at Lugogo Hockey Grounds on Saturday evening, you are in the wrong place. This review will not say much about the girls, fashion, turn-up, food, or beer; this is a review highlighting only the performance of Nigerian vocalist, Ikechukwu Eric Ahiauzu, alias Ric Hassani.
They say two heads are better than one and if there is one African artiste who seems to understand that, it must be the crooner, Ric Hassani. He gave in twos.
There were two performances of his act on Saturday; there were two personas of his, Ric and a cover artiste and finally, his band too was in twos – the Nigerian contigent he travelled with and the Ugandans from A Ka Dope Band.
Ric Hassani first tweeted about coming to Uganda at the end of December, saying he has tried to perform in the country a number of times in vain, and finally, there was a chance. Known for songs such as My Number One and Only You, among others, he will rarely strike you as the most anticipated artiste from Nigeria, yet when he stepped on stage at 22:30pm, it was clear the energy was different.
A vocalist worth the salt, his band was tight, with a lead guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer. It was with the background vocalists that he made a splash – three of them – and that was only the beginning.
For most of his performance, the background artistes were part of his act; they did not just sing from a distance; they walked the stage with him, sang and gave out roses with him on love songs, and interacted with the audience.
It is a kind of showcase where the background vocalists are not mere feet away from stardom, but they are part of the spotlight; they did not just back him up, they collaborated with him.
This unique approach added an extra layer of depth; he did not only showcase their talent but also created a dynamic and engaging performance. Of course, this too emphasised their importance and contribution as collaborators. When they walked the stage, it was for a purpose, and surprisingly, they all sang in different keys.
The lead backup vocalist from Nigeria, sang in a higher key and at times started the songs; the male was prompt, literally singing almost like Ric himself; this one easily picked up songs if the artiste was caught in a frenzy of screaming girls; and then there was Esther Yvonne Ariho, alias Essie, the Ugandan songstress with A Ka Dope Band; she did a lot of the harmonies.
Ric Hassani has released a lot of material over the years, though for many Ugandans, the relationship with his music starts with his 2017 album, The African Gentleman, and later the 2021 hit, The Prince I Became. Songs from the two albums made up a big part of his playlist, but remember, we said he was both Ric and a cover artiste.
He knows how to work his crowds and has performed long enough to know that mellow music is enjoyable, but for a worked-up audience, you need to remain as familiar as possible. For every song, such as Police or My Only Baby, there was a climax verse of a pop cult song, such as Let Me Love You, 2Face’s African Queen, Adele’s Easy On Me, or Radio’s Sweet Lady. And most of these were unhinged, surprising, on point, short, and sweet – nothing was overdone; you were still enjoying a cover interlude, and it was already done. He kept those surprises coming all the way to the end when they invited Ugandan choir, Cherubim Chorale to perform songs such as Thunder Fire You and Only You. Of course, at the time, both the choir and the audience were in chorus; it is hard to forget how it made you feel.
He reminded you why it is always important to create chemistry with your team; apparently, his lead guitarist, Tedy Keny, is also his manager. The thought-out break is where he invited Joshua Baraka on stage as he and his team go off for a refresher.
Verdict:
Ric Hassani’s performance was something a progressive local artiste needed to see if they were to understand what it means to give their audience an experience. Surprises are always part of the experience of getting out of the box for meaningful stage collaborations and making them work.
Then his choice of outfits. At first, his contingent was all dressed in white and later, for their second and last session, they were dressed in red. All two times, the man on the night was significantly different.
For instance, when everyone was dressed in red, as Ric performed a bunch of his breakup songs, he was wearing black, yellow, and red, like the Ugandan flag.
Earlier on, as everyone wore white, he dorned a silk blue shirt. If he did this to pay tribute to his sponsors I&M, then he truly knows how to keep them.
