Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz returned to Kigali on Saturday after nearly three years away, entertaining fans at a concert that also brought together some of Rwanda’s leading musicians.
The Diamond Platnumz Experience was held at the BK Arena parking lot on August 29, with performances from Bruce Melodie, Nel Ngabo and Ish Kevin, as well as Uganda’s Etania and DJs including Marnaud.
Diamond, who last performed in Rwanda in October 2023, took the stage at about 12:45 a.m., following performances by the Rwandan artists.
He opened with “Komasava” and performed more than 25 songs from his catalogue, with fans singing and dancing along throughout his set.
Among the songs was “Why”, his 2022 collaboration with Rwandan singer The Ben.
The Ben was performing in Uganda that night and was therefore unable to join Diamond on stage. Diamond told the audience that he had wanted his longtime collaborator to be there, describing him as his brother and saying the two continue to support each other.
“Why” was released in January 2022 and has remained one of The Ben’s notable collaborations with a major East African artist. The pair have performed the song together in Uganda and at the Trace Awards in Kigali in 2023.
Earlier in the night, Ish Kevin performed songs including “Amakosi” and “VIP”, his collaboration with the late Yvan Buravan. He also brought Og2Tone and Ririmba on stage for “Brocode”.
Nel Ngabo followed with “Zoli”, “A La Vie”, “Muzadukumbura”, “Bella” and “Nywe”.
Bruce Melodie, performing with Symphony Band and dancers, sang “Bado”, “Ikinya”, “Katapilla”, “Ikinyafu”, “Turaberanye” and “Complete Me”.
Diamond performed for about an hour and 17 minutes before the stage equipment was switched off shortly after 2 a.m., ending his first major Kigali performance since 2023.
