ARUNGA: Lessons from “Skelewu” hit-maker’s pseudo-concert

So everyone already knows about the fallacy that was Davido's concert over the weekend.

Bile on social media is still spewing forth – I read a post today in which a blogger (The Sapient One) said “even the low bar I had set found itself on the ground” and one of the comments (Tshiko's) said that she had started calling him “Davidon't” instead of Davido.

Kevin Maina on Facebook added that  “[Davido is] an international artist, who seems lazy, or just doesn't respect his fans enough to want to put in work as they pay thousands for a ticket.

It literally was just listening to Davido's songs as you would on radio, or from your local DJ ... I can think of too many “local” performers that are INFINITELY BETTER live performers than this guy.”

Patricia Kihoro today added, “I heard his performance wasn't long enough to complete a vine. ‪#‎Iheard”.

And apparently, Skelewu now means “I-will-take-all-your-money-and-do-nothing-for-it”.

Kenyans are ruing the day that they ever gave Davido a second chance (he was here in 2013 for the Boombaataa Festival, and his performance was just as deplorable).

There are lessons to be learned from Davido.

One: Nigerian music and artistry is NOT always better, believe it or not. Several people were as disappointed at WizKid's concert earlier this year, where he also sang over a track AND people also paid Sh8,000 to watch it.

And yet, the show sucks. Maybe they should bring back P-Square, or Dbanj should give lessons on how to actually put on a performance? I wonder how packed Naija Nite will be...

Two: No one will pay that much for a Kenyan artiste, and yet there are so many Kenyan artistes doing it better.

Rabbit's album launch was the same day for a quarter of the price featuring a slew of talented and/or upcoming stars like Femi One, Bahati, Collo and Wyre, just to mention a star-studded few.

Prisca Ojwang's vocals were in full effect at her concert Music My World on the March 27 featuring Trina Mungai – and these ladies know how to really belt out a tune.

Yet there were fewer people at these concert's than at Davido's. When do we start supporting our own? How many awfully done concerts will it take?

Three: If you read reviews online, there are people who did actually enjoy Davido's concert, which is surprising considering the vitriol that is the general consensus. To these people who did – why are your standards so low?

We cannot continue to accept bad performances, and if you attend a crappy event, whether Kenyan or international, you shouldn't brush it off by saying “It's Davido, what did we expect”. No.

We expect value for money, whether you're Davido, Kanye, Dully Sykes or Kayamba Africa. Someone should start a petition to get our money back. What are the rights of the consumer? Ala??

Where am I going to be this weekend? Supporting local talent at MJ Centre. Lele Ngoma is putting on a concert for 500 bob – 1/16 of what Davido's was – and I am 100 per cent sure it will be better.

Heck – ANYONE can outperform a 37-minute lip-sync performance, no?