Expectations were high from the moment Zaria Court announced Urban Boyz as the headline act for a concert marking the venue’s first anniversary.

However, the timing of the announcement did not sit well with organisers of the Iwacu Muzika Festival, who reportedly believed the hotel should have waited until after the group’s performance in Rubavu before promoting its own event, a source told The New Times.

The dispute was brief, however, and ultimately worked in favour of fans in both Rubavu and Kigali, who were eager to see Urban Boyz reunite on stage after eight years apart.

A ceasefire was reached as Zaria Court continued promoting its concert, while Iwacu Muzika Festival organisers successfully hosted the reunited group at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu.

Urban Boyz, comprising Safi Madiba, Nizzo Kaboss and Humble Jizzo, have now performed twice within the space of a week. However, fans who attended both shows could easily tell that the group’s performance in Rubavu was markedly different from their outing at Zaria Court on Saturday.

The only thing the two concerts had in common was the impressive turnout. Unlike in Rubavu, however, the group appeared less energetic in Kigali and relied heavily on playback for much of their performance.

“I really missed seeing the three of them on stage again,” said one concertgoer. “But the performance they delivered tonight was not what I expected. It looked like they were not fully prepared.”

Still, the group received a warm welcome from a packed Zaria Court crowd, which was ready to sing along to every Urban Boyz hit played by the DJ before the trio took to the stage.

The group stepped onto the stage at 12:20 a.m., opening with one of their most popular songs, Kubita. They immediately sparked loud cheers and applause from the crowd as they launched into the performance.

The audience maintained that energy throughout the set, passionately singing along and expressing a strong sense of nostalgia with every song. However, the group’s tempo gradually dropped as the performance progressed.

Fortunately, the DJ helped maintain the momentum and kept the atmosphere lively.