By Danielle Esohe
Aya Nakamura’s UK debut was incredible but not without its weaknesses. The MCs prior to her arrival did their absolute best to maintain the crowd’s energy, especially when it became glaringly obvious that she was late. They were definitely successful in keeping morale high, and I admired the thought behind ensuring that both the British and French audiences were catered to. The supporting artist, however, was a poor choice, performing bad covers of popular Nigerian tunes. Alas, it served as a form of comedy which distracted me from Aya’s tardiness.
Aya’s performance from a fan’s perspective was astounding, but just okay objectively speaking. She has a stunning voice, which was complemented well by the live band, and the moments when she performed choreography were fun. Sadly, there is not much more to comment on; one can only be amazed by a beautiful woman staring at the audience ominously for so long. It is always appreciated when artists make their audiences feel like part of the show, and I feel as though the concert lacked this aspect. Regardless, being able to hear songs paired with an acoustic guitar or a drum set changed the dynamics of Aya’s music, and was refreshing to hear. Nonetheless, what made the night was the sheer talent of her dancers. Only four, yet every time they were on stage they absolutely stole the show, performing with passion and absorbing the energy from the crowd that Aya couldn’t. You could tell they were truly enjoying themselves on stage, as were her background singers, which really helped to keep the audience engaged beyond our favourite songs.
Overall, as beautiful as it was to hear Aya Nakamura live, her lateness and somewhat half-hearted stage presence let the dancers take over the show, and the experience would have been lacklustre without them.
