Indeed, we are not in normal times as Corona virus devastates the world and puts us on lockdown. In the midst of our misery, we still find solace in God (for those that believe) and in any form of entertainment.

Shatta Wale provided another form of entertainment that was geared at bringing people hope and fun in this time of despair – and to put it bluntly, he nailed it!

He also took the opportunity to offer some tips on how the populace can adhere to the precautionary measures outlined by the World Health Organization and Ghana Health Service in the fight against the virus

The commentary, reviews and applause were not as profound as expected but the fact remains that, the virtual concert was expertly done and surely, there would be many others across the country and the rest of the world who would replicate this.

Groundbreaking

Shatta Wale’s virtual concert was not the first ever to be staged in the world, considering the fact that the likes of Miley Cyrus, Elton John and Selena Gomez have blazed that trail, however, the ‘Faith Concert’ was the biggest in Africa.

Although Edem had organized his a week before Shatta Wale, the latter’s was extensive and elaborate and commanded the bigger numbers.

The concert once again cemented Shatta Wale’s legacy not only in the annals of Ghana music but on the African continent. That pioneering and revolutionary move, in its ornate state, was the first by any recognized Africa act – and the numbers that tuned in during and after the concert is impressive.

Music followers across the world were all hinged to just one platform, Shatta Wale’s YouTube page and clearly, there were virtually less negative commentary on the concert. It was fulfilling!



Technical Detail

Internet connectivity has been a bane for us here in Ghana, indisputably and it reared its head during the concert but had nothing to do with Shatta Wale and his team.

The challenge, as anticipated by many prior to the concert was how fluid and perfect the coordination of the feed on his YouTube Channel would pan out. As it turned out, it was grand.

The ability of the technical team to coordinate effectively and channel all the eyes from his Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, all to the YouTube channel was impressive. What was even more remarkable was their ability to ensure that, there were no unnecessary lull in the feed.

Even with many high profile shows, we get lots of technical challenges with sound, fluidity and breaks. The ‘Faith Concert’ had none of those. The organization for this was apt!

Interesting Performance

When Shatta Wale announced he would be doing live band, I am certain that many people pooh-poohed that statement, shrugging it off as empty talk. Well, he proved all of us wrong. The fact is; he shamed us all!

Shatta Wale and his handlers were strategic – they had the song selection right. The guy has countless songs, many of them hits and they chose to play the mid-temp, slow tempo highlife and afro beat tracks. He showed his vocal prowess and even got confident in his own vocal abilities, telling the band to always go low, in order for him to showcase his vocal dexterity.

Even when he performed some party jams, he still maintained his composure and was not reckless in staying in key. He really came prepared and that effort he put in the whole project was just magnificent.

Another highlight was his communication skill; a mark of any true performer – the ability to engage the audience during the performance. There were no unnecessary raving and ranting and he also exhibited some emotions in his delivery.

The Band Was Just Awesome

The success of any live performance is dependent on two key elements – the band and the main act. The two must be on top of their game, have good rapport and gel to make it work.

At the ‘Faith Concert’ – that band made Shatta Wale look good.

The band was just exceptional in its delivery as they complemented the artiste in the best of forms. The telepathy and camaraderie exhibited between Wale and the band were telling – and evidently, the band was extremely disciplined on the night and it showed in the output.

Clearly, the band rehearsed and no band performs that well if they do not take practice seriously. These guys were simply awesome!

Another positive highlight was the backing vocalists. Wow! We never got the opportunity to see their faces but those guys were great on the vocals. They deserve some critical mention.



There’s Money in There Too

Shatta Wale is a business man; he’s told us this at every opportunity. He will not embark on anything without the talk of that money factor. He is smart!

There’s plenty money to be made on that digital space and he knows this – considering the fact that, he’s been enjoying that digital revenue over the years.

The ‘Faith Concert’ presented another fine avenue for him to take advantage and with close to close to 300,000 people watching and still counting – there’s surely money to be made.

Another poignant note is the level of support he had for this virtual concert, where quite a number of corporate firms supported the project.

Salute to the Team!

Congratulations to Shatta Wale and most importantly, his team. There was no way he could have achieved this single-handedly. That team, from the handlers to the technical crew to the band, they ‘killed’ it – completely.

As the nation adjusts to the new reality of life under self-quarantine in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of artists and musical institutions will surely Shatta Wale’s lead by taking the show online to share some musical joy during these trying times.