Equato-Guinean music diva Nelida Karr will be performing on the Grand Scène Parking of the Palais de la Culture on Wednesday April 17. Last Sunday, at Yelam’s, she gave a remarkable performance in front of an audience transported by the artist’s vocal timbre. Immersion. 

By Samuel Assougba

Sunday, April 14th. 5:30 PM. A solemn silence pervades Yelam’s, the 1,500-seat concert hall in Treichville, Abidjan. Nelida Karr, seated on a chair, holds her guitar, her faithful companion from the age of 15. 

The orchestra follows the rhythm, as the diva sings her first song, marking the start of a show combining lively Afro-Cuban music and spellbinding jazz. The audience, captivated, absorbs every note, letting themselves be carried away by the melodies and responding enthusiastically to the artist’s vocal flights with hearty ovations. 

In the audience, seated in the front row, Dobet Gnahoré, Ivorian singer, dancer and musician, is seduced. With a piercing gaze and a smile on her face, she moves her head to the rhythm of the music.

« She’s my favorite! She sings so beautifully! I thank God for giving us talent like that in Africa. We need to see her everywhere. I’m a fan of hers, » exclaims the Ivorian star.  Nelida Karr seduces not only with her voice, but also with the swaying rhythms that accompany her Afro-Cuban tracks.

Invited for the second time to MASA, she is delighted with the opportunity offered by this showbiz market. « I love being in Abidjan. I love the fact that cultures are maintained through this festival, and it’s a pleasure and an honor for me to be here, » reveals the smiling star. 

For over half an hour, Nelida kept her audience on the edge of their seats. Her next performance at Abidjan’s MASA promises to be an event not to be missed. She will take to the stage at the Palais de la Culture on Wednesday April 17, at 7:30pm.