Highly anticipated for the opening of the Sômarôho Festival, Sheenseea delivered a disappointingly short performance. Many festivalgoers who came specifically to see her left disappointed. The Nosy Be audience was drawn by the Jamaican star's body, dance moves, and energy. The 13th edition of the Sômarôho Festival opened to exceptional crowds. While the atmosphere was electric, disappointment also marked the evening with Jamaican star Sheenseea's performance.
As every year, the traditional opening ball of the Sômarôho Festival attracts music and party enthusiasts. For this 13th edition, however, attendance far exceeded previous years, driven by the heavily publicized announcement of the star's presence. The atmosphere was electric Thursday night at the villa for her first appearance.
From the early hours of the evening, thousands of festivalgoers flooded the Villa Wawa de Djamandzar, specially arranged for the occasion. Many came not just to dance. Their main objective was to see the Jamaican star Chinsea Linda Lee, better known by her stage name Sheenseea, up close and capture a selfie to immortalize the moment for social media.
The evening began with performances by Wawa, accompanied notably by Théo Rakotovao and Anatal, who gradually built the temperature. However, it wasn't until around three in the morning that the international artist finally appeared. Despite accumulated fatigue after hours of waiting, those about to leave returned to the stage, while devoted fans crowded the front row hoping to get a souvenir photo.
Two Songs
Sheenseea's entrance immediately triggered an explosion of joy. Screams, applause, and cheers echoed throughout the venue. The artist quickly won over the crowd by greeting them warmly in the local patois: "Mbolatsara!" – a gesture particularly appreciated by festivalgoers, even if the word was mispronounced.
Dressed in a striking outfit, the singer also captivated spectators with her energy and sensual choreography, marked by hip movements reminiscent of daring dances, "kawitry," currently popular among several Malagasy artists.
The first song offered a genuine moment of communion. To many observers' surprise, the crowd sang along to the English lyrics with remarkable ease, creating an atmosphere of closeness between artist and fans. But this euphoria was short-lived. After only two and a half songs, some performed in shortened versions, Sheenseea left the stage without explanation. Spectators, convinced it was merely a pause, waited several minutes for a return that never came.
Another frustration: the singer did not perform one of her most popular titles with the Nosy Be audience, which many fans had announced as the evening's highlight, leaving numerous spectators disappointed. The disappointment was palpable as people left the ball.
"We are really disappointed. This is not what we expected. We made the trip especially to see her up close, in a more intimate setting than a stadium. But her performance was far too short. We paid 50,000 ariary each and even took a special taxi from Marodoka village. We thought we would experience an exceptional moment," confessed a group of twelve young festivalgoers.
According to the festival program, the artist is scheduled to take the stage again Friday night in Ambodivoanio, where many festivalgoers hope to finally witness a concert worthy of the immense anticipation her visit generated.