Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Maybe I was biased, but the first Kitalo show was the best yet. The crowd was electrified, their cheers and support far exceeding any expectations I could've had of this night. Thanks to their enthusiasm, we kick-started the second leg of the Journey tour on a bang.
Hands were in the air, voices loud and excited as the audience sang along, the band's music having to be amped up through the speakers so we could actually hear it.
I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as Towa engaged the audience, matching their energy and setting the stage ablaze with the dancers. I was so enthralled by this sexy masked man I got to call mine that I'd forgotten to be nervous about going solo onstage until the stage director gave me the signal that meant I should direct myself to wardrobe and styling as soon as this set was over.
After that, I basically sang the rest of my background vocals on autopilot, my stomach twisting as the anxiety from having to sing in front of thousands of people overtook me. Sure, I'd have the other background singers up there with me to help me with the performance, just like we'd practiced, but ninety-nine percent of it would be spent in the spotlight. In front of thousands of people.
It seemed like every well-known person was here. From my position onstage, I could see most of the VIP section, packed with reputable people in Kitalo's music industry, including Towa's parents. His gorgeous mom's presence here made me so nervous. What did she look for in a daughter in law? Did I fit the criteria for the woman she'd want mothering her son's babies? The more I looked at her, the more questions I had. I decided to focus on other faces instead; Chey, Ash and Tee - all of them stunning as they vibed to the music with infectious smiles on their faces.
Soon enough, the set was over and we were off the stage, my nerves mounting as I changed and went to get my hair and makeup done.
"Mm, baby!" Towa exclaimed through a chuckle, his hand covering his nose as he scrunched his face.
It was minutes before my performance and he'd just found me in the green room, trying to calm my racing heart.
"I'm nervous!" I whined in response to his reaction to my bubbling guts, the laughter he released helping little as another nervous fart escaped my bowels.
Towa came closer, now immune to my gas apparently, his hands around my waist in an instant. "Nervous about what, baby? You've done this before."
"I haven't, baby," I shook my head, as I stared up at him. "Not on this scale. There are about thirty thousand people out there, Towani. What if I mess up?"
"What if you don't, Toya?" he mumbled soothingly. "You're in here giving yourself unnecessary irritable bowel syndrome when you know and I know that you're an amazing performer. It's not about the size of the stage or the magnitude of the audience. It's about how well you own it. You killed it at Artfrikah, you destroyed the stage at Ashley's neighbourhood party, and you know what, you're about to do the same on this stage too."
