The mother of all bashes

Johannesburg - It is not often that artists give their die-hard fans exactly what they ask for.

But AKA and Anatii fans, especially the lucky few who got to witness the launch of the duo’s collaborative album, Be Careful What You Wish For, got exactly that.

The launch was at Zone 6 Venue in Diepkloof, Soweto, on Friday night.

The award-winning Kiernan “AKA” Forbes (29) and Anathi “Anatii” Mnyango (24) thoroughly entertained the Zone 6 Venue crowd.

Their performance, which reminded me of campus bashes, was infused with a kasi vibe that had the guests lost in the music on the dance floor.

And the party was clearly the place to be. More fans kept streaming in as those at the venue spread the word.

The launch dominated social media, with #BCWYWF (Be Careful What You Wish For) a trending topic on Twitter until well after the party ended.

If this was not the mother of all launch parties, it was at least a very serious contender for the title.

Guests were welcomed with Cruz Vodka and soft drinks on the way to their seats.

And those who came earlier got free copies of the album – making true the saying “the early bird catches the worm”.

Mingling with the crowds were celebrity guests including rappers K.O, MaE, JR, Yanga and Nomuzi Mabena.

The duo’s performance started at midnight with cheers from the expectant crowd.

The album’s first single, Don’t Forget To Pray, and The Saga were the night’s most popular songs, getting the enthusiastic fans into what can only be described as a frenzy.

The rappers performed all the tracks on their album.

Jesus Plug, Angelz and Don’t Forget To Pray all left me wondering whether they were venturing into gospel.

Anatii and AKA took time to thank fans for their support, promising album tours across the country and more engagement with fans because that is what they asked for.

“We had been asked by many people who would just come up to us and say: ‘You guys must give us an album together’.

We then decided to do it and felt it would be best suited by the title Be Careful What You Wish For, because the fans asked for it,” AKA said.

“As partners, we did not need to give people too much of our material as yet, even though I think the vibe really speaks for itself,” said Anatii of the 10-track album.