Kenyan musician Charisma has opened up about the behind-the-scenes challenges that delayed his performance at the third edition of Charisma Live, revealing that a series of generator failures nearly brought the show to a halt.
Speaking during an interview on the Mic Cheque Podcast, Charisma recalled the event, which was held at MASH House. He said the venue was hosting its first-ever show, and his team had carefully planned the event before the big day.
Performance Delayed By Technical Problems
Charisma said he had initially told fans he would perform at 10 pm but eventually went on stage at around 11:30 pm.
He explained that the delay was caused by problems backstage, including generators and sound equipment that needed to be fixed before the show could continue.
“People didn’t know what was happening behind the scenes.”
According to Charisma, three generators were brought in to power the event. The first developed a fuel-related problem and had to be taken away for refuelling.
When it was returned, other issues emerged, including cables and equipment that were not functioning properly.
Third Generator Damaged Sound Equipment
The situation became more serious when the third generator was brought in.
Charisma said the generator failed, damaging part of the sound system despite the team having completed rehearsals the previous day.
He recalled that the setup included eight subwoofers and about 16 top speakers. The generator reportedly damaged eight of the tops and four of the subs.
“I had to go on stage and tell people, ‘I don’t think we can have this show.’”
He said the event became a situation where almost everything that could go wrong appeared to happen, including problems the team had never experienced at previous shows.
MASS House was also not fully completed at the time, adding to the challenges surrounding the event.
A Costly Lesson
Despite the technical problems, Charisma said the show eventually turned out well, and the performance helped overcome some of the difficulties experienced earlier.
The experience also changed how he approached his future shows.
He said he decided to make punctuality and the audience experience a priority, with his subsequent shows starting much closer to the advertised times.
Charisma Live 3 Made A Loss
Charisma also revealed that the event was not financially profitable despite attracting a large crowd.
He said the show made losses of more than KSh1 million. He later explained that Charisma Live 3 at MASS House cost approximately KSh1.5 million, while a later waterfront event cost about KSh8 million.
He attributed part of the difference to infrastructure costs, noting that MASH House already had facilities such as a stage, screens and sound, unlike an open-field event.
