Local singer and song writer Zonke Dikana opened for Richie, performing her hits, including S.O.S, Release Me and Feelings.
After what seemed like an exceptionally long wait - probably due to the rain – Richie finally appeared on stage. From the very first note, he had the crowd eating out of his hand as he performed all-time favourites including Dancing on the Ceiling, All Night Long and Brick House, slowing it down with one of my favourites, Ballerina Girl, written for his daughter.
We were transported back to the days of the Commodores with ever-popular Easy Like Sunday Morning and Lady, and later he took to the piano for Three Times a Lady, Still and Stuck on You. There were multiple moments throughout the evening where Cape Town showed it’s love and undying support for Richie with an all but overpowering choir, singing alongside him – often seeing him stop to enjoy a moment of humility and gratitude. One particularly crowd-engaged song was Endless Love which saw the audience sing the part of Diana Ross.
The band was spectacularly talented and definitely elevated Richie’s performance to a level of utter excellence – We were privileged to enjoy soul-touching sax performances and bass guitar notes to get your feet tapping and body rocking, along with brilliant drum beats and the unique touch of a soulful harmonica - definitely something very special, and moving.
The evening was brought to a close with the infamous We are the World, composed by the late Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie himself. The feeling of hope and accountability in the atmosphere was tangible as the audience engaged in a heartfelt rendition of a song that holds so much meaning. We left the stadium feeling better for having been there.
