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Magical and enchanting – Michael Kiwanuka at AFAS Live
Michael Kiwanuka played for a sold-out AFAS Live last Wednesday. His tour, which includes twelve shows in Europe and the United Kingdom, is his first solo tour since 2022. This will give fans the first time to enjoy songs from his upcoming fourth album Small Changes live. We look back on the highlights:
The stage setting feels homely, with dimly lit lamps scattered around and even a vase with yellow tulips. It matches the intimacy of the music perfectly. With a little imagination, it’s as if Michael Kiwanuka is singing to you from his own living room. He’s not a natural showman—his interaction with the audience is kept to a minimum. Perhaps he’s too shy, too focused. But with that stunning voice, he captivates effortlessly.
The whole evening is a delight, but about three-quarters into the show, it truly takes flight. The hit Home Again marks the start of a sequence of music that is incredibly delicate, slow, and, above all, deeply moving. At times, only a violin and cello accompany him; at others, just the keys. It’s all incredibly fragile. Remarkably, for once, not a single audience member talks over the music. - Het Parool
From the very first moment, the band lulls the audience into a trance. Opening with The Rest of Me, Kiwanuka’s voice immediately sounds warm and reassuring, subtly carried by beautiful guitar melodies. The show quickly gains momentum with the following You Ain’t the Problem. The backing vocalists sound flawless, carrying the melody while holding tambourines in their hands. On the large screen behind the band, a smiling baby appears—a celebration of life, a moment of joy within Kiwanuka’s typically melancholic repertoire.
Kiwanuka maintains this high level throughout. In Father’s Child, his delicate fingerpicking at the end creates a goosebump moment, while Black Man in a White World transforms AFAS Live into a gospel church. Before starting, Kiwanuka addresses the audience for the first time. “How are you feeling, Amsterdam?” he asks. The crowd erupts in cheers. “So good to be here tonight.” What follows is a jazzy intro, as black-and-white footage of Black athletes plays on the screen. It’s a protest song, yet Kiwanuka delivers it with his signature disarming calmness and resilience. - Soundz
Much of Kiwanuka’s work feels more urgent and intense tonight than ever before. And how could it not? A British-Ugandan singer reflecting on (racial) inequality, compassion, and human relationships, while the world seems on the brink of being torn apart by a painted lunatic with delusions, and minorities across the ocean no longer feel safe. Black Man in a White World, played with increasing speed and intensity, lands like a sledgehammer.
Later in the set, it’s time for the only real speech of the night. Kiwanuka pauses to reflect on the special bond he shares with the Netherlands and how he was embraced here early in his career. That can only mean one thing: his breakthrough track, Home Again. Beside me, a woman with teary eyes touches her pregnant belly, as if sharing a quiet moment with her unborn child. With this song, the former Mercury Prize winner silences the entire AFAS Live—absolutely stunning. - OOR
All the more beautiful was how the violin and acoustic guitar emerged in Home Again, one of Kiwanuka’s earliest songs. The Netherlands was one of the first countries to embrace his unique take on soul, something he expressed gratitude for on Wednesday night.
Since his 2012 debut, his music has only grown richer in arrangement, and on Wednesday, Kiwanuka often captivated with long, psychedelic expansions of his songs. At times, it felt as if you were listening to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour on guitar, yet it never felt excessive or out of place. - Volkskrant
Photos by: Ferdy Damman