Last night’s tribute concert for the late Zambian music icon Dandy Krazy took an unexpected turn when Copperbelt rapper Y-Celeb hijacked Xaven’s performance and claimed the spotlight for himself. The event, which saw performances from top artists, turned into a one-man show as Y Celeb took over the stage for an extended set.
After Slap Dee’s performance, Xaven was introduced as the next act and the only female artist to make it to the show. However, as her intro song Tidwale began to play, it was abruptly switched to a song featuring Y-Celeb. This signaled an unplanned duet, but as soon as Y-Celeb got on stage, he made it his own.
While most artists were limited to five-minute sets and some, like Chile One Mr. Zambia, performed for just two minutes, Y-Celeb dominated the stage for a full 30 minutes. During his time, he performed nearly all of his hits, including his classic “Mwalitwishiba Ifwe” and collaborations from his 408 Empire days.
At one point, Xaven left the stage, expecting Y Celeb to follow, but he continued performing solo. He reminisced about the rise of 408 Empire and credited their hit song Chilepule Baby for revolutionizing the Zambian music industry. Y-Celeb also addressed lingering issues with Chanda Na Kay and took a playful jab at Danny Kaya, asking him to clarify the meaning behind the lyrics of his song Yakumbuyo.
In an emotional moment, Y Celeb declared himself the new Dandy Krazy, claiming that the late artist’s spirit now resides in him. “Ninebo bashile imipashi ba Dandy. I’m the person Dandy left his spirit in. I’m the next Dandy Krazy,” he said. He went on to praise Dandy Krazy’s humility and openness, recalling how the late artist welcomed and encouraged fellow musicians.
As Y-Celeb continued to perform, some fans in the audience began murmuring, urging him to wrap up and give others a chance to perform. However, his loyal “Kopala” supporters sang along enthusiastically, enjoying