Vika Jigulina lifts spirits with her performance

Nearly 600 people attended the event.

ISLAMABAD: The so-called sleepy Islamabad seems to be perking things up a bit. With a slew of foreign bands and DJs coming in every now and then, things in the capital city went to the next level on Saturday night as Vika Jigulina, the voice behind Edward Maya’s famous tracks, performed in Bahria Town.

Excitement was high in the air as people stood in long queues, eager to get the party started.

Backstage, Vika, dressed in a flowy green dress with long curly hair, seemed equally thrilled. “This is my first time, and I hope there will be a second and third,” she told The Express Tribune.

The night opened with DJ Mister TJ from Lahore and DJ Tokka from Islamabad, who entertained the 600 participants with some excellent house music and upbeat trance tracks.

As Vika came onstage, the energised crowd rushed to cover every inch in front of the stage to get a closer look at the singer. They knew they were in for a good time. Starting her performance with “Stereo Love” and “This is My Life” and following it up with her own track “Memories”, Vika had everyone, even those sitting right at the back, on their feet and grooving to the beat as she moved on to a mix of “We Found Love” by Rihanna and “Somebody to Love” by Queen.

Her guitarist also managed to steal some limelight while playing “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, which had the young boys roaring.

“The tickets were expensive, the place was far, but I’m having an awesome time. It was definitely worth the wait,” said an enthusiastic Haider, who broke a few dance moves on the floor.

Vika managed to keep an uplifting performance for an hour straight, managing the crowd well. At one point, she gently asked some boys to not throw water bottles in the air. The bottles stopped flying.

The event, organised by Overseas Event Management, Project Blitz and Vermillion Events, was not only for entertainment, as 25% of the revenue from the Rs8,000 ticket will be given to Radiance, a non-governmental organisation that aims to raise awareness about HIV amongst the youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.