My most memorable concerts of all time

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WHAT’S UP!

Following my column last week, when I listed the musicians I would like to watch performing, some people asked me about the ones I have watched, and which are the most memorable. I had to think really hard about this one, because most of the ones I have attended, I have been working. And when working, you have to put enjoyment aside and be as objective as you can be. But still, some stand out. So, again in no particular order, these are the most memorable concerts I have watched.

THIRD WORLD (1996)

This could rank as my most memorable concert. Ever since I heard Try Jah Love blast out of the speakers at a university campus in Nairobi in 1982, I was sold to this band’s unique reggae sound. Their concert over two nights (30th and 31st December) at the then Nile Gardens was pure gold, more so because I worked that night, but the next I left my camera and notebook at home, and just enjoyed. Sadly, it was to be the last time they ever played together as a band. After 20 years.

UB40 (2008)

It was pure coincidence that just about 10 years later, I watched another iconic band play their last gig, again on a Ugandan stage. Most Ugandans will most likely cite UB40’s concert as their best ever; again, I was lucky to watch and enjoy them, because about 20 minutes into the show, their management decided they did not want any photography or video. So, I gladly put my camera away. UB40 had always been a favourite of mine, and we had a ruckus time playing their songs in Northcote with Nobert Okec and Frank Ochieng. They won’t admit it, but while Northcoters bullied everyone at Makerere, we bullied the Northcoters, playing very loud reggae at midnight and waking everyone up to dance.

AFRIGO BAND (2011)

I cannot count how many times I have watched the Afrigo Band, but one night stands out. We had gone to ‘meet the band’ with members of the Plot 11 Forum. I was going through a difficult period, and after the ‘meeting’ I went to my usual corner and watched everyone else have a good time. But sometime along the way, the music penetrated whatever funk was hanging over me, and I started to dance. All my friends were shocked, but I danced away without a care. I swear that night Afrigo saved my life. Thank you, Moses and crew.

LUCKY DUBE (1995)

Modern music concerts in Uganda will always be dated from the time Andrew Rugasira brought in Lucky Dube. We had never seen anything like that, and the whole town stopped when the sounds of the sound check drifted down from the Nile Hotel Gardens that afternoon. Afrigo curtain raised, and even they had never sounded that good. Rugasira revolutionised concerts in Uganda, and we should all take off our hats to him, and he should take a bow, wherever he is now.

CHAKA DEMUS & PLIERS (1996)

Tshaka Mayanka followed very quickly the next year with the Jamaican duo, the most down-to-earth international musicians I have ever seen.

I was lucky to hang around with them before the concert, and the hours we spent in the lobby, drinking beer and singing while one or two played the hotel piano, will always be precious.

That was also the time a young Lillian Barenzi thought I was part of the band and tried to get fresh. Lord, I couldn’t stop laughing. Now, if I were a bad guy…

JONATHAN BUTLER & GERALD ALBRIGHT (JAZZ SAFARI 2010)

Many of the Jazz Safari shows are memorable, and different artistes featured brought their own type of magic. Albright came several times, and the one with Shalamar’s Howard Hewett was a big hit. I didn’t feel Hewett much, though. It is the combination with Butler that steals it for me; it was simply awesome, so much so that at times I caught myself forgetting to take photos. Butler gives his everything in a concert, and then some more. Add Albright (and his daughter Selina), and that was pure gold.

HUGH MASEKELA (2006)

I first met Masekela at Chaka Chaka’s home in Johannesburg, when she invited a bunch of journalists for dinner. He showed up and expressed his wish to come and perform in Uganda. A few years later, he did, and what I saw that day in Serena’s Victoria Hall was unforgettable. Ugandans who attend jazz concerts are a fickle lot, with many just there for ‘being there’. But Masekela was determined to grab them by their fickle throats, and by the end of the evening, he had. I was almost there in his face with my camera as he did Stimela, and that will forever stay with me. Rest in peac,e Hugh.

MAURICE KIRYA (2012)

This was his first really big concert, and boy, did he blow everyone away. When I walked into the Victoria Hall, the dining area was turned into a dance floor. The first notes were still echoing around the hall, and the floor was full; those folks did not sit down again. It was great to see a ‘local’ musician put on such a professional show.

ISAIAH KATUMWA (2012)

Katumwa has put on quite a few shows in Kampala, and it is to his credit that more and more people attend. It is not easy ‘just playing instrumentals’, as many found out at the Kenny G show two weeks ago, but somehow Katumwa manages to keep it entertaining. But this show, which was recorded live, was something else. And that rendition of Malaika, with the incredible Rachel Namubiru, was out of this world. If you don’t believe me, check it out on YouTube.

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