Echoes of Arua Concert delivers more than expected

There is something special about getting the guest of honour right at a concert, and Walter Asiku nailed it when he invited former ICT minister Ham Mulira to his inaugural show at Goethe Zentrum, Kamwokya, last Friday.

Mulira didn’t just step on stage to deliver praise. He joined the groove, playing blues on the keyboard with improvisations from the drummer. When he apologised for a few off-key notes, the audience called for an encore. Though he declined, his short speech and performance drew loud ululations.

“When he invited me as guest of honour, I had to turn up because I have followed his music for a long time. The way he fuses local music with modern instruments moved the audience,” Mulira said, urging foreign envoys to promote Asiku internationally.

A fan dancing to Asiku's music

When Asiku stepped on stage with his Asikuology Band, the atmosphere shifted to the rhythms of Arua. Traditional instruments such as the bow harp, tube fiddle, bow lyre, thumb piano, and calabash gave the performance a distinct cultural identity.

The first session featured educative and meditative songs like Aci Maniri, Enyonyi, Tukole, Mva Mva, and Mbapi. The second session leaned into storytelling with Muliranwa, Lenia, and Ndabaho Ebi. The evening closed with the Unbeatables Jazz Band setting up for the final session, blending jazz with Asiku’s unique style.

What began as a modest promise turned into a rich musical experience. These were not mere echoes but full, resonant sounds. And while rooted in Arua, the concert was multilingual, with songs performed in Lugbara, Luganda, Runyoro, Rutoro, and English—a celebration of diversity and cultural fusion.