Mulindwa: Guru of modern dance in Uganda
May 18, 2006
Ronnie Mulindwa is monstrously talented. He can sing, he is a playwright and he is a talented dancer.
By Joseph Batte
Ronnie Mulindwa is monstrously talented. He can sing, he is a playwright and he is a talented dancer.
Mulindwa is the father of modern dance in Uganda.
What the world didn’t know is that Mulindwa is the man behind the success story of the Obsessions.
If you talk to him about dance and see him perform, it will soon dawn on you that Mulindwa does not only love dance; he lives it. On stage he has a body language that carries an incredible range of motion, emotion and imagination. He has been doing so since his childhood.
Mulindwa, whose latest play Return to Innocence premiered at the national Theatre to great acclaim, says his acting skills were honed in primary school when he acted in two Aids awareness plays titled The Hydra and The Riddle.
Mulindwa, who had been admitted to Kitovu SS in Masaka changed to Namasagali College after watching one of their dance performances. At Namasagali, he was able to do what he had always wanted to do in his life — to sing, dance and act.
“We were given interviews which included performing a few dance routines. I passed with flying colours and I was sent to the choreographers’ class. Our duty was to choreograph dances for the productions that Namasagali used to stage at the National Theatre,†Mulindwa says.
He was soon made senior dancer and dance commissioner. Mulindwa was assigned the duty of handling new recruits. During inter-house competition, he would write plays and choreography dances for them.
Mulindwa completed his A-levels in 1999. Although his teachers requested him to go back and help in choreographing dances, Mulindwa turned down the offer.
The birth of the Obsessions
“When I left Namasagali, I wanted to continue with dancing and acting, but there was no modern dancing group in the country,†says Mulindwa. “That is when I decided to form a dance group and contacted a few friends from Namasagali College. On naming the group, I picked a word that could describe my passion for dance and drama — obsession. I wrote skits, choreographed dances.â€
Mulindwa says they first took their shows to schools, adding that their first show at St Kalemba was a total flop.
“At the time, we all lived in my mom’s house in Ntinda. We were investing in a lot, but getting almost nothing in return,†Mulindwa says.
Their biggest break came three years ago with the play, Cleopatra, which attracted record crowds at the National Theatre. They also ventured into singing with hits like Nod Yo head, which earned them two PAM Awards.
Two years ago, some of the founding members of the Obsessions left the group, leaving Mulindwa and Remmy with the girls in danger of disintegrating. “That was one of the biggest disappointments in my life. These people were also close friends. What hurt me is that they never told me why they left,†Mulindwa says.
It was songwriter Silver Kyagulanyi who suggested to Mulindwa that the girls could emerge as singers if put through rigorous vocal training. After three months of rehearsals, Kyagulanyi wrote Weekume, which was produced by Steve Jean.
Last month the Obsessions proved at the National Theatre that they are good actors, dancers and singers.
Mulindwa cannot hide his joy. “I am now happy that our group is smaller and manageable. Our dream is to create a dance, music and drama culture in Uganda.â€
Ronnie Mulindwa is monstrously talented. He can sing, he is a playwright and he is a talented dancer.
Mulindwa is the father of modern dance in Uganda.
What the world didn’t know is that Mulindwa is the man behind the success story of the Obsessions.
If you talk to him about dance and see him perform, it will soon dawn on you that Mulindwa does not only love dance; he lives it. On stage he has a body language that carries an incredible range of motion, emotion and imagination. He has been doing so since his childhood.
Mulindwa, whose latest play Return to Innocence premiered at the national Theatre to great acclaim, says his acting skills were honed in primary school when he acted in two Aids awareness plays titled The Hydra and The Riddle.
Mulindwa, who had been admitted to Kitovu SS in Masaka changed to Namasagali College after watching one of their dance performances. At Namasagali, he was able to do what he had always wanted to do in his life — to sing, dance and act.
“We were given interviews which included performing a few dance routines. I passed with flying colours and I was sent to the choreographers’ class. Our duty was to choreograph dances for the productions that Namasagali used to stage at the National Theatre,†Mulindwa says.
He was soon made senior dancer and dance commissioner. Mulindwa was assigned the duty of handling new recruits. During inter-house competition, he would write plays and choreography dances for them.
Mulindwa completed his A-levels in 1999. Although his teachers requested him to go back and help in choreographing dances, Mulindwa turned down the offer.
The birth of the Obsessions
“When I left Namasagali, I wanted to continue with dancing and acting, but there was no modern dancing group in the country,†says Mulindwa. “That is when I decided to form a dance group and contacted a few friends from Namasagali College. On naming the group, I picked a word that could describe my passion for dance and drama — obsession. I wrote skits, choreographed dances.â€
Mulindwa says they first took their shows to schools, adding that their first show at St Kalemba was a total flop.
“At the time, we all lived in my mom’s house in Ntinda. We were investing in a lot, but getting almost nothing in return,†Mulindwa says.
Their biggest break came three years ago with the play, Cleopatra, which attracted record crowds at the National Theatre. They also ventured into singing with hits like Nod Yo head, which earned them two PAM Awards.
Two years ago, some of the founding members of the Obsessions left the group, leaving Mulindwa and Remmy with the girls in danger of disintegrating. “That was one of the biggest disappointments in my life. These people were also close friends. What hurt me is that they never told me why they left,†Mulindwa says.
It was songwriter Silver Kyagulanyi who suggested to Mulindwa that the girls could emerge as singers if put through rigorous vocal training. After three months of rehearsals, Kyagulanyi wrote Weekume, which was produced by Steve Jean.
Last month the Obsessions proved at the National Theatre that they are good actors, dancers and singers.
Mulindwa cannot hide his joy. “I am now happy that our group is smaller and manageable. Our dream is to create a dance, music and drama culture in Uganda.â€