Kagumba's live classics concert: a battle of three brothers
Dec 22, 2016
Kagumba put up his maiden show for his local audience at Kampala Kolping Hotel
Tenor Andrew Kagumba has made many stage appearances in Europe and the US. But the highly reserved and humble singing teacher has been reluctant to put up a home concert.
Well, Kagumba put up his maiden show for his local audience at Kampala Kolping Hotel on Sunday. The show dubbed Live Classics attracted an impressive audience, not commonly seen at local classical music recitals.
Clad in a black suit with a white-shirt and red bow-tie, Kagumba appeared so glamorous that he impressed his fans even before he took to the mike. He began his show with Schubert's Ave Maria, a common poignant piece by Schubert. Other songs in his repertoire, which were basically operatic love pieces by Italian composers included Guiseppe Giordani's Caro Mio Ben (dearest and best, heart of my heart), Sebben Crudelle (by Antonio Caldara), Amore (Morte Tonny), and Lady be good. Kagumba was skillfully accompanied by Ronnie Nsereko, a professional organist trained in Germany.
Kagumba's concert also featured his two brothers, the popular alto saxophonists, Michael Kitanda and Happy Kyazze, who wowed the audience with their antics as they performed songs by local and international musicians like Whitey Houston, Good Lyfe and Elly Wamala.
But there was also this surprise 11-year old girl, Antonia Nakato, who worked out the audience with a beautiful song, I am a Catholic, I am alive.
Nyakato displayed an admirable sense of rhythm as she crooned the Vienna waltz movement song. Another surprise performer was budding violinist Alex Ninsiima, who played Andrew Lloyd Webber's Wishing you were somehow here again.
Kagumba told his fans that he had put up the show to raise funds for the development of a music school, which he was setting up in Mengo.
He revealed that his friends abroad had donated to him musical instruments, many of which were still abroad and needed to be delivered.