♫ 🎸Afrigo Band launch 'Teri Mubi' album in style

ENTERTAINMENT

As reported live from Hotel Africana in Kampala
 
Hands up if you haven't listened to any song by Afrigo Band. No hand up? Well, we thought so. Right then, we got right into it on Friday. We had a huge show on our cards. For many a folk, it inspired a bucketful of nostalgic feelings. Can you relate? Scroll down the page for earlier updates.

 
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12:35am | Passion personified

QN: What does 'passion' mean to you?

For us here, this gentleman with a bandaged arm is passion personified. Surely! Check out just how he poured his heart out...music is no doubt food to the soul!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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12:30am | It's a wrap!

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Afrigo's young blood does Akagoma, a medley of various Buganda traditional songs, to crown the show. It's a wrap, ladies and gentlemen!

Time check: A half past midnight. Revellers see their way out of the rather thrilling evening with a legendary music powerhouse, Afrigo Band.

What a night!

 
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11:37pm | Go down, go down

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12:25pm | Everyone on the floor

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

 
Afrigo is wrapping up the night with their biggest hits. Maria is having everyone grooving. What a time! Worth every coin.

Let's dance. Let's celebrate good music. Rare dance moves here.

Oswadde Nyo, probably the band's biggest hit... But wait, what is their biggest hit? Well, the song is definitely having almost everyone breaking a sweat. Good vibes. Who is sitting? "Let's all dance," the song seems to call out.

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12:13am | ♫ Get your groove on

 

 

 

 

 

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11:45pm | Eddie Yawe performs

 

 

 

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11:37pm | Request time

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

The whole audience is on its feet. Done with the new album. The band is doing their popular songs from the past.

 
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11:28pm | Request time

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

The band has started performing requests from the audience.

Joanita Kawalya's Jim is sure driving fans to ecstasy. The whole house - everyone - is up. She croons, they twist and turn their bones.

She is in the audience. Greeting her fans.  Hugging and waving. And they, dancing to her every beat.


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11:20pm | Bring it on!

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Afrigo Band is on the instruments. They are performing the second time. The song's groovy tune is irresistable. The audience is on the dance floor. Teri Mubi is praising women. Women are smiling and winding away.

The song features Jose Chameleone, but the songster is absent. The band's young blood, Rudeboy Deevo, is doing a fine job.

 
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11:15pm | TERI MUBI ALBUM LAUNCHED

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Kaddu Kiberu has launched Afrigo Band's Teri Mubi album. The big names in the audience are buying copies of the album at a high price.... sh1m...sh2m.. sh500,000.

Kiberu, with support of the audience, requests that the band repeats the album signature song.

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11:05pm | Thank you for promoting local language

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

The guest honour is Kaddu Kiberu, who is Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II's adviser. He is on stage after a thrilling musical act. Clearly, the room is filled with big shots! The shoutouts feature names of the rich and the elite, mostly from Buganda kingdom.

Kiberu thanks Afrigo Band for promoting the local language and culture through their music. The band's co-director, James Wasula, is also on stage, near Matovu.

What an evening!

 

 
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11:00pm | Teri bubi - No ugly woman

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

After a break, the band comes back with the title song, Teri Mubi. It says there is no ugly woman. This will be a danceable tune.

It will be a crowd favourite. Of course the members of the audience can't help but hit the dance floor. City tycoon Ntake and colleagues are up.

And you, what are you waiting for?


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10:52pm | ♫ Obangaina ♫

Up on your feet already!

 

 

 
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10:52pm | Fashion ladies

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Ekisaakaate is another tune sensitizing on moral building among the young generation. It is most probably inspired by the renowned Ekisaakaate by Nabagereka of Buganda, Slyvia Nagginda.

Magoola and Kawalya's are in a fashion frenzy tonight. They have changed attires in every appearance.

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10:43pm | Can you guess what they are saying?

Let's give it a shot . . .

 

 

 

 

 
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10:35pm | 'It is boiling in Jinja'

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

They are back to the new album, with Emize. It song explores bad habits, with the lead vocals of Matovu with his prominent saxophone and a soothing guitar by legendary band guitarist, Eddie Ganja.

"Tulabye n'emize emibi... Mazima tulabye.." The song takes a swipe at thieves, liars, backbiting and... [name any bad habit]

Audience members are free to request for any favourite song they would like to see the band perform tonight, the night's MC Abbey Mukiibi announces.

Wow! Just wow!

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10:30pm | What an evening! Are you attending the show?

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10:18pm | ♫ 🎸Musical blend of old and new

 
Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Afrigo are interchangeably blending their old and new songs, performing from the new album (introducing their fans to the new works) and sparking an adrenaline rush in the crowd with a previous hit. On the former, the audience listens calmly, nodding, while on the latter, some just can't fight the urge to get up and groove along.

They are singing along. Racheal Magoola, in a flowery dress, is backed by Joanita Kawaalya. What a joy to watch! Everyone is cheering her. The ballroom is drowned by screams. Pure joy! Pure ecstasy. Absolute liveliness!

 
Matovu's saxophone occasionally takes over the ambience. It is prominent in many songs of the act.

The mixture of the young blood and the old folk (Muzeeyi wakazi, as Matovu usually puts it) of the band is amazing.


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10:10pm | Efferverscence at its highest

If this isn't passion, what then is?!

 

 

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10:05pm | 'It is boiling in Jinja'

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

In Kitokota, another new track on the new album, Afrigo sings about Jinja, a happy city, a town with a lot of fun.

♫ "It is boiling in Jinja"♫, they sing.

The legendary band's renowned danceable sound is evident in their new music. Some members of the audience couldn't resist the urge to go on their feet.

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9:57pm | Can't miss it

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Hajj Ibrahim Kibirige (in wheelchair), the owner of Hotel Africana, is in the building.

 
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9:50pm | Gira Oyige

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Another song off the new album is Gira Oyige. It was written in the 1960s by Matovu's colleague, the late soul guitarist Joseph Mungaya, under the Cranes Band.

Cranes Band was one of the popular music outfits in the late 60s to 70s. Some of its members, including Matovu formed Afrigo Band in 1974.

 

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9:40pm | ♫ 🎸 The groove is on

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Semaddongo, the second song on today's repertoire, has come to be a sort of anthem of the band.

 
The Golden ladies of the band, Jonitah Kawaalya and Racheal Magoola have joined their male colleagues to sing their first song off the new album, Olulimi Lwange.

♫ "Njagala olulimi lwange, oluyitibwa oluganda,"♫ the band sing.

It is not the first time Afrigo is singing about their love for Buganda culture. All previous albums have had one, two or more songs about Buganda culture.

And aptly so, Nfunda N'omubi is their next song.

 

 
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9:30pm | Afrigo on the stage

Papa Moses ‘Moise' Matovu, Afrigo Band's lead singer, is on stage.

Abaana B'Afrigo opens tonight's Afrigo act. Audience members are already on their feet. By the way, the song is titled Batuuse, although it is also popularly known as Abaana B'Afrigo for its chorus "Abaana B'Afrigo batuuse ..."

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9:25pm | Ssewanyana on song

Afrigo Band's legendary percussionist, Herman Ssewanyana, pouring his soul out.

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9:23pm | Proud to be here

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

The audience warmly applauds Kenneth Mugabi at the end of Kibun'omu. He is proud to be on this stage, he says. The audience is finding him fine.

Armed with his Endigidi, he croons his soul out, backed by Afrigo Band's instrumentation.

He performs his most popular song Naki.

Some audience members recognize the song. They seemed to wonder, "So this is the guy!" Clearly, he has impressed the old folks. Smiles on their faces. Beautiful music from the young man.

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9:10pm | Warming up the stage

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9:00pm | The older generation is in the house

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

The audience is mostly old (40s, 50s, going upwards). No surprises, if you asked me. This is the generation that relates better with the oldies. There is a wave of patience across the vast hall. Those in attendance are waiting for their favourite local music outfit - the ensemble that has dominated airwaves and stages since 1970s.

So we have started off with the national and Buganda anthems. Abbey Mukiibi is the emcee of the night. First up on stage, it young blood Kenneth Mugabi. He has the privilege of the opening act and will perform his song Kibun'omu.

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8:50pm | Stage set, instruments ready

Denis Nsubuga at Hotel Africana:

Afrigo Band is launching their new album titled Teri Mubi, their 22nd album. Volume 22, they call it. It is their first album in 10 years and has 11 tracks. The title track Teri Mubi features Ugandan pop singer Jose Chameleone.

The venue, Nile Hall at Hotel Africana is filling up slowly. It is a serene evening.

The earlybirds are being fed on a buffet of Afro-fusion sounds from various artistes around Africa.

The stage is set. Instruments are ready. 


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8:30pm | Welcome good people!

Hello everyone, good evening from Kampala. Here we are - for yet another night of memories. Last week, we had Maddoxx Ssematimba tantalize us with his old self - and how we loved it. This week, it's yet again legendary stuff. The name Afrigo Band. If you've heard it before, stay right on this page for live updates from their album launch. We will attempt to keep you up-to-date with how the show goes throughout this evening. Buckle up, folks!