Bring the Noise concert rocks city
Nov 22, 2007
A concert on a typical working day – a Tuesday evening at that. One would definitely expect a flop, especially in this CHOGM fever where one fears to stay out late, lest the Special Police Constables book time for you in the next empty cells.
By Nigel Nassar
A concert on a typical working day – a Tuesday evening at that. One would definitely expect a flop, especially in this CHOGM fever where one fears to stay out late, lest the Special Police Constables book time for you in the next empty cells.
Surprisingly, the CHOGM-inspired Bring the Noise live concert at the Lugogo Cricket Oval on Tuesday did not flop.
Much as the turn-up wasn’t PAM Award-big, it was representative of Uganda’s socialite streak. About 700 revellers for a Tuesday evening is definitely a crowd to reckon with.
The British Council, in association with uganda telecom, put together over 30 musicians from 10 African countries and the UK for the gig that literally ‘brought the noise’ to tyhe city.
The noise, generated from musical voices, instruments and visuals, entertained the crowds till yesterday morning as the musicians, artists and film-makers came together to explore identities, cultures, histories and languages.
The artistes, who arrived in Uganda a week ago for rehearsals, brought out a variety of African cultures.
The joint do, a song about Africa, made references to the hospitality of Africans, the beauty of the continent, the wars, the diseases especially HIV/AIDS, poverty and the joy that came with the genesis of Africa’s independence 50 years ago and the abolition of slave trade 200 years ago.
Uganda’s representative; Ragga Dee, the main act, brought the show closer to home as he kept interjecting in the joint performance with Luganda raps, while the others chorused their back-up in their respective languages.
With an aim to promote contemporary African music locally and in the UK, Ethiopia’s reggae star Johnny Ragga, Cameroon’s hip-hop artiste Kunta Ali, gospel singer OJ from Ghana, MC Keyti of Senegal and Nigerian Hip-hop star Jude Abaga, shared the stage with Tanzania’s Paul Ndunguru, Kenya’s MC Muthoni Ndonga and the UK’s celebrated drummer Paul Clarvis, plus London singer IG Culture.
Other Ugandans; Halima Namakula, Blu*3, The Obsessions, Eagles Production, Peter Miles and Menshan, Iryn Namubiru, Afrigo Band and Cute Kaye also performed.
Iryn Namubiru did not mind appearing on stage ‘very’ pregnant and holding a bottle of water just in case she ran out of fresh air.
Every musician was given ample time to exhaust all they had in store. Halima Namakula, who was the first on stage at about 8:00pm, took the crowd through an omnibus of some of her oldest songs; Tonkutulakutula, Dembe and Kimbewo, among those from her latest album. Ragga Dee, who performed last at about 1:00am, also outdid himself, putting on the shelf all he has ever sung.
Emcee, CBS’s Patriko Mujuuka, did his best to keep the crowd entertained with his comics that would have done perfectly well at a Kigunda Ky’omwaka bash.
Some found them funny. Whereas the revelers in the general audience booed the emcee’s jokes, those in the VIP tent, which included Kampala’s bigwigs, had a good laugh.
The concert was one of the activities under Africa 2007; a British Council programme of cultural interaction to connect people in Africa and the United Kingdom. Richard Weyers, the British Council Uganda’s director said it was also their contribution to the ongoing CHOGM.
Bring the Noise is a two-year project guided by Ghanaian music director Ivor Placca and VJ artist and visuals specialist, Kelly Budge of Your Mum Visuals. The group will tour Africa for similar performances.
A concert on a typical working day – a Tuesday evening at that. One would definitely expect a flop, especially in this CHOGM fever where one fears to stay out late, lest the Special Police Constables book time for you in the next empty cells.
Surprisingly, the CHOGM-inspired Bring the Noise live concert at the Lugogo Cricket Oval on Tuesday did not flop.
Much as the turn-up wasn’t PAM Award-big, it was representative of Uganda’s socialite streak. About 700 revellers for a Tuesday evening is definitely a crowd to reckon with.
The British Council, in association with uganda telecom, put together over 30 musicians from 10 African countries and the UK for the gig that literally ‘brought the noise’ to tyhe city.
The noise, generated from musical voices, instruments and visuals, entertained the crowds till yesterday morning as the musicians, artists and film-makers came together to explore identities, cultures, histories and languages.
The artistes, who arrived in Uganda a week ago for rehearsals, brought out a variety of African cultures.
The joint do, a song about Africa, made references to the hospitality of Africans, the beauty of the continent, the wars, the diseases especially HIV/AIDS, poverty and the joy that came with the genesis of Africa’s independence 50 years ago and the abolition of slave trade 200 years ago.
Uganda’s representative; Ragga Dee, the main act, brought the show closer to home as he kept interjecting in the joint performance with Luganda raps, while the others chorused their back-up in their respective languages.
With an aim to promote contemporary African music locally and in the UK, Ethiopia’s reggae star Johnny Ragga, Cameroon’s hip-hop artiste Kunta Ali, gospel singer OJ from Ghana, MC Keyti of Senegal and Nigerian Hip-hop star Jude Abaga, shared the stage with Tanzania’s Paul Ndunguru, Kenya’s MC Muthoni Ndonga and the UK’s celebrated drummer Paul Clarvis, plus London singer IG Culture.
Other Ugandans; Halima Namakula, Blu*3, The Obsessions, Eagles Production, Peter Miles and Menshan, Iryn Namubiru, Afrigo Band and Cute Kaye also performed.
Iryn Namubiru did not mind appearing on stage ‘very’ pregnant and holding a bottle of water just in case she ran out of fresh air.
Every musician was given ample time to exhaust all they had in store. Halima Namakula, who was the first on stage at about 8:00pm, took the crowd through an omnibus of some of her oldest songs; Tonkutulakutula, Dembe and Kimbewo, among those from her latest album. Ragga Dee, who performed last at about 1:00am, also outdid himself, putting on the shelf all he has ever sung.
Emcee, CBS’s Patriko Mujuuka, did his best to keep the crowd entertained with his comics that would have done perfectly well at a Kigunda Ky’omwaka bash.
Some found them funny. Whereas the revelers in the general audience booed the emcee’s jokes, those in the VIP tent, which included Kampala’s bigwigs, had a good laugh.
The concert was one of the activities under Africa 2007; a British Council programme of cultural interaction to connect people in Africa and the United Kingdom. Richard Weyers, the British Council Uganda’s director said it was also their contribution to the ongoing CHOGM.
Bring the Noise is a two-year project guided by Ghanaian music director Ivor Placca and VJ artist and visuals specialist, Kelly Budge of Your Mum Visuals. The group will tour Africa for similar performances.