GNL, Navio awaken love for hip-hop
Apr 02, 2009
YEAH yeah yeah...we smashed Uganda with hip-hop last night...unplugged. ANI ALULEETA?†(Where are the detractors), read GNL Zamba’s facebook status update on Friday. <br>You could not blame him for getting a little carried away a few hours after thei
By Alex Balimwikungu
YEAH yeah yeah...we smashed Uganda with hip-hop last night...unplugged. ANI ALULEETA?†(Where are the detractors), read GNL Zamba’s facebook status update on Friday.
You could not blame him for getting a little carried away a few hours after their record crowd-breaking unplugged session at Silk Lounge.
Can hip-hop merit its own unplugged session? Some pessimists had earlier sniggered, rubbishing the whole session off.
They (pessimists) should have seen the massive surge of revellers who struggled, albeit with little success, to squeeze into the club to watch rappers GNL Zamba and Navio’s hip-hop unplugged session.
For one who performed for a beer three years ago at Rock Katalina, Ntinda, to one whose performance lifted the profile of Club beer, GNL’s ability to pull such a crowd that night at the affluent Silk Lounge, summarised his story to greatness.
It was also evident in the people he rocked that night. There were finance controllers and brand managers of corporate companies like Nile Breweries, MTN, utl and, of course, Elvis Sekyanzi, the club owner.
GNL should permanently don dark shades; for his future is bright. He delivered lyrics that invoked imagery in the listeners’ mind wth an equal effect on the corporate and Kikuubo crowds.
People listened as he carefully weaved his humorous rhymes with serious lyrics; his wit and general cross- over appeal were his strongest points.
Navio was not the uptown boy we have known. His ability to fuse Luganda with English, in songs like Otyo, and Bugumu generated heat.
However, it was his last song Kamwokya that drove the crowd wild.
As the curtain fell on the unplugged session, many conceded that this was by far one of the most well- attended and successful unplugged sessions – considering hip-hop is frowned upon.
YEAH yeah yeah...we smashed Uganda with hip-hop last night...unplugged. ANI ALULEETA?†(Where are the detractors), read GNL Zamba’s facebook status update on Friday.
You could not blame him for getting a little carried away a few hours after their record crowd-breaking unplugged session at Silk Lounge.
Can hip-hop merit its own unplugged session? Some pessimists had earlier sniggered, rubbishing the whole session off.
They (pessimists) should have seen the massive surge of revellers who struggled, albeit with little success, to squeeze into the club to watch rappers GNL Zamba and Navio’s hip-hop unplugged session.
For one who performed for a beer three years ago at Rock Katalina, Ntinda, to one whose performance lifted the profile of Club beer, GNL’s ability to pull such a crowd that night at the affluent Silk Lounge, summarised his story to greatness.
It was also evident in the people he rocked that night. There were finance controllers and brand managers of corporate companies like Nile Breweries, MTN, utl and, of course, Elvis Sekyanzi, the club owner.
GNL should permanently don dark shades; for his future is bright. He delivered lyrics that invoked imagery in the listeners’ mind wth an equal effect on the corporate and Kikuubo crowds.
People listened as he carefully weaved his humorous rhymes with serious lyrics; his wit and general cross- over appeal were his strongest points.
Navio was not the uptown boy we have known. His ability to fuse Luganda with English, in songs like Otyo, and Bugumu generated heat.
However, it was his last song Kamwokya that drove the crowd wild.
As the curtain fell on the unplugged session, many conceded that this was by far one of the most well- attended and successful unplugged sessions – considering hip-hop is frowned upon.