Kirya scoops Radio France award
Oct 05, 2010
“We have enough amazing local musicians in our country but it could help more if we exported our talent,†were the words of an excited Maurice Kirya during his performance at the French ambassadors’ residence on Friday.
By Joyce Nyakato
“We have enough amazing local musicians in our country but it could help more if we exported our talent,†were the words of an excited Maurice Kirya during his performance at the French ambassadors’ residence on Friday.
The live concert was a treat for his supporters after being named the 2010 winner of the Radio France International Discoveries Music Award. Kirya, the first East African to scoop the prestigious accolade, beat 10 finalists from across Africa. The prize comes with a career development grant worth 18,000 euros (sh55.5m) and Kirya will embark on an Africa tour and also stage performances in Paris. During the show, he ambled from one song to another, interjecting with some humour to crack his fan’s ribs.
Armed with a guitar, he is able to lure his crowds with his music like a flower attracts a bee. Listening to him perform, one cannot help thinking: does it always have to take international media for us to recognise special talent in Uganda?
He made his first break on Uganda’s music scene in early 2000 with tracks like Stop which earned him the title of ‘ladies favourite’. With time, he reconciled himself to live performances, the kind where there is less energy and more vocal concentration.
He considers the break away from the norm of singing over CD tracks as a major milestone in his career. Hearing his crowd-pulling and endearing vocals, it was hard to believe that he had never won any major award in his career.
Well, at least we have a Ugandan music ambassador, a proof of what good can come out of Uganda: “I plan to use this opportunity to export my music,†a beaming Kirya said.
He pledges to hold the banner up high for Ugandan music while grimacing at the fact that when you switch on international TV, you are either bombarded with South African or West African music. His call to fellow musicians is that we need to sell our music outside Uganda. “People will know more about Uganda if we have more musicians selling their music outside,†he said.
“We have enough amazing local musicians in our country but it could help more if we exported our talent,†were the words of an excited Maurice Kirya during his performance at the French ambassadors’ residence on Friday.
The live concert was a treat for his supporters after being named the 2010 winner of the Radio France International Discoveries Music Award. Kirya, the first East African to scoop the prestigious accolade, beat 10 finalists from across Africa. The prize comes with a career development grant worth 18,000 euros (sh55.5m) and Kirya will embark on an Africa tour and also stage performances in Paris. During the show, he ambled from one song to another, interjecting with some humour to crack his fan’s ribs.
Armed with a guitar, he is able to lure his crowds with his music like a flower attracts a bee. Listening to him perform, one cannot help thinking: does it always have to take international media for us to recognise special talent in Uganda?
He made his first break on Uganda’s music scene in early 2000 with tracks like Stop which earned him the title of ‘ladies favourite’. With time, he reconciled himself to live performances, the kind where there is less energy and more vocal concentration.
He considers the break away from the norm of singing over CD tracks as a major milestone in his career. Hearing his crowd-pulling and endearing vocals, it was hard to believe that he had never won any major award in his career.
Well, at least we have a Ugandan music ambassador, a proof of what good can come out of Uganda: “I plan to use this opportunity to export my music,†a beaming Kirya said.
He pledges to hold the banner up high for Ugandan music while grimacing at the fact that when you switch on international TV, you are either bombarded with South African or West African music. His call to fellow musicians is that we need to sell our music outside Uganda. “People will know more about Uganda if we have more musicians selling their music outside,†he said.