Music to their ears: How the bad boys became band boys

M-Lisada brass band practising outside their home. It is made up of former street children

By Matthias Mazinga

You probably have heard about M-Lisada Brass Band or even had the chance to see them perform live at some function.

Well, the Nsambya-based M-Lisada Brass Band is an ensemble of former street children, which, for over a decade, has marvelled many Ugandans with beautiful musical performances.

The members are among the few children’s brass band members who can read music. Their skill to read and play music with expertise has helped the M-Lisada to win gigs at big public, corporate and diplomatic functions, playing melodies of local and international musicians with admirable agility.

Well, the brain behind M-Lisada is one youthful Bosco Ssegawa, the founding director. Ssegawa was a street kid, who was attracted off the street by the power of brass band music.

“I founded this band about 15 years ago, together with my colleagues, Ronald Mukiibi and Henry Bwanika, with whom I then lived on the streets of Kampala. For sure, we had no intention of starting a musical group. We just got the inspiration to start a musical group after admiring the brass band of St. Peter’s Primary School, Nsambya,”Ssegawa says.

With tears of past sad memories rolling down his cheeks, Ssegawa further explains: “We used to roam around Nsambya in search of food. Often times, we would find the brass band of St. Peter’s Primary School practicing.

We would stop and listen. One day, we went and beseeched the band master to allow us learn to play the instruments with his pupils, something he agreed to. He later incorporated us into his band.”

“After learning to play the brass instruments, we got the idea to start a band, to play music and get money for our survival. Unfortunately, we had no musical instruments. But you see, street kids are always smart. On one occasion, as we were again roaming about in Nsambya, we bumped into a Mzungu.

“We told him about our situation of street life. We asked him to buy for us brass instruments, to enable us form an ensemble. We convinced him about our plan to use the band to attract other kids off the street,” he says.

“The Mzungu was a German student called Christopher Kowalzk who had come here to do research. He told us he had no money. He nonetheless promised to solicit for us the instruments, from Germany.”

Kowalzk got the instruments in 1996 and delivered them through the German embassy and M-Lisada Band was recruited a number of street kids into the band.

Ssegawa is dedicated to finding solutions to the problem of street children

“We used to play at mchaka mchaka functions for free. Our intention was to get exposure,”Ssegawa says. Later, when the band started to get paid gigs, Ssegawa rented some ramshackle rooms in Nsambya, where he accommodated his boys. He would also use some of the money to buy posho and beans to feed the members.”

THE BAND GETS HOMES
M-Lisada eventually got more exposure and caught the attention of MTN Telecommunication Company. The company’s bosses then were much impressed by the skill of the former street kids and opted to sponsor them to learn music and become professionals at the Kampala Music School.

As they played at corporate and diplomatic functions, more individuals (both Ugandans and expatriates) were attracted to offer them material and financial support. Today M-Lisada stands out as a reputable musical organisation, which supports over 200 former street and needy children.

Through the support of individuals of good will and charitable organisations here and abroad, M-Lisada now has two permanent homes in Nsambya. They also have professional committed volunteers and social workers. M-Lisada also pays fees for its members.

“One of us graduated recently as a lawyer. There are others who have become professional musicians. For example, many of our members joined the Police Jazz Band. Currently we also have a professional pianist, Shafic Kawere, who has done Grade 8, in the international examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music at the Kampala Music School,” Ssegawa says.

“Besides music, we have now taken on programmes like academic/vocational education, health, sports and economic welfare. We rehabilitate street children and re-integrate them with their families. We also equip them with life skills. For example, we teach them to make liquid soap. They also learn mechanics,” he adds.

The activities are summed up in the name of M-Lisada, which is a contraction of ‘Music, Life Skills and Destitution Alleviation’.

“I have a plan to get a mobile van, next year. I will be going on the streets of Kampala, to do thorough research into street life, with the aim of finding more effective solutions to the problems of street children,” Ssegawa says.

The organisation recently helped one Desire Nyende, 16, to get treatment in the US for a serious health condition. Nyende’s parents abandoned him and his brother and sister in a slum room. Nyende had serious deformities in his spine, which affected his growth. But with the help of one American social worker, Mary Jo O’Hara, the American Embassy and British Airways, Nyende recently had successful surgical treatment in the US.