Lilian Mbabazi gets up close and personal

By Steven Odeke

IT was Lilian Mbabazi's maiden concert and she delivered the kind of vocal performance that was expected of her on Friday night at Kampala Serena Hotel during the "Up close and Personal" event.

But one question stuck, after her two-hour performance, "Where were the other Blu 3 girls to join Lilian on this wonderful milestone?" Lilian didn't explain anything to that effect and and it's not that the crowd even attempted to wheedle her bring her former girl-members on stage. 

But such was the discussion on social media soon after her event.

The oragnisers never wasted anyone's minute to start the event and, at exactly 9:00pm, she was on stage, clad in a billowing black and African print dress, to start off her performances.

Backed up by her Sundowner band, and good lighting and sound system from Fenon Events, there was no excuse for her to disappoint her fans. She sang her lungs off on all her songs like "Kawa," "Kuuma Obudde," "Dagala," "Simple Girl" and later ended with "Vitamin." 

While she went for breaks during her performances, in which she kept changing to different outfits, there was no such a thing as performances from other artistes during those moments.

The "Love Letter" singer also took on perfectly some songs done with Blu 3 like "Where You Are," "and "Hitaji" with help from her trumpeter, Emmanuel Dragu, helping out to sing some lines sang by the other girls. 

That is where attendees must have relished the sight of any Lilian's former singing companions. Of course, Jackie Chandiru, Cindy Sanyu and Mya Baganda's, pictures were relayed on the jumbotron screens as she sang the songs but it didn't seem enough.

Other local artistes like The Mith, Toniks, Irene Ntale and A-Pass joined her for some duets but it was the sight of Jamaican singer Nyanda's cameo do that caught everyone off guard. "What on earth is she still doing on Uganda, a week after performing at a concert in Masaka," was the question on everyone's lips.

Nyanda was not clearly to perform on the night and only did a rendition of "Love Is Wicked" with Lilian and then left the stage. 

The crowd came in good numbers and seemed to enjoy Lilian on her concert sponsored by Vision Group's The Kampala Sun, XFM and Urban TV, Deuces among others. 

It was a night worth attending.