Youth ooze energy at 9th Hiphop For Society in Kampala

9th Hiphop For Society


"I am having fun meeting new people, fresh faces and learning a lot about art and culture," said Mathius Onen at the end of the 9th annual HipHop For Society event organized by Breakdance Project Uganda on Sunday at Sharing Youth Centre, Nsambya.
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"Hip-hop is really inspiring when it is packaged like this, especially with so many youth who are so talented and vibrant," he added.

The sentiments by Onen summarize the mood at the end of yet another successful event organized by Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU).

Yet again, the event was a mix of entertaining dance, rap and beat-boxing performances, competitions, and educational workshops and talks by partnering NGOs.

"When one sees people from all walks of life in one place, sharing together and cooperating, it is amazing. I attend the Breakdance Project Uganda events because they are youthful and so full of energy and also because most of my friends are involved in the breakdancing and rap," said Henry Newman.
 

‘Not just about hip-hop'

The year's theme was cooperation, and it attracted a mixed crowd of different ages, races, economic, cultural and educational backgrounds. Not only did Hiphop For Society entertain the crowd, but it gave people an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

"The most important part of this event is not hip-hop," explained Abramz Tekya, founder and director of Breakdance Project Uganda.

"We want to make sure people get access to information. We partner with organizations that youth do not think are cool, because they are important for development."

‘Kids like it here'

"This has been a wonderful experience for the children. The children love it and training was just awesome with people like Nina [Breakdance Project Uganda member] helping a great deal," said Nichole Zweigler, a Save Street Children Uganda volunteer.

"We are so grateful for the opportunity to have been given a table in the tent, because we got to talk to a lot of people about what we do and the response was generally good. On top of the entertainment, there are great forces going on here.

"For example, there is energy, communication, more action, and so many new people from different cultures with different experiences to share. Everyone is happy or just having a good time and this kind of environment is important to our children.

"The kids like it here," added Zweigler.

Sharing Hall was filled to capacity for the annual Hiphop For Society, which presented a mix of entertainment and education. The theme was cooperation, and it gave people an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

As it happened: Check out #HH4S2016 on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

St. Nellysade performance

Highlights of the program

•     Free workshops and teaching by Bgirl Teresa from Sweden (dance), Street Lights Uganda (craft-making), Educate! (entrepreneurship), Capoeira Senzala (capoeira), The U.S. Embassy Information Resource Centre, etc.

• Breakdance battles: kids, Bonnie & Clyde (male-female teams), and 5-on-5

   

• Beatboxing: performances by incredible BPU-trained youth & young-adults

   

• Rap performances by St. Nellysade, Snooty Fredo, Sylvester and Abramz, Zulu Nation and others

   

• Dance performances by: Save Street Children Uganda & EWAKA, People Concern Children's Project, Flawsome crew of bgirls from BPU, and many cyphers (freestyle dance) by BPU members

Sharing Hall was jam-packed on Sunday

Winners of breakdance battles

 

Kids: Bboy Ivan from BPU Gulu branch and Bboy Hassan from BPU Kampala

 

Bonnie & Clyde: Drichiru Key and Naganzwa Eric Sama

 

5-on-5: BPU bboys Eric ‘Fullmoon' Egesa, ‘Mosh Kakole' Moses, Abdudallah Latif, Kyasi Smith and Kamya Michael
 

 

What they said


Guests

Evans Mwebaza: "It is my second time to attend this event and from what I have experienced, I know for sure, there will be a third time for me. This event is marvelous and relatable. Everyone here feels at home and is free. This is the real deal!"

Luweesi Nicholas: "It is my third time attending this particular event. I just love the energy on stage. Everyone is doing their best even the little children who have been very entertaining. I am only waiting for the battles and my day will be complete."

Sylvester, Lillian, Key, Snooty Fredo, Niina and Aino at the event

 

Organizers and hip-hop performers

Drichiru Key, BPU member and winner of the Bonnie & Clyde battle: "It's always an intense feeling filled with anxiety, excitement, fun, energy, execution of moves. That's how I feel battling. The event was so remarkable, engaging, full of life and indeed memorable: a great way to start a new year!"

Mark Kaweesi, BPU administrator: "The event went well and we met our goal of mixing education with entertainment and highlighting the positive roles of hip-hop in society. The Hiphop For Society event surprises us every year with how much support we get from the artists and entire community, both national and international."

Shafik Musisi, dancer: "I love hip-hop and I know for a fact that what people like Abramz Tekya have done here is legendary. Here we feel loved and free to share and experience our dancing. We are family."

GETTING SET: Capoeira Senzala

Brighten Oty, Marvels dance troupe member: "I dance and I breathe hip-hop. Hip-hop is everywhere and this event reminds us of that fact especially when we see different people gathering here today. There is fun, both inside and outside the hall. The girls are dressed nicely."

Scooter Beatboxer, Breakdance Project Uganda member: "Whenever I go up on stage, I always have a need to inspire, because I know there are so many youth out there who will replace us some day when we are not here. I am a teacher of beat boxing and sometimes I help out with breakdance. Teaching in schools like KISU and organizations like BPU, Save Street Children Uganda (SASCU), Little Light, Kids Africa and others helps me give back to the community, and also I get so much satisfaction and happiness from seeing this hip-hop culture grow, seeing as there is still so much untapped opportunity in it."

 

NGO partners

Paul Tinkaman, youth mentor at Educate!: "We come to these events to reach out to the youth, because our programs are targeting them. Such events attract a lot of useful attention for the youth and those who attend are those who are willing to have a great mark on society. We want to tap into that audience and teach them entrepreneurial skills so that they can be able to use their available resources and achieve more. Uganda is made up of almost 70% youth and these are the people who are building our society in un-imaginable ways."