Celebrating a year of jazz on Kampala airwaves

A year ago the first real, functional jazz station came on the air, albeit silently and without much ado.

It had replaced the former jazz station owned by Pastor Ssempa which had terrible reception. There was no announcement or launch, Jazz FM quietly started doing its thing, and a year later it has become a fixture of sorts.

Last Friday a selection of jazz enthusiasts from around town were invited to a 'fine dining experience with jazz' at the spanking new Nawab restaurant at Acacia Mall.

There was a lawyer, an aeronautic engineer turned entrepreneur, marketers, the media and two sisters who turned out to be the life of the party.

Hosted by Jazz FM's Christine Mawadri, it was also a chance for the gathered jazz listeners to communicate on air their experiences.

Not many jazz-related efforts last for long in Uganda, except maybe the Jazz safari, which this year will reach its eighth edition.

That Jazz FM has celebrated its first anniversary while growing from strength to strength is an indication and proof that yes, there is indeed a substantial part of the population that is really into jazz.