By Our Reporter

Despite not owning an instrument, youthful Isaiah Katumwa was considered a prodigy among his peers. He was able to develop his love and skill for playing the saxophone during church programs at the Kampala Miracle Center in the early 2000s.

He is now a household name and has a show slated for April 30 at the Kampala Serena Hotel. This show is important to him because he will be in the midst of Chris Lang, a man who gave him his first working saxophone close to 20 years ago.

The self-taught saxophonist’s talent, passion and journey with music later boosted while at the Kampala Pentecostal Church, (KPC) where he attended a music workshop facilitated by Lang and was recognized, a man who literally became instrumental in his life.

Chris Lang, an American jazz artist and record producer picked interest in the budding jazz maestro shortly after watching him perform during his program in Kampala in the year 2000.

Lang watched several budding saxophonists, but unlike the others, Katumwa didn’t own a saxophone and used to borrow from the church since he couldn’t afford one. At that point in time, he asked Lang to lend him his so he could display his craft.

The music producer was impressed and that was Katumwa’s defining moment in his music career.

“He told me his saxophone was new and asked me to handle it with care. But after my performance, he was blown away and gave it to me,” Katumwa recalls how he got his first instrument. He couldn’t believe Lang had gifted him a $4,000 saxophone.

That was the stepping stone that propelled Katumwa to one of the greatest jazz artistes of our time.

Isaiah Katumwa has been a great influence to the growth, appreciation and recognition of Jazz music in Uganda with close to 20 years of experience.

For Ugandans, Isaiah Katumwa is a well-known household name associated with the best jazz and contemporary afro-fusion music across the country.

He never knew their paths would meet again until they reunited in the US in 2011. Since the meeting, Lang has helped propel Katumwa’s career even further.

“Chris Lang has played a great role in the story of Isaiah Katumwa. Our relationship goes beyond music, he is a friend, a brother and confidant. He has helped shape who I am today and linked me to many influential people in the world including Darren Rahn who will be performing at our concert come April 30 at the Serena Hotel,” says Isaiah Katumwa.

Now as his music director, “Chris has seen me perform in different stages of the world, but he had never seen me perform in Kampala where our story began. He is looking forward to our concert,” Katumwa says.

The Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve sponsored concert will coincide with the World Jazz Day and will feature performances from three-time Grammy Award Winner, Angelique Kidjo and Darren Rahn. The concert is an annual jazz event that has been held since 2007.

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By Our Reporter

The usually calm town of Fort Portal was pulsating with fun and merry-making as MTN Uganda crowned the three-day Fort Portal regional expo.

As it celebrates its 20 years of existence in the country, MTN Uganda has been throwing parties dubbed the ‘MTN@20 regional expo’ in various towns across the country. The three-day events are headlined by charity events, cycling races and energetic concerts among other activities.

As early as 10 am, revelers were streaming into the Boma grounds ready to have fun as they waited for a star-studded evening concert that featured a massive display of fireworks.

MC Paddy and Alex Muhangi kept the crowd entertained with their rib crackers while a line-up of artistes serenaded the crowd, one after the other.

After the Fort Portal- based artistes, the much anticipated Beenie Gunter, Sheebah Karungi and Gravity Omutujju took over the stage and treated the revelers to thrilling performances.

Other artistes that entertained the crowd include; Rasta Shido, Taitan and Coolman Jimmy among others.

Valery Okecho, the Manager, Corporate Communications said that the concert was a befitting end to the week-long activities to celebrate MTN’s 20 year anniversary in Uganda.

“We chose to celebrate with all our customers in Fort Portal at this music concert where entertainment was provided by Fort Portal’s home-grown talent and iconic music artists from Kampala. This allowed us to connect deeply with our fans, because music is a passion point for our customers and a vehicle through which entertainment, fun and key messaging is delivered. We will replicate this experience at all our upcoming expos in Mbarara, Hoima, Arua and Mbale.”

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By Our Reporter

Party lovers in Mbarara are in for a funfilled experience as the Neon Rave party heads to their town on Good Friday.

Organised by Tusker Lite, it will be held at Rotary Grounds and will feature lots of entertainment including musicians, DJs, dancers, 3D Cinema, games and many other cool activities.

“It will all be about glitz and glamour at the colourful after-dark party that will feature people glowing in the dark in a vibrant setting,” Uganda Breweries’ Brand Manager for Premium Spirits Cathy Twesigye says.

“At Tusker Lite we are all about ‘liting the way’ to new fun experiences. These parties are a way of giving back to our loyal consumers, spending time with them and also opening the doors of our vibrant lifestyle to new consumers,” she added.

The Neon Rave will be heading to all major towns around the country. Fort Portal and Gulu are already on the cards.

The post Neon Rave party to be held in Mbarara appeared first on BigEye.UG.

Vinka receives an award at a previous edition of the Buzz Teeniez Awards.

By Our Reporter

The annual Buzz Teeniez Awards which have previously been held in May have now been pushed to December.

According to the award organisers, the new change in dates is a move to adopt an awarding system based on a calendar year.

“This will allow flexibility for participation from the teens over the calendar year (January – December) and also give them a chance to celebrate the year’s achievements with their mentors and influencers at a better suited time,” they said in a statement.

Meanwhile, holiday makers will still have something to look forward to as the inaugural Buzz Dream Fair will instead be launched at UMA Grounds in May. The event is aimed at giving teens a platform to interact, experience and exhibit current trends in art, fashion, music, and technology and will also feature the first Teens Silent Disco.

The post Buzz Teeniez Awards set for December appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Times are changing, and we are fasting moving away from the days when only musicians could become show headliners. Different actors in the entertainment industry from deejays to dancers to emcees, are now all hosting their own shows.

The latest on the list of entertainers hosting their own show is MC Esco. The renowned event emcee and TV personality has today officially unveiled his own show dubbed “MC Esco Showdown”.

Speaking at a press briefing held on Thursday at Fame Lounge, Esco revealed that his show will be unlike anything seen before on the local entertainment scene.

“This is a big step in my career,” he said. “For the first time I will headlining my own show. It will be a musical celebration and we shall be holding it annually.”

“We are doing lots of rehearsals and we will deliver something very big and different. It will be unlike anything you have seen before.” He added.

Meanwhile, the showdown will also feature top musicians including Eddy Kenzo, B2C, Voltage Music, Lydia Jazmine and Nina Roz among others.

The MC Esco Showdown will be conducted in two shows, one scheduled for April 18 at Fame Lounge while the second is scheduled for April 20 at Spennah Beach.

The post Top artistes lined for the inaugural Mc Esco showdown appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Cindy was the star attraction at the Johnnie Walker Unplugged show held on Saturday at Design Hub.

The singer who is famed for energetic performances took to the stage at 8pm  and wasted no time getting down to the business of the evening.

Backed by her band, she belted out some of the crowd favorites like “Ayokyayokya”, “Mbikooye”, “One and only” and “Selector” among others that had revelers on their feet, dancing and singing along.

The icing on the cake was her eye-catching dance moves that had the crowd going wild.

Cindy staged a powerful live showcase that went on till 11pm.

Organized by Fezah Entertainment, Johnnie Walker Unplugged is a live music show executed in a studio-like setting where fans get to have an up-close experience of their favourite Ugandan musicians performing to live instruments. The event will be going on throughout the whole year with editions happening every month.

Here are some photos from the show.

The post Photos: What you missed at the Cindy unplugged show appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Mbarara town was painted yellow last weekend as MTN Uganda crowned its three-day regional expo in the western district.

As it celebrates its 20 years of existence in the country, MTN Uganda has been throwing massive parties dubbed the ‘MTN@20 regional expo’ in various towns across the country. The three-day events are headlined by charity events, cycling races and energetic concerts among other activities.

As early as 10 am, revelers were streaming into the Agip Motel gardens ready to party. The star-studded evening fete featured big names like Jose Chameleone, Allan Toniks, Lydia Jazmine, Spice Diana and Latinum.

Other Mbarara-based artistes like Easyman, Butterfly and RayG among others serenaded the excited crowd.

At exactly 8:45 pm, a loud thud followed by a shimmering array of various shapes and colors jetted through the dark Mbarara sky in what was nothing less than a massive display of fireworks before RayG took to the stage, thrilling the crowd further.

Clad in a body hugging pink outfit, Lydia Jazmine gave her fans an impressive performance which she kickstarted with with her famous hit single, Nkubanja. She performed her other hits such as Olindaki, Same way and You and me before making way for spice Diana.

In her full army combat, Spice Diana electrified the audience with her songs and energetic performance before the long awaited and much anticipated Jose Chameleone took over the stage. He serenaded the anxious crowd with his songs such as Mateeka, valu valu and his debut song, Mama mia among others.

The night was closed by a music mix from DJ shock before the charged revelers relocated to various bars to party till sunrise.

The post MTN Expo lights up Mbarara town appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

There was a time when Club Silk ruled the Kampala night life. The club and bar, then located on 1st Street Industrial Area, was the epic definition of Kampala’s Night Life. You had not gone to club if it wasn’t Club Silk. It was not a party if it was not at Club Silk.

And this wasn’t by chance or coincidence. The management was a creative power house. They were always coming up with innovations that gave Ugandan party goers experiences they’d never forget.

From popular theme nights like the Doctors and Nurses costume party, where people showed up in sexy costumes of nurses. To the Caribbean nights. To the epic New Year Street Jam. And the ever so memorable Unplugged Nights, among others.

The club also brought into the spotlight and groomed most of the veteran DJ’s. DJ’s like Alberto, Phaizo, Shiru are only a snippet of many groomed from there.

But like all good things, the bar was closed. A sister branch was opened up in Bugolobi. But there was always something incomplete for the people who cherished the segments in the bar like Silk Royale, Ocean and Oxygen.

It is for this reason that the management decided to throw a party for all Old girls and boys. Those who met their husbands and wives at Liquid Silk, have been given the chance to relive the old memories at the Club Silk Reunion party. The Club Silk reunion party will take place this Thursday, April 18.

Veteran and popular Deejays like Bobby, Shirru, Deejay Hearts, Dj Faizo, Dj Faizo, Dj Alberto, Dj Emma, Dj Robbie will play for the night.

The post Club Silk reunion party slated for Thursday appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Selector Jay will be celebrating 15 years in the business with a mega party  at the Club Guvnor parking on Thursday, April 18.

Guvnor holds a special place in Selector Jay’s career being that it’s where he started his deejaying journey. He started out as a mobile Dj hanging around at Guvnor which was then called Ageniour.

The high spirited DJ has made quite a name for himself. He is a household name and plays at some of the top clubs and hangout spots in the country.

“I also cannot believe that I have been doing this for fifteen years now,” an excited Jay relayed. “I want to thank everyone who has been part of my journey. Come and lets celebrate this milestone together.”

The event is organized by Muchachos events and sponsored by Johnnie Walker.

The post Selector Jay set to celebrate 15 years of deejaying appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Bell Jamz, a music platform owned by Bell Lager has unveiled dancehall duo Kent and Flosso aka Voltage Music as the headliners of the next edition of Bell Jamz Listeners Experience due on April 30th at Nexus Lounge. They were unveiled during an event  held at Blu Flamingo offices in Ntinda.

“Like we mentioned during the launch of the Bell Jamz music experience a month ago, we want to create for our customers and music lovers a platform to enjoy their favorite music and also meet the artist behind the music,” said Francis Kirabira, Bell Lager Brand Manger.

Speaking during the Facebook Live launch, the Byafayo hit makers called out to all their fans and music lovers to attend the event and celebrate Ugandan made music.

“Music is part of our day to day lives and we do it for our fans, we want to stage a performance to remember and also give them nonstop free style music. We have always wanted an opportunity to host a free party for our fans and indeed Bell Jamz has offered the platform.’’

The post Kent and Flosso to headline the next edition of Bell Jamz Listeners Experience appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Bata Shoe Company went all out as they celebrated 125 years in existence. They hosted guests to a memorable fashion showcase at the Square Place-along Third Street industrial Area on Saturday.

Hosted by Capital FM’s Lucky Mbabazi and XFM’s Denzel Mwiyeretsi, the invite-only event was marked by glitz and glamour.

The event opened with a performance from jazz musician Michael Kitanda who serenaded the audience with his music.

With the mood already set, it was time to see what Bata had in store for the guests. They took them back in time with their vintage school shoes; which is Bata’s long standing signature. This was by far the best moment, because of the liveliness of the models as they posed as school going lads.

It went on to those amazing shoes that can be donned on to match that dinner dress or gown, to the office wear.

Linet Kiguru, the Bata Uganda CEO, gave a brief speech thanking the audience for honoring the invites, as well as giving a background of the company.

She also made commitment of continuous special offers all year long noting that, “this is not just a milestone to us as Bata here in Uganda and all over the world, it is a challenge to serve you even better.”

Bata Shoe Company is present in 70 countries worldwide and has been  in Uganda for 53 years now.

The post Bata celebrates milestone in style appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

It is here! The world’s biggest talent show, Got Talent is now in Uganda. The international franchise which is present in more than 58 countries across the globe has been launched in Uganda as “East Africa’s Got Talent”. This was during a ceremony held at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Wednesday.

Organised by Clouds Media in partnership with Freemantle SYCO and Rapid Blue Productions from South Africa, the inaugural season of East Africa’s Got Talent TV show will be shot in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

“We are excited to bring this show to East Africa and give performers of any kind a chance to showcase their talent and tell the East African story through song, comedy, traditional music instruments and magic,” said Joseph Kusaga, CEO, Clouds Media International.

Auditions for the show will be held in Uganda on 19th May at Pearl of Africa Hotel while the show will start airing in August this year. It will have 10 episodes, with the semifinals and grand finale shot live on location in Kenya.

Qualified participants from Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda will travel to Kenya for the Live shows. The winner will walk away with USD 50,000 (UGX 190,000,000) as voted by the audience.

It is open to performers of any kind, including singers, dancers, instrumentalists, magicians, comedians and novelty acts.

Ugandan comedian Anne Kansiime, who was recently announced as the show host said, “I am happy to be part of the show and feel privileged to be ushering in a new era of stars.”

“This is a big opportunity for ordinary Ugandans to showcase their talents and get exposed to an international audience.” She added.

The post World’s biggest talent show comes to Uganda appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Selector Jay, who started out as a mobile DJ 15 years ago, has finally come of age. He stamped this with a mega show on Thursday evening at the Club Guvnor parking lot.

The cheerful DJ who has played at some of the top clubs and hangouts in the country saw his fans he has amassed over the years come out to celebrate with him his 15 year journey.

Despite the low turn up, revelers had a fun time as they danced away the  evening as different deejays took to the turntables. From Slick Stuart & Roger, to DJ Aludah, to DJ Nash, to DJ Brian, it was a rich line up that kept the crowd on their feet as they waited for the main man of the evening.

Selector Jay finally took over the turn tables minutes after midnight and was welcomed with wild screams and cheers from the already excited crowd. He kept up the tempo as he sampled several Ugandan hit songs during his set, much to the delight of the crowd who danced and mimed their favorite songs.

Jay was overwhelmed with the love shown by his fans and could not hide his gratitude as he continuously thanked the crowd for coming to celebrate with him this milestone.

Meanwhile, the event was spiced up with artiste performances who included Micheal Ouma, Feffe Busi, Eddy Kenzo, Bebe Cool, King Saha, Exodus, and Fik Femica among others.

The event was organized by Muchachos Events and sponsored by Johnnie Walker.

Here are some photos from the event.

The post Photos: What you missed as Selector Jay celebrated 15 years of deejaying appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Good Friday was indeed a good one for revelers in Mbarara town as the Tusker Lite Neon Rave party made its debut in the land of milk and honey.

The one-of-a-kind glow party  was hosted at the Rotary Grounds in Mbarara with singer Vinka as the headlining act. She excited revelers with some of her hit songs like ‘Chips & Ketchup’, ‘Level’, ‘Malaika’ and ‘Overdose’ among others.

The event also featured performances from new artists Wendy & Roger Kent and music mixes from DJ Crim and DJ Alberto who kept revelers on their feet till late.

Other fun activities included a tattoo parlour, 3D cinema, silent disco and video games.

The Neon Rave party will take place in major regions around the country with Fort Portal and Gulu coming next.

Here are some photos from the party.

The post Photos: How the Mbarara Neon Rave party went down appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Cocktail lovers and enthusiasts descended upon Panamera Bar in Kampala for the country’s first ever cocktail festival over the long Easter holiday.

Dubbed the Pina Colada Weekend, the tropical-themed event attracted hundreds of revellers who started streaming into the venue as early as 2pm on Friday afternoon. The massive crowd that stretched shoulder-to-shoulder exuded an incredible energy that by midnight, the numbers just kept growing and so did the enthusiasm.

Cocktails are a part of many social gatherings in Uganda, and the Pina Colada Weekend provided revellers a chance to make their own new Uganda Waragi Pineapple and Coconut creations with the help of master mixologists, and to enjoy other signature and festival-exclusive cocktails that were on offer.

In its first year, the Pina Colada Weekend that was held to celebrate the art of mixology and consumption of local cocktails did not disappoint.

Here are some photos from the event.

The post Photos: What you missed at the first ever cocktail festival appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Swangz Avenue, a local record label and music production house, is now venturing into movies, it has emerged.

This comes after they put out a call for scripts from local writers on social media. “With our continued desire to bring creative ideas to life, we are seeking original scripts to bring to the big screen,” the announcement read in part.

While they have no documented experience in movie production, Swangz  Avenue has lots of experience in music video production having worked with different artistes like  Raba Daba, Gnl Zamba, Navio and  Winnie Nwagi among others. They have also produced several commercials for top corporate companies like Airtel and MTN.

The post Swangz Avenue ventures into movie production appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Bash Mutumba

When he chose to focus on dance music, Eddy Kenzo wasn’t given much encouragement by the Ugandan audience. His efforts were however undeterred, since he had noticed a trend of virality among his music that leaned towards that style. Even though his breakthrough was “Yannimba”, a mainstream Afrobeat ballad, his first mega hit was Stamina, a dance song. Sitya Loss, another dance song etched his name on the international scene, regardless of initial doubts by local critics and media.

At over 538,000 subscribers on YouTube, Eddy is the most sought after Ugandan artiste on the platform, and you would be shocked to find that many of the most viewed videos on his channel are not the official ones, but those of comedians dancing to his songs. This is something many look down on, but it is the reason why he was contacted by Chris Brown, to feature in the American artiste’s “Back To Love” music video.

One unique thing about his latest release “Signal” is the fact that it is not heavily riddled with beats like the likes of Sitya Loss, Wankulira or Ogwo. Kenzo goes ever so calm on it, begging his lover to stay with him. Justin Campos, with his minimalist video color grading technique, did justice to the song, and the cinematic concept of a country mansion with high renaissance portraits and models clad in posh dresses, softly swaying to Eddy’s Signal, is utterly therapeutic.

Musuuza, posing as a mason in the indoor scenes, shocks the viewer when he pulls an early 2000’s RnB stunt of singing in the rain on the second verse. Generally, it is such a beautiful song, with a beautiful video, and how I wish we could appreciate our biggest musical export in recent times, a little bit more.

Watch video below.

The post Music Review: Dance music King Eddy Kenzo goes soft on Signal appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

American saxophonist Darren Rahn has arrived in the country ahead of the World Jazz Day concert slated for Tuesday, April 30 at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

The concert organised by our very own Isaiah Katumwa in conjunction with Johnnie Walker will also feature multiple Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo.

“I am excited to be here. I’ve been all over the world, but it’s my first time in Africa. Expect good groove and good music, music that will touch people’s hearts,” said Darren Rahn.

Rahn arrived one week ahead of the concert with gifted jazz producer Chris Lang and they will facilitate a three-day music workshop organised by Isaiah Katumwa.

The workshop which involves music lessons, a mentorship programme and donations of music instruments to young passionate talents will have Darren Rahn as a guest speaker and mentor for the youth.

The workshops begin on Wednesday through Friday at the Performing Arts Dept in Makerere University, Greenhill Academy and finally at the African Institute of Music in Lubowa.

Darren Rahn is a multi-talented artist, producer and engineer who has become urban jazz’s most sought out artist abroad. He boasts of over 25 #1 radio singles and multiple Grammy nominations over the past 11 years as an artist.

He will be sharing the stage with the iconic Angelique Kidjo and Isaiah Katumwa next Tuesday at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

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By Our Reporter

Luga-flow rapper Feffe Bussi was the star attraction as the “Rave Night” returned for yet another edition at Wave Lounge last Saturday. Unlike previous editions, this was a special one as it marked the first anniversary of the popular theme night.

Feffe who is famed for his adroitness in freestyle delivery was it again. He delivered punchline after punchline as he rhymed to the beat, much to the delight of the crowd who rewarded him with applause. He also performed several of popular songs which left the crowd excited.

There were also appearances from other musicians like Karole Kasita and Pallaso among others.

In typical anniversary celebration, there was also cake cutting and a fireworks display.

The “Rave Night” is hosted by Dj Roja every Saturday at Wave Lounge.

The post Feffe Bussi lights up Rave Night at Wave Lounge appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

The Kampala nightlife is as vibrant as it is cutthroat business. Nightspots close as new ones come up, just as fast. The latest addition to the bar space is Levels Lounge and Restaurant.

Located along Kira road opposite the Uganda Museum, Levels Lounge, formerly Seascallop bar, was officially opened on Wednesday evening as they hosted media and other invited guests to a night of band music, cocktails and nyama choma.

It is vast with option to choose between sitting in the open space or the sheltered area. It further boasts of an executive VIP lounge and a restaurant serving a wide-ranging menu including traditional and continental dishes.

The establishment also houses a health club offering gym, aerobics, sauna, steam bath and massage.

According to Blessing Ahereza, the hangout’s Marketing Manager, they seek to deliver experiences that meet every patron’s needs. “Whether you want to take a client to lunch or looking to host a party or just want a relaxing massage, we are your ideal place.” She noted.

Levels Lounge has been open since the start of April.

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