Art and Life

The calm of the Nile. Viewed from cabin 6 Wildwaters lodge. I am privileged to say that I wrote this on the banks of the Nile. Just writing that sentence excites my creative spirit with a spark of regeneration; a sense of timelessness; a touch of something much bigger than I; a grandness I simply cannot possibly claim. The splendid awe of nature reminds us of our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. It reminds us of the divine creator’s hand. Sitting by the banks of a river that has run through centuries; a river that bathed ancient Kings and Queens; a river that has run through numerous kingdoms; a river that is woven in Biblical stories; a river that will continue to flow long after we are gone. It is indeed an inspiring wonder. One of God’s grand gestures on this earth is the Nile. This write up is a little bit artsy so the language is a bit flowery than usual but bear with it, there is a point in here somewhere. The riot of the Nile As creative artists we ...

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine MP/Pop star In Uganda it is inconceivable for most minds to deem music, drama, dance, painting and other arts as a profession. So much so that at Makerere University, one of the highest institution of learning in the country, the former Music Dance and Drama department (MDD) was disdainfully referred to as Musiru Dala Dala meaning “exceptionally dense”. It didn’t help that anyone who failed in other fields was forcibly injected into the MDD faculty hence undermining it further. It is this derogatory perception that brings many to ignorantly assume that artists are incapable of intellectual contribution to an area such as politics. Many forget that artists are continually contributing to important discourses in society using mediums that are accessible to the masses. It is also forgotten that many of us in the arts are actually fully qualified in other fields too. In recent political events in Kampala commentators such as the mutable Tamale Miru...

The National Theatre (UNCC) in its original glory, Kampala. How much does a space contribute to an art piece presented in it? Could the space be considered to be part of the art piece? What role does space play in art, art expression and consumption of art? These are questions we considered in a recent discussion on Culture UnlimitedRadio with Bayimba Culture Foundation director Faisal Kiwewa. With recent talk of the long overdue rehabilitation of the National Theatre or its impending demise depending on which report you choose to believe, it is relevant to talk about the spaces we use for artistic expression. Often when an artist has work to present in Kampala, there are some usual suspects one considers. The National Theatre or UNCC (Uganda National Cultural Centre), a ridiculous name if you ask me, is the first to come to mind regardless of what art form one is presenting. It has been used for dance, music, drama, art exhibits, festivals, film, symposiums, rehearsals and d...

By Deleuran There are more music producers scattered all over Kampala than there are studios for us from which to produce. Considering the film industry, it too is growing rather fast and with it directors and producers are sprouting faster than seeds at Kawanda Agro Research. It is a good thing that there is a vibrant enough buzz to interest more people to join these industries. However, it would be better if people went into it knowing in what capacity they are joining the industry and what skills are required to execute particular tasks. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. These days everyone who can rig together a computer with a microphone and paste together some beats is a music producer. Similarly, many chaps are apparently film directors/producers because they own and /or can switch on a DSLR camera and point it at something. One has to start somewhere of course and indeed most of us had very humble beginnings. I can recall the miserably sorry recordings that I fir...