Art and Life

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...

Ugandan bassist and singer Sammy Kasule One morning, I visited a musician friend of mine, Sammy Kasule who is a legendary Ugandan musician with over 4 decades of musical experience behind him. I found him with a bass guitar in hand busy practicing. He is talented, he is skilled and his experience is not in doubt; so why practice? From when we are very young, there are some things we do reasonably better than others without much effort. Parents normally look out for these to discern the child's gifts. Perhaps you learnt to read so fast whilst others were still untwisting their tongue; or may be numbers and algebra were like play time for you; some kids can remember and logically predict complicated sequences and tasks at a young age like playing chess;  perhaps you danced so well with innate rhythm whilst other babies were still discovering their limp joints; other kids can draw clear figures with a clear understanding of shadow and light whilst some of us had nonsensical z...

Image from Qwela hang edition 1 As far back as the contemporary music world has existed, people have made comparisons and pitched talented music acts against each other. It was there in the 1960s with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, in the 1980s with Prince and Micheal Jackson then in the 1990s Britney Spears and Christine Aguilera or even in the Hip Hop world came the  East and West coast comparisons. Closer to home in our little meagre world in Kampala, we have had Kafeero and Basudde, Bebe Cool and Chameleon, Bobi Wine and Bebe, Juliana Kanyomozi and Iryn Namubiru and most recently I am reading pits of Maurice Kirya against Kenneth Mugabi. Image from www.patheos.com Most times these comparisons and petty "fights" are actually totally nonexistent; just media fabrications either to sell stories, records, concerts and brands or just fanning the social mags for internet trolls to stay entertained. These days with the internet freedom we have, everyone now feels...