Probably even as you read this, you don’t even understand what Doadoa performing arts market is all about – well, let us explain.
Like any ordinary market of commodities, this is one that invites performing artistes to sell their craft to potential booking agents, festivals and showcase organizers from Uganda and other parts of the world.
Not so famous in Kampala, but in other economies like Kenya, the Ongea Market, MASA in Ivory Coast or Europe’s Womex are one that artistes and talent management look out for, they book performance spaces and invite audiences that most of the times includes promoters, radio schedulers and label executives.
Of course, what took place at the Uganda Museum last weekend fell short, but that didn’t stop some artistes from announcing themselves to the audience that watched them.
From the first day to the closing, artiste little known to a mainstream audience came, saw and left the audience on their feet, at many of the incidents, you had people questioning where these people have been or why their music is not on our urban stations.
And after all was said, our desk is delighted to produce for you a list of four artistes from the Doadoa showcase we believe should be the next Ugandan sound either on radio stations or concerts, follow us closely.
Izaya the Composer
The beauty about Izaya is that he chose his own name, no, he’s not a musician and neither is he an instrumentalist but a composer.
An electronic artist that juggles the DJ turntables, guitar and other instruments during his set, he was everything from an on stage music composer, producer to a live remix creator – his version of famous songs that he either added drums, an electric or acoustic guitar at times simply took the audience by surprise.
Yet, very many were seeing Izaya for the very first time – in this era of DJ artists, this guy needs to be playing some of those gigs that gundi oli gets and only ends up looping one Bebe Cool song with another Cool Bebe song.
Shifa Musisi
Well, maybe some people have seen Shifa Musisi before – her Owoluganda song is so monumental after all…. And just last year, when they were in a good mood, Blankets and Wine programmed her.
But today, the way they are head over heels for weird hair wearing kats like Fik Fameica, such songstress like Shifa can’t stand a chance, anyway, she performed on day two at Doadoa and much as many local artistes never seemed to grasp the concept of the market, she had it to the dot.
Shifa could have been the only Ugandan artiste that had a stall that was complete with her CDs, branding, fliers and other information, but that’s not the reason she needs a space on our radio, TVs and stages.
This woman is infectious, she owns the stage and manages to impress without trying so much – the same way she is a natural on the record and is almost the same way she transports the magic to the stage, and yes, she plays the guitar……. Like once in a while who wouldn’t want to see a Ugandan artiste that stays in one place and just sings not such funny things of flaunting their outfits from Kandahar.
Eli Maliki
Now Eli is has been around the circuit of gig men – And it was visible with the team he worked with, seriously, he had Roy Kasika on the drums…… (If you’re reading and you don’t know Roy….ummm well there are chances you watched a lot of DJ low on stages..)
He has played in places like Gato Mato, Alliance Francaise and Goethe Zentrum before eventually going into hibernation, then just last week, he bounced back with that killer performance at Doadoa.
Mature, a better vocalist, he was a refined version of Elvis Presley, not that he even tried to impersonate him, it was a feel he carried around himself as he went through his set.
His vocals that seemed to be in the right place got audiences screaming every time he made attempts on the high notes.
A generally commendable performance considering a fact that he too was largely unknown.
Jackie Akello
Jackie Akello was the closing act at this year’s Doadoa, Jackie’s latest album was released in 2016 and Jackie was performing after Afrigo Band….
We can say that again, Afrigo Band was performing first, and Jackie Akello, who doesn’t sing ragga would follow them.
From the very first time the programme for Doadoa 2018 was released, many people saw a mistake with the programming, no one understood why a little known artiste that is Akello would be ruined by being forced to perform after Afrigo has gone through their generation of classic songs.
And on Saturday, many music lovers kept their fingers crossed after Afrigo Band had signed off with Oswadde Nyo, the question was, ‘Is Jackie prepared to match the level these legends have left?’
And she proved she can, she proved she can get on a stage Afrigo Band has been on and perform songs in Acholi with folk sounds and people that don’t understand it dance to it.
Her showmanship of not sulking but standing up to the challenge of facing the stage regardless of who has been on should not only earn her major props but a place on both Ugandan stages and airwaves.
