HE IS RISEN. Easter is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike other holidays, most people seem to have a different view of it. CHRISTINE KATENDE sounds out different people on what has been their most memorable of such a day.
Irene Ntale, artiste
Easter! I do not have any most memorable one, not even when I was growing up. Easter has always been the normal Sunday of waking up, having breakfast then going church. Thereafter, we return home for lunch. It has been routine. The only difference is that now, I go perform in different places. There is no big deal with Easter celebrations, despite the jubilations about the risen Lord.
Richard Mugisha aka, Mr Lee, artiste
Of course, since childhood it has always been one of the best days of the year. As a child, I enjoyed visiting our relatives and we used to have unique meals. Easter was a family day, we would sometimes go for outings at the beach. But now that I am grown, Easter reminds me of how God loved us that he gave us His only son to die for our sins. And still, it is time to work, a day to make good money. We get busy entertaining our fans in different happening places.
Sharon Bianca, Actress
I will never forget Easter in 2013. I was nine months pregnant in one of the recording studios in Makindye on Easter Vigil. I almost gave birth there. Water broke and I asked the producer to go out so that I could prepare myself. He did. After, I drove quickly to Nsambya Hospital and I called my husband to find me there. That was around 11am. I was scared and the only person I wanted to see was a doctor. It took me 45 minutes to introduce my third born to the world.
The bundle of joy I received at the moment gave us a wonderful celebration on Easter Sunday. We had the best day as a family.
Dr Benon Kigozi, music professor
Easter in 2003 stands out because it is the last one I had with my mother. We planned to spend Easter Sunday together as an extended family. Each family would go to church for that Easter Sunday service and return home for the celebration. We had lunch together and let children listen to stories from their grandmother (my mother), aunts, uncles, and other relatives. As family, we had unrushed quality time. We met, socialised, ate and drank together. Most importantly, all children learnt things that they would not have learnt.
Ritah Aliguma, sports journalist
My memorable Easter was 2016, 2017 and last year. I had never imagined how beautiful it was spending such a big day away from home and In 2016, I reached out to the less privileged communities. As Jesus Christ sacrificed his blood for us, I shared the little I had. I will never forget the smiles after getting what to eat on such a day and interacting with people they refer to as high class. The Easter celebrations I have had with less privileged people for three years satisfy me. I do feeding programmes for people in slums, we play football, cook, pray, together and it is what I still plan to do today.
Micheal Christian Omunyakol, Gospel artiste
On Easter in 2017, I went to Kampala School of the Physically Disabled Children in Mengo to give them gifts. I was moved by a boy in a wheelchair who was singing along a song we were playing, word by word. I asked the DJ to turn down the volume and I realised that the boy had a wonderful voice.
I believed that disability is not an inability as these children are gifted but the world shuts them out given their condition. I called some of my artiste friends that evening and we staged for them a concert. They said they had never been to any concert but they always watched it on television. I still remember the beautiful smiles on their faces.
Paul Lutamaguzi Ssemakula, MP Nakaseke District
I celebrate Easter from my home village in Buyungwe, Kansangombe, in Nakaseke District. I dine with the elderly and less privileged. However, the most memorable Easter was in 1994 during my Primary Seven vacation. I went to my grandparents’ home, where I was introduced to different relatives who had gathered at that home. They welcomed me and my grandmother gave me a name Kasana. We conversed, ate a lot of food and drunk soda. That is my fondest memory and one of the reasons I celebrate the resurrection Sunday with the elderly. I buy food stuffs and supply them to different families in memory of my grandmother.
Kenneth Kimuli, aka, Pablo, comedian
Power FM invited me to go with them to reach out to inmates to spend a day at Luzira Upper Prison during the Easter weekend of 2015. Looking at the heavily deployed security and the high walls with an armed guard at the tower was enough to send chills down my spine. The moment you go through and the heavy metallic doors close behind you, life feels like it has come to a standstill.
Despite their courtesy, the prison wardens would not give room for any nonsense. We had to leave our belongings in some safe custody before entering. I was glad to meet some of the inmates who were branded notorious robbers and murderers by the media while they were being sentenced in the courts of law. They looked fresh. I will bet that some of the inmates looked healthier than most public servants. My defining moment was when it was my turn to share a light moment with the inmates. It was such a cheerful audience, they laughed like they had been hired.
The immense talent behind those high walls also mesmerised me. They had hip hop artistes who would give Jay-Z a run for his money. The highlight of the day was the football finals of the Easter trophy between Manchester United and Arsenal football clubs. The inmates doing the commentary were hilarious.
We had a tasty lunch with the inmates’ leaders and were treated to great music by the inmates’ band before we were ushered out of the prison.
Helen Lukoma, actress
Easter has always been about me and family, there is nothing special that happens. I remember in my childhood, we would break off from school for three days; from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Although our parents would have drinks in the evening, we never went to the beach to enjoy like some children do today. We stayed home and watched animated films. This is the same trend that we are all going back to. Easter is about family, food, and praying together.
Betty Mpologoma, artiste
Easter in 2018, I performed at three different places, in and outside Kampala, something I had never done before. That day, I also wore a short skirt and my fans had never seen me dressed like that. So many cheered me on. I reached the place where I was to perform last, a few minutes to 4am and it was packed to capacity as people waited to see me on stage.
I liked the fact that they never booed me and I kept making fun until morning. I had a chat with my fans until morning. They kept giving me money saying they were appreciating my body. I made fun and ululated until some minutes past 5am.
John Ssozi, aka, Emperor Orlando, artiste
My most memorable Easter was in my Senior One in the early 90s in the days of the late Jimmy Katumba and The Ebonies. I do not recall how old I was but on that particular Easter after a heavy and tasty lunch, my siblings and I went to Theatre Exclaisure. Jimmy Katumba and The Ebonies were performing. I saw Jimmy Katumba come from space and I kept wondering how possible that could be. It was colourful.
