Wrapping it Up: A pandemic and two lockdowns later, 2022 got Kampala and Uganda’s social scene dancing into the night. All of a sudden, there was a party on every block, a concert every weekend and people making merry or others happy… Even when it ended in tears sometimes. The common factor in all these was the sQoop team, there were always there. Thus, as we wrap the year 2022, Isaac Ssejjombwe and Andrew Kaggwa present our version of sQoop Wrap-Up, Azawi to Zamba – the A to Z.
A-Alex Ndawula
Veteran radio presenter and DJ, Alex Ndawula, died in June this year at the age of 59. Alex died from Nsambya hospital where he had been admitted for several days.
Ndawula, a star of private FM stations in Uganda, was a name to reckon on Capital FM and Sanyu FM in the 90s and 2000s with his breakfast shows.
He joined Capital FM where he presented the morning show, the Dance Force and Sundowner. Ndawula called it quits after 40 years of service on radio in 2017.
B-Biggest songs
What a year it has been, a number of amazing songs such as Ayi, Picha, Oliwa, Gwe Weka, Bailamos, Majje, Zakayo, Malaika, Forever, Lusuku lwa Cement.
C-Chameleone
Jose Chameleone flew to South Africa for the first time since 2016 this year and on arrival was briefly arrested on accusations of breach of contract in 2016.
A promoter identified as Zaina Muwonge paid the Valu Valu artiste 80,000 Rands (Shs18.7m) to perform at a show but he did not comply so on arrival in South Africa where he had gone to perform at an event in Randburg, he was arrested.
It was also this year that Chameleone’s six-year ban was lifted at Club Guvnor after he apologised to DJ Bryan and the management of the nightclub.
To be banned, Chameleone was engaged in a fist fight with Bryan but they reconciled. To prove this reconciliation, the artiste staged a show alongside Afrigo Band.
D-Dre Cali
Barely three years at Mpaka Records, singer, Stephen Andrew Katende, aka Dre Cali, decided to end his short musical career by disappearing to Canada for greener pastures in March. It was alleged that Dre Cali was forced to exit the country after his former management, Wyse Technologies Limited dragged him to court for breach of a five-year contract where they demanded Shs81m from him for damages and compensation for dishonouring their agreement.
E-Esther and Ezekiel
East Africa Has Got Talent winners Esther and Ezekiel participated in the Canada Has Got Talent and were impressive in the two rounds they contested in. Their mother, also a musician, Julie Muteesasira, used this opportunity to come out of the closet.
Ending in tears
We cannot also ignore our crying industry. Why did many people cry at press conferences? At one point we thought Kenzo had patented that thing but then Chris Evans, Gravity and promoter Luba!
F-Flopped shows
When the lockdown was lifted at the end of January, it is easy to argue that every promoter thought they had to organise a concert. Over the past six or more months, one show after another were staged and a good number of these were massive failures. Imagine Oxlade and Bennie Man, just a handful turned up for The Big Show and Oxlade even refused to show up. He later came back alongside CKay, another Nigerian and still flopped. Then there were those who were poorly attended yet the organisers claimed success…. We see you Gravity.
G-Grammy nomination
Uganda received its first Grammy nomination in 2022 through Gimme Love, a song by American singer Matt B on which Eddy Kenzo featured.
Gimme Love is nominated in the Best Global Music performance alongside Arooj Aftab and Anoushka Shankar, Burna Boy, Rocky Dawuni and Blvk H3ro, and Bayethe Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode.
H-Hollywood, here we are
One of the biggest films that came out this year was Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, well it is a Marvel film, it is amazing and all that. For Ugandans and the way we own people making it, one of the cast members is Sheila Atim, a Ugandan British actress. A good year she had, she was even featured in Viola Davis’ production The Woman King. But it was not just Atim, model Aamito Lagum too made her Hollywood debut with Three Hundred Years of Longing alongside Idris Elba.
I- In transit
For a good number of years, Uganda events have been in transit with Blankets and Wine moving within venues, Roast and Rhyme also did an edition in Jinja and the biggest move this year was Nyege Nyege to Itanda falls.
J-Juliana
Juliana Kanyomozi returned and staged her first concert after nine years at Kampala Serena Hotel but before that, the diva was held in a confrontation with events promoter Winston Tshaka Mayanja over a show.
Juliana Kanyomozi was supposed to be the headlining act at Tshaka Mayanja’s ‘Baileys Safari Picnic’ show but pulled out over what she termed as breach of contract. The show, however, happened with other artistes including Irene Ntale, Naava Grey and Gabbie Ntate.
K – Klass of 2022
That is what we shall call them – klass! Like every year, 2022 gave us some new artistes who have somewhat entertained us with their songs and among these include Fenon’s Vamos whose Konkona song reminded us of the Steve Jean days. He has survived on that particular song until he made a remix with Zex Bilangilangi and then releasing Ayaka. There was also Ronald Alimpa with Lusuku lwa Cement, Maazi ga bore among others and Rahma Pinky with Pitcha alongside Grenade Official.
L- Lagos to Kampala
You have probably heard people say there is a little Lagos in Kampala. After the lockdown was lifted there many concerts lined up, many of these involved Nigerian artistes… actually very many of them. For instance, by June, more than six Nigerian artistes had been on Ugandan stages, in June alone, an average of two Nigerian artistes performed in Uganda a weekend. From 15-minute lip synching by Ayra Starr to a rainy performance by Tiwa Savage, we were there. But it really rained at Tiwa’s.
M-Mesach Semakula
Mesach Semakula, one of the directors and leading singers at Golden Band, announced that he had quit the band that he co-founded eight years ago.
Converting from Eagles Production which had been successful for a number of years, Golden Band was formed in 2014 and registered as a company after some of its pioneering members left and formed ‘The New Eagles’ over financial differences.
N-Night life
At the end of 2021, which most people had referred to as 2020 Pro Max, the President had promised to open up the creative economy, basically the night life. This became a promise he did not treat like those in a manifesto, we indeed opened up and business has not been moving on as usual, Kampala is relatively a ghost town by 9pm.
O- Oscar selection
By now you may know that Uganda has a selection committee, a team that once selected a Kony film to represent Uganda and later withdrew it. After years without selecting a film, this year the committee selected former Big Brother housemate Morris Mugisha’s Tembele as Uganda’s official selection.
P-Parliament
It is hard to know if the people that occupy the building next to the National Theatre by day are for us or against us. Well, after two years in a lockdown, it is in 2022 that this House, yes, the parliament had interesting discussions that could in more than one way choke an already struggling industry. We need to remind you that they wanted to save the children of the country by banning Nyege Nyege. Only for one of them to support and even attend. They tried stopping artistes from performing in schools, again to save the children of the country and then the alcohol bill, see, the House has been on fire.
Q -???
Nothing big has happened here since Quex did Kachumbali.
R- Renditions
If you are not mad because of a rendition, it is mainly because you have been avoiding local radio stations for music streaming platforms. But we are here to politely request you to get mad, just like us.
Over the years artistes have been redoing older songs and truth is, many of these were for projects such as Elly Wamala and Philly Lutaaya’s memorials. This year people jumped out of their skin to put their voices on songs such as Bus Dunia, maligned by OS and Sam Wange, abused by Sheebah Karungi and Daddy Andre. Of course what Lilian Mbabazi did on Dem Days too counts as a rendition
R- Ronald Mayinja/Rahma Pinky
Which of these R artistes made more news?
There was Ronald Mayinja, a man composed music critiquing the regime, then became an apologist and later sang against them and later joined them again… you are still following? Then Ronald Alimpa, we thought he was becoming the next big thing and oh Pinky, signed by TNS as an ambitious replacement for Sheebah and later dropped by TNS.
S-Shem Semambo
It was in March this year that former sales manager of Nile Breweries, Shem Semambo aka Kagusunda died. His contribution to Uganda’s entertainment industry was so immense that he was partly responsible for sponsoring several entertainment shows in Uganda, making several artistes brand ambassadors among others. He succumbed to transverse Myelitis at Paramount Hospital and according to friends, he passed on at around 3pm.
S-Spice Diana/Sheebah
Musician Hajara Namukwaya, alias Spice Diana, was summoned by Katwe Police Station over a man who was allegedly killed at her home in Kyamuza Zone, Salaama Road in Makindye. The murder case registered under file number SD ref 07/30/06/2022.
The deceased man was known as Henry Hamza Nsamba aged 27 and it was alleged that her bouncers beat him to death.
Sheebah made a record this year by staging a two-day-concert at Kampala Serena Hotel and both shows were going for Shs150,000 each day. Sheebah also came out and said an undisclosed public figure inappropriately touched her body without consent.
The self-proclaimed Swagg Maama, however, did not disclose the public figure but Andrew Mwenda came out and called her out for what he calls her publicity stunt, dismissing her claim to have been assaulted as pure fiction and ‘sickening’.
T -TikTok
It is hard talking about social media in 2022 without mentioning the influence of TikTok. The app that took the world by storm in the pandemic has since taken on the music industry. In 2022, they became a cult in a whole different way, created hits, TV presenters, influencers and hey, Bebe Cool did a song about TikTok, yes, the song that featured Sheila Gashumba in all her Gashumbaness grace.
We even had our own Angella Summer Namubiru scooping a People’s Choice Award.
U-UMA
We want to assume you know the Uganda Musicians Association. We are not going to get into what they do. Anyway, they were supposed to have an election that would see them choose new leadership. Cindy, the incumbent, was facing off with King Saha and Lord Bitem (he insists he is an artiste). Well they seemed serious and even had a presidential debate to that effect. You are reading this on December 23, there has never been an election.
V- Vayolensi
What best describes Ugandans this year on social media than that word, it is violence. But that is the Ugandan way. This year, for reasons better known to us, as a people, we embraced vayolensi where it is needed or not. Is there even a space for it?
W- Winnie Nwagi
Swangz Avenue’s Winnie Nwagi staged what is said to be the most attended show ever at Lugogo cricket Oval by a Ugandan artiste titled the Fire concert this year. This was her debut concert since signing with Swangz eight years ago.
Away from the concert, Nwagi was also bounced at the ministry of Internal Affairs for allegedly dressing inappropriately.
W-World Cup
You might be wondering why we had to include the World Cup in this category but our very own Ghetto Kids got a chance to perform at the World Cup. The Ugandan dancing group performed at the generation amazing festival which was also attended by the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, and Qatar’s Minister of Education. Besides them, seasoned Ugandan sports journalist Usher Komugisha also covered this year’s FIFA World Cup for the global media powerhouse, Al Jazeera. Not forgetting the Ugandan who took several pictures with ‘Visit Uganda’ placards.
X
What if we tell you that nothing really happens with X! Anyway, this year, there were as many media movements, one day you have Andrew Kabuura and the next day he is an ex.
Y-Year of women
2022 will be remembered as the year after Covid-19 but it should go down as the year that female artistes dominated the industry. From topping charts to having the biggest concerts. Azawi had a very successful show at Lugogo grounds, Winnie Nwagi had the biggest turn up at Cricket Oval, Juliana after nine years held a successful show at Serena while Sheebah took it a notch higher by having two successful shows back to back at the same venue.
Z-Zex
In one way or the other, Zex owned part of the lockdown, thanks to his Nkwaga. In 2022, the cat did not slow down, giving us an interesting year but above it all, gave Ruyonga a rebrand with Parte Yani.
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