Revellers visibly having a good time. Right is DJ Alza doing his thing. Photos | Andrew Kaggwa
The year 2023 has been great for dance music. From Europe to America, electric bangs that get inspiration from techno, gabba and house, music with less lyrics, were the leader of the dance floor. It is partly the reason many dance moves were created this year.
The rise of dance music in 2023 has not only influenced the creation of new dance moves, but has also sparked a global phenomenon of dance competitions and festivals. With its infectious beats and pulsating rhythms, dance music has united people from all walks of life, transcending language barriers and creating a sense of collective euphoria on the dance floor.
In Uganda, this has mainly been through Amapiano, the sound that has been big across the African continent and some parts of the globe; it is not surprising finding Rihanna picking songs such as Davido’s Unavailable and Tyler ICU’s Mnike as her best songs of 2023, both big Amapiano songs.
Elijah Kitaka, who did mostly his new songs, left fans, mostly girls, screaming with joy during his performance.
Amapiano has been growing by leaps and bounds in Uganda, and events were created around it. The most famous one is the Piano People, which has taken place twice at the Alliance Français rooftop.
Organised by Vibez Nzuri, the event was intended to celebrate music, as well as bring like-minded people, fans and artistes of the genre together, which they successfully did with two editions.
On Saturday, Vibez Nzuri hosted their final party of 2023. This was not necessarily a Piano People event, but it brought everything to the table. It was the culmination of their successful events and brought together various elements such as dance music, food, and musical performances.
Held at Gazebo in Najjera, the party was a perfect way to end the year with a mix of culinary, music and cocktails, it was a mix of networking and pure fun.
For a bigger part of the event, it was DJs such as DJ Alza, Damze, Bugy and Kurk who kept the audience engaged but it was the planned and impromptu performances that carried the day.
Artistes such as Lamu, Chief Clansmen, Kohen Jaycee and Elijah Kitaka were scheduled to perform. None of them could be making bangers on mainstream radio but they remain in the group of artistes who have curved a young audience that does not only appreciate them but almost worships them.
From Chief Clansmen’s flow to Jaycee’s melodies on Siganye, it was clear the audience understands and knows where to find this clan of artistes.
Kohen Jaycee’s mellow; a hybrid of neosoul, pop and RnB, is good enough for those who want to sit back and simply enjoy what he sings about to those who might try to move their bodies.
His style is not really far off from what Joshua Baraka does and as you may guess, they both have very many songs produced by Axon.
His performance, just like many performers of the night was mainly a sing along with some people requesting for their favourites by him.
Kitaka took to the stage a few minutes past midnight with Ndi Wuwo, more proof that local music is more than the hard beat. Unlike other days when he goes through his songs from his debut album, Son of Kaloli to the latest EP, Bedroom Essentials, this time he only did songs from his latest offering.
From Tippy Toe, which he remixed with APass, Tutu Mama where he features Vinka, he had mostly girls, screaming. As expected, he ended the night with Nothing, leaving room for one more DJ to close the night out.
