Kenneth Mugabi and Michael Ouma take on the crowd. Photo/Andrew Kaggwa
One of the most interesting events over last weekend was a show-stopping performance by Sewa Sewa, Myko Ouma, and Kenneth Mugabi at the Sheraton Hotel Kampala on Sunday. Aptly titled “Pride of the Pearl,” the show celebrated a unique Ugandan sound rarely highlighted in mainstream media. Although headlined by the three artists, the event honored many others in the field, from the backline musicians to the various vocalists who took the stage. It was clear the show was a celebration of Uganda.
The show opened with Myko Ouma, who then invited Sewa Sewa with his Janzi. Later, the two welcomed Kenneth Mugabi, who began his set with “Cinderella” from his People of the Land album. Mugabi has been on the rise since his 2018 album, gaining a new audience that appreciates his music beyond the single ‘Naki’.
Sewa Sewa on the Janzi. Photo/Andrew Kaggwa
Beyond Kenneth Mugabi’s star power and Myko Ouma’s longevity, the night was more about the instruments than the songs. It was one of the first high-scale events where the instruments took center stage rather than the artists. Kenneth Mugabi played the guitar sparingly, with Myko Ouma handling most of the guitar work. Most of the time, Mugabi played a tube fiddle locally known as the ndingidi, while Sewa Sewa shined with his Janzi, an instrument he invented.
The Janzi is inspired by the adungu, but unlike the single-scale adungu, the Janzi is a two-scale instrument, making it one of the few two-scale local instruments. In an earlier interview, Sewa Sewa mentioned that he intended to improve the adungu to make it more presentable after an incident at an airport in Europe. Realizing he couldn’t change much about the adungu, he decided to create something entirely new.
He introduced his Janzi carpenter, who has also learned to play the instrument and performed his first song. Myko Ouma, primarily known for his guitar skills, captivated the audience when he played the tube fiddle. Although Kenneth Mugabi did a lot with the tube fiddle, he shone more vocally while Myko and Sewa were at their best playing their instruments.
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