There were times Serena was reserved for only international acts or sophisticated artistes such as Isaiah Katumwa, Joel Ssebunjo and the like. PHOTOS/ANDREW KAGGWA
Back in the day, concerts at Serena attracted a sophisticated audience that not only kept time but was also willing to spend a significant amount of money toalso willing to spend a significant amount of money to attend a performance lasting two to three hours. What differentiated uptown and downtown music lovers was where they went for a concert
In 2022, Sheebah Karungi did the unthinkable, organised twin concerts at Kampala Serena’s Victoria Conference Hall. It was an ambitious move that could still show how much local music has come; for instance, there was a time when the biggest Ugandan concerts took place at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds.
Some still had shows flop at the venue; Irene Namubiru and Bebe Cool usually struggled to fill the venue, while Chameleone once failed to fill it with the help of Davido.
At that time, concerts at the Cricket Oval usually featured American, Jamaican, and a few Nigerian artistes; in fact, by 2014, only P-Square from Nigeria had been on a show at the oval, but others were Americans such as Ne-Yo, Kirk Franklin, Wyclef Jean, or Jamaicans such as Konshens, Busy Signal, Alaine, Elephant Man, and Demarco, among others.
Much as a few Ugandans had concerts at Lugogo Cricket Oval, those were really few; in fact, it is believed that the first Ugandan concert at the venue was Blu*3’s launch of their debut album, Hitaji in 2004.
The beginning
After the Blu*3 debut in 2004, a lot happened with the industry; more music was dropped, recording improved, and so did the way artistes performed. Over the years, Cricket Oval had become a home for international artistes, while their local counterparts too had their shine at Kyandondo Rugby Grounds, Hotel Africana Parking, Lugogo Grounds, Kati Kati Restaurant, and Freedom City, among others.
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