The Maurice Kirya minute

On a chilly evening at posh  fairly lovely restaurant (The Lawns) the man from West Africa. He is not a west African but he had been in West Africa on tour. Yes. A Ugandan went on tour and he did not lip sing. So put your hands together (you need to clap or something) for Maurice (middle name not Known) Kirya. Some of you may know his brother, Vampos Vampino of Swangz avenue (I don’t know the plot number). You know I tried google maps in Uganda and I could not find Swangz Avenue. 

Me, a friend and a three hot beautiful ladies met with Kirya and dissected (the none biological way) him on a few things.

Album cover for his latest Album. Musubbawa. Forget the "coming soon". Its been a year. 

Question from Beautiful lady to Maurice: So my man Maurice do you actually do you update your own Twitter and Facebook accounts. 

(In some sort of singing tone) I actually update my Facebook and Twitter. I would like to express myself the way I am so that people get to know about me in person. Its only the MySpace account (it’s in French) that someone does and they usually tell my fans it ain’t me. (Maurice is really thirsty and orders for a drink. We all order for drinks. Guess who was going to pay?)

What do you want the world to know about Uganda? (Area code 256)

My message is a positive one. Uganda is a good country but foreigners don’t know about it. We have a great culture (heavy) and I wanna be part of the people that make it known to the world. I call my music “Gospel of the Sunshine.” (Maurice winks at one of the girls. She winks back).

So Maurice, What does your music represent?

You know like I said, I want to tell a good story that represents social issues. I represent the Urban African. (Hey Maurice I am also an urban African. I was born and raised in a trading center. I hope that passes as an urban area). I love Jazz, R’ n’ b and Hip hop and that’s a typical urban African. This is the Uganda that I know and represent.

Man or Mehn that’s good stuff. Kati boss, what sort of music do you do?

I call my music Mwooyo. This is soul music with a Ugandan touch. (If anyone knows what the Mwooyo Genre is, please holla. I will sign the cheque). You can hear the Ugandan accent on the vocals (Does another rap qualify as Mwooyo?).

You know I was exposed to all this different music from my background. My mother liked the Abba’s and country music, I listen to a lot of hip hop (pause Maurice. Do you think the song Angela is Hip Hop?) because one of my brothers liked it. Then I was also into Reggae music because my other brother Vampino liked it. Growing up, I was surrounded by music from way back. And at times a take I laid back sit and listen to music from the 50’s to do research on its influence.

Que in question by another pretty girl; do you think you are charming?

*Maurice turns around tends shakes his head while denying he is charming. His head is denying but his facial expression is showing otherwise.*

People tell I am charming, but I don’t think so. Mark (That's me), what do you think?

My answer? If the ladies think you are then, most definitely you are.
(Maurice tells pretty girl: "By the way you are pretty")

Are you dating?

I am single. I have dated before but come on who would want to be with a person who is always on the move. (Hmmm Maurice there are ladies with the determination). I however like being in the company of women. I go out with them once in a while.

So you ain’t dating but you hang-out with women?

Yap, they are two different things. There is a difference between dating and asking a lady to watch a movie or dine with you. What people see on the Kardishians (no offense to show) in Hollywood movies. I want to have fun and I usually tell the ladies what I like about them. If they have nice hair, then I will say it. If I like their smile I will say it. All I want is to hangout with a lady and we do some food or even watch a movie without getting attached in terms of dating.

Your ideal woman (to date)

When people ask me this question, My answer straight out is “I don’t know.”

Gwe guy!!! What car do you drive?

I drive a 1971 VW beetle. (Let us pause for a minute. A vintage car. Seriously. With an engine in the back and moreover a 1971 model)

Not the exact car but this is the 1971 VW beetle

You won the RFI award and you drive an “old car”?

Right now a car is not a priority. There is still so much to. I have another car but it’s a simple car and not very flashy. (What he mean’t here is *I think* the car did not have spinners, two large flat screen TVs and hydrochloric something that makes the car dance)

Why the vintage car?

This car is like 40years old and it was once driven by Idi Amin. (Ya’ll know this dude (RIP). He was president of Uganda from 1971-79)

Have ever gone on date using this car?

*Sips water* I have and it has broken down several times while I am on a date.

Tell me more about this tour of West Africa?

So we did about 14 countries in 18hours performed at 24 concerts and did 6 road trips (of more than 4 hours). All this was in two months. It was fun going around West Africa and doing music for people. I met so many interesting people and made many more fans in West Africa. It was amazing how much people appreciated the music I was doing.

So why did you have to go on tour of West Africa?

Every year, Radio France International (RFI), has the discovery award for African countries. I won it. In fact I was the first non-Franco phone winner of the award. Part of the award is that the artist has to do a tour of West Africa. So that’s how we ended up in West Africa and concluded all this in Paris. This was the first leg of the tour.

When is the second leg?

The second leg is after Easter and it will be in the United States. We will do New York, Washington and Chicago. I will be performing alongside Jordin Sparks. (Chris Brown did "No Air" with her, I wonder if Maurice will do one too)

And for 2011. I am told the Maurice Kirya experience will be no more.

I am working on my new album and I cannot say much about that. But because I am on tour  and haven’t been able to concentrate on the new album. The Maurice Kirya experience will now be one event in the year. The experience is the platform I provide to promote the arts like music, poetry and paintings. It started small but it became a huge event by beating our expectations. I also hope to do concerts here in Uganda in 2011.

So, if you ain’t doing music what is your day be like?

My day can be filled up with meetings but I try as much as possible to be done by 4pm. I work like a professional. There are people who do my management and promotions among others. After all these I also go to the movies. Alone or not, I have to go to the movies. I try to find a quiet place where I can sit uninterrupted. I also walk on the streets just to see people. I do go to Owino (For those who do not know Owino, its like a Food Court but only that this one is for clothes) by myself to buy clothes. This helps me relate my music to what seems to be going on peoples’ lives.

Life struggles, especially when you decided music was going to be your thing (Career)

Most people thought I was not going to make it. They would see me carrying a guitar and they would think there is something wrong with me. They would look down on me.

 I was never appreciated but still I moved on. It was tough getting to where I am now. I am not yet at the top, but am better. People who used to think my music would be crap come to me to tell me how good my music is. It was a struggle in industry where quick money seems to be the dominant factor.

Any question for me Maurice?

Yes. Which song of mine, do you like the most?

I like Misubbaawa.

"Why?" he asks.

(I don’t know about the vocals and pitch) Its one of strong worded songs I have ever listened too. It sinks in that the song can be felt on the inside.(The rilics lyrics of this song are amazing. I love them)

Then we he asks for our bill for the drinks.....(The rest could not be included in this interview)

It was one great evening with Maurice Kirya and through the years he has progressed to get to this level.  Live music is making a comeback in Uganda and Maurice has played his role in promoting this kind of music. Maurice will keep going places and for us me, we’ll I'll support the cause. 

Visit www.mauricekirya.com/  for more info.

You also visit the facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/MauriceKirya 

Watch his videos on http://www.youtube.com/mauricekirya .

Related links

http://mbabaziannet.blogspot.com/2011/04/maurice-kirya-interview.html  

http://onyaitodeke.blogspot.com/2011/04/exclusive-q-with-maurice-kirya-rfi.html

Goblets of Mischief

After I was denied from eating my candy by some men in some dotted zebra like clothing, life has changed pretty a-lot. These men look like they are from metropolis. With metals around their bodies, they reach out with their fists and idle hands, grab and bundle a pedestrian onto some blue truck for walking on the streets.
Walking was illegal in the city centre and this explains why the CBD only had SUV’s with tinted windows parked along the streets. Only those who could drive were allowed in the city.

The men in zebra like clothing were now street vendors and owned shops around town. They had taken the jobs of the humans. The humans had deserted the city. It was no-longer safe for them. They were no-longer free to trade good and walking in the city had been banned. The silence in the city was deafening, quiet and calm.  

The term civilians, that's how they are described, had become ruthless, idle and animalistic. They walked and patrolled every corner of the a little known city. The presence of less humans in the city meant the men in zebra like clothing were now using guns to shoot at flies, bees and any insect that tried to make any movement in the city.

So why have they started behaving like obsessed animals? (Recalling the biblical story where Jesus cast evil spirits from a human to pigs).

Special MTN Uganda Rant.

Just like the blood sucking vampires MTNUganda seems to be on a mission to drain me. Customer care has never been one of MTN's strong points, they have always taken their customers for a ride and they always taken them for granted. I really understand how MTN took a thorough run for their money with Warid Telecom and Airtel plus UTL slashing their call rates. This basically means less people are spending money on airtime because they can call cheaply on other networks.

So why didn't I join the other networks? Because I never wanted to leave my tariff to join all those confusing subscriptions.

Dial *something# to join and call for ten minutes for free blah blah blah. MTN most definately lost a significant number of its customers to the competition but were they right to scrap late chat?

Well maybe they want to compete but at then are they also going to subject their customers so many tariffs that may confuse some us? And who did they tell? As a telecom company in this day of technology, MTN was supposed to issue a notice probably by SMS to let us know these were going to change.

I must admit, I think MTN has once again miscalculated in my own opinion since people who buy airtime were texting at 50/= but now will be paying 110/= per sms. I will say MTN has for long tried to react late in these situations.

The industry has become very competitive with so many promos from the telecoms and for their customer, this doesn't help at all. What MTN should have done in my own opinion is to keep MTN late chat the way it is. As an MTN customer I feel so much exploited and I believe I am not being treated as the King. That is why I have always failed to believe that MTN cares for its customers. Its interest is to continue to build only a strong brand but offer close to bad service to the people.
If were to do a mini survey, MTN would be at the bottom of the pack because of its service delivery.

I have always been a loyal customer to MTN (since 2004) and ever since Late Chat was introduced, I have never switched to any other tariff. Why? Because I hate the hustle of switching from one thing to another. If you are going to change something please treat me as if I am a valuable customer to your company.

With technology in this era, couldn’t they have communicated that they were going to scrape my tariff.

And now am done making noise about MTN. It has been long overdue.

All I want is to enjoy my Candy

As I listen to the script’s Science and Faith, in the soot filled kitchen I sit. Thinking. About I don’t know what. And then i remember, the other day I tried to eat my candy and I was stopped. I was bundled on the back of blue truck with sirens and taken to a dark room.

I was told I couldn’t eat candy on the streets. I almost protested my mistreatment until I noticed there was no one in my defense. The blue trucks were at every corner.

The city was calm, littered with filth and beggars downtrodden on the wrecked lampposts. There was fine flowing and stinky fluid from beneath the cracked tarmac. The silence was deafening as all the cars that passed had tinted windows. There was always a rush to leave the city centre. Even hooting was prohibited.

And there I was wondering where to sit and enjoy my candy. The men in bluish white uniforms were all over the streets. They were more than the civilians on the streets. They had taken over some square in the city. It had become their camp and base. All the green spaces had been taken over.

“We are here to protect you,” they say.

But why were the people feeling scared when they see these “protectors?” It had become too much that the protectors had also become vendors in the city. They were the hawkers and could also sell airtime. But still I couldn’t enjoy my candy.

There was a notice that before I eat any candy in the city centre, I had to notify the protectors first. But it’s my candy, my right to eat when and where I want.

'Things have changed brother,' the chief tells me. 'We are now mindful what u consume and where,' he adds.

'You can’t eat candy from the city square'

Head facing down, coat on the shoulder, I walk to the direction of setting of the Kampala sun.

'One day I will enjoy my candy freely,' just one day..... I keep telling my self

Attempting to picture blog

The Sun Within the clouds somewhere in Kisumu- Kenya

From the grasslands in my village 

We used this plant to make some innovative cars

I dont remember the name of this plant. 

1992, And we did this 

Wild flower from my village

Another wild soon

On the way waterfall......

And the waterfall 

A wonderful cottage

Too much wind pushed this to the edges

Path/walkway at the Safari Park in Nairobi 

Keeping it green 

I grew up in this house.

Celebrate women achievements, but...........

Its in the late evening. Its windy, with light drizzles and the dry leaves continue to slide on the hard surface.  A drive through the city, young girls cling onto car windows in the traffic jam begging for a coin or two.

These girls are innocent and there are always these arguments on where they came from. Some of their mothers say that they are orphans from the Moroto and Karamoja. These claims have been doubted by many and also believed by many.

There are also many under age girls in the city who have been reduced to begging status, while others are used as sex slaves. In a country like Uganda where statistics of underage sex solicitors are scarce, its hard to tell how many of these girls are engaged in such activities.

Growing up, women’s day was always a special day. It’s the day my guardian auntie would stay away from the kitchen and we would attempt our cooking skills as the children of the house. Cooking and doing the daily house chores was left only to us. In a special way, we’d also learn about the plight of women in the country.

This day for me was always a fun day. Every year I got to understand why this day was special on the calendar. It’s a public holiday to celebrate what the women have achieved but also to be constantly reminded that there are vast challenges that women face in this country.

There are horrific stories of how some male bosses solicit for sex before they offer any lady a job. These cases are swept under the rag most of the time and in this modern day many of these men try as much as possible to keep their hands clean.

Somehow there is always this man ready to pounce on these women and mostly those who are vulnerable. I happen to have a special “brother” whose mother is deaf and dumb but someone had the courage to rape her. She clearly cannot afford to take care of such a child and by the time he was brought home, he was close to death. His rib bones were visible, he had sunken cheeks and could hardly eat. She was a rape victim but she had no voice and the man is somewhere lavishing. With no shame and he is probably ready to pounce on any other woman.

We celebrate the women in legislation, media and in influential positions but there is still work to do as day in day out rape cases are still on the rise in some areas. Empowering women alone cannot solve the problem but through collective action. Cases of human trafficking of women to Dubai and Malaysia to go and work in brothels have been read but have not been taken seriously on our newspaper front pages. Who are these traffickers? What sort of punishment do they deserve? Are they part of huge trafficking ring? These are questions that need to be answered.

blogs.worldbank.org

Rape, defilement, sexual harassment, under-age prostitution and domestic violence, still exist in society and this is the probably the best time to expose them. Its fight that needs to move forward and play the role in making sure women and girls find comfort in the world they live in. It may not be easy, but what have you as person done so far?

The government still has work to do but so do we. What have you done to make the world/ your country a better place for women/girls to live in?

As the achievements are being celebrated we've got to remember there is still a long way way to go for most of the women. Things like domestic violence, rape, defilement and sex slavery still exist. 

The tomato, not yet ripe

I am not a regular cook but there are things that are obvious when it comes to cooking. Cooking is not a “men’s” thing people tend to argue but the best chefs in Uganda are actually men. In my little unknown kitchen I try out two tomato soups. Strictly tomatoes not the packed tomato soup powder in sachets. I have a garden in the backyard of my simple house and I grow a good number of tomatoes.

In the first soup, I sliced green tomatoes that were hardly ripe into small pieces and dropped in hot cooking oil. This was after I had dropped the onions in the same cooking oil. The tomatoes took so long to get ready because of their hardness. But I waited. Within 15 minutes, the tomato soup was ready. I put the soup in the bowl and took it to my wife to taste and tell me how I’d done. She tasted and immediately spit out the soup.

“Yaaaaaak” she said out loud. She was as if spitting fire.

 “What a waste,” she added. “Why did you use unripe tomatoes?” she furiously asked me. (She is the one who actually looks after the garden)

So I apologised, took the soup and sent it down the garbage bin. I had wasted such a good number of tomatoes and now they have become useless.

So I tried out the second tomato with ripe tomatoes. Sliced them into small pieces and used exactly the same process like the previous soup.  Then I walked to my wife and gave her the soup. She tasted, smiled and said “this is some good soup hun.”

“You’re a good cook my darling,” she said as she hugged and gently kissed my forehead.

The trick this time is because I had used ripe tomatoes. Much better tomatoes. I wanted to try out the third tomato soup but this time I could hardly touch these tomatoes. They had ripened and gone bad. The stench they had is one I couldn’t stand.

The unripe tomato is representative of that person who is just not ready to support a cause. Once they are put out there, they are immediately bundled into huge vehicles and taken away. Quashed to no return just like the same soup was sent down the garbage bin.

The ripe tomato is that which represents people who are ready for a cause. Ready to die to defend what they believe in. They can fight the fight. They cannot easily be shoved away because  they know what they believe in.

Ugandan’s at this stage are like that unripe tomato. They are not ready for the cause. But just like the tomatoes in my garden, ripening is a process and surely Ugandan's will also get to that point. Tomatoes also tend to ripen faster when placed under some conditions. The same way with Ugandan's being kept in a particular situation and they could be triggered by this situation and react.

Little Imaginary country

Littered streets, drunken men staggering out of a roadside bar and glide into their fuel guzzling SUV’s parked under a rugged roof. They drive on the garbage filled roads, oozing sewerage from septic tanks with the streets majorly deserted being patrolled by rats. Street lights have become home to the owls. The men drive to their homes. Homes far away from the sewer filled city.

Their wives wait at home. The food gets cold. As they wait, their heads become too heavy and they sleep in the couch. She cannot go out. A prisoner in her own house as she can’t leave since beggars wait on the outside. They need food. Food she has but cannot offer.

The husband is speeding knocking lampposts and garbage bins. He approaches his 16feet gate but the beggars are as many as the Vultures that surround a carcass. He cannot stop, he drives through with the protection of the community protection unit. They shove the people out of the way until he gets into his 1000 acre estate.

The drunken men all own huge estates part of which are sitting on land where the begging people were shoved, pushed and at times killed. All they do is to wait for food to be thrown over the hedge from rich man’s home. This how they wait as no-one seems to care. Their children wail, they have no food and those that have gone to school but can hardly read nursery rhyme. They have been denied the education and barely receive the healthcare they deserve.

The commander of the Vampires that are used crack down on the resistance 

Blood sucking Vampires  have been deployed to suck the blood out of anyone who seeks to challenge the drunken men. Blood would be sucked out of them and they'd be left harmless and restless. They would soon become the enemies of the people.

Every five years, the rich men seize to be animalistic, they return to being human. They begin to care about these people. They are offered free food, free clothing and are promised the same things every five years. They accept all these but at a price. The rich man wants to be in control again. To control the vast resources. The rich man says he will make the life of these people better but because of their beggar status all they care about is now. They now begin singing praises for the man. And for the next five years their status will change by less than a percentage point.

The beggars also rely on those who have been fortunate to have better lives. But they are also under the a spell. The spell of fear, the spell of being comfortable with what they have. They are like the rich men but the difference is that they are not in control yet they can be of influence. Some wine and dine with the rich men. They have been put under a spell.

This is my little imaginary country...

Black "not" Swann

Another night, another day
Body rolls around the bed
Twists left and right and left and right.
Face looks side ways and upwards.
The clock keeps ticking, the dogs constantly patrol the red tainted night.
The roof shudders only in the little boys thoughts.
The room is too loud as the world is asleep.
mosquitoes buzz around the bed. He covers his face.
But not for long. He feels he has been suffocated.
Blanket close to the nose that leads abrupt halt to his breathe. His thoughts and his fears.
Then the pictures appear. Slideshow format. He can't control them. One by one they appear. He can't stop them. Then tears slide out of the deeply embedded glands. The tears are red. Red like the colour of the earth. Red and unsolicited.
He can't see the tears. One of the Images made the boy shed red tears.

A little girl alone by the ocean, with fine winds blowing over the ocean forming currents that constantly slapped the sandy beach.
There she stood. Alone. Bleeding. She had bruises all over her body. Someone had done this. In the picture she is pointing a finger at him. The little boy.
' You did this to me. I trusted you. We were friends but see what you did,' the girl constantly tells the boy.
The he remembers the girls name, Natalie. Its Natalie Portman. He remembers her role in some movie but he shrugs it off. Because he knows he did something wrong. He hurt her in some way.

He weeps thick blood. Because he knows he has done something wrong. He doesn't know he is suffocating but then there is a loud bark by the dogs outside and he suddenly wakes up.
He is standing by the bedside of the girl next door.
In his hands is a red like fluid. And on the bed there she lay, helpless, motionless and peaceful.
The blood was his own.
 He had a three inch pencil in his own skin. All he said was
"Perfet, its perfect"

Post written on one of those insomnia nights. about 3am. totally not thought through.

A Brand New day for Benon. Where are the rest?

Benon Mugumbya’s latest album is a complete knockout punch to his peers who are yet to offer us quality music. Brand New Day (Alunaku Olupya) is the name of the album with 16 tracks. It is a fusion of finely tuned instruments and Benon’s rich vocal ability. It’s masterpiece of World Music for Ugandan music considering we have previously looked at Bands and people like Tshila and Maurice Kirya to give us such music. Unfortunately I do not download Ugandan for the support of the cause, so there is no way I am going to sample some of the songs. But I am sure you can find the music in the supermarket(Uchumi) or buy it online.

All the songs feature respectable instrumentalists like Kinobe, Davis, Micheal Ouma, Maloe Klaasen, David Mukalazi, Winstone Mayanja, Edwin Mugyeni, Hakim Lukwago, Allan Okilla and Kaz Kasozi. Perhaps you could be let down by Micheal Ouma’s dominance on the album as he plays the Guitor, Akogo and Tube Fiddle. He has also produced some of the songs on the album.

Benon got inspiration to take this musical journey from Ethiopia where he interacted with some Rasta Lady who made him realise that his music needed a new path. The fusion of instruments and his good vocal ability Benon is proof that one big decision can pave way for quality music that we have been denied. I am not the biggest fan of local music that is so cliché because some music is proof of total laziness by some artists and producers to be innovative to produce unique tunes. Ofcourse Benon has the "art of music" and that is why he can afford this journey.

The title track to the album is Olunaku Olupya with features Tusker Project Fame season four star Davis Ntare   and James B on the vocals. The song starts with a cock crow in the morning, and then the birds begin to also hum in the background as the drums and guitars are together synchronised. Benon then glides in singing that today is a brand new day.

This is the album cover. It was officially in stores on December 10th 2010

 “its time to rise and shine”, “Its time to start all over again”, “Don’t give up today is a new day,” are some of the lines that can be picked up from this song. The song for me explains his path from the music that he was doing to this new line.

Omwaana Lwaaki Akaaba is the Title 2 on the album is a tale of the suffering child and he is asking why is that child weeping? Navio is also featured in this track.

The humble gentleman from Swangz Avenue has an album if listen to provide some sort of inspiration and some points of thought for the industry but also provides nice tunes for that one loves musical tunes.

I have particularly fallen for track number five which is Hope. The vocals in this song are done by Benon and the ever amazing Estar Mahye.  It fuses some Luganda, Runyankole and English to provide the hope that the song provides. “Don’t loose your strength, have perseverance and don’t worry yourself with thoughts.” Are the lines of the chorus I particularly picked from the song. Be Strong is the emphasis of this one for there to be hope.

There is also Gwe Kimuuli Kyange (You are my flower) which is some sort of love ballad that can pass for a Jazz piece. He praises this girl for her beauty and that she is his flower. The song is a tale of him telling this girl to allow him to marry her because when she is happy he is happy. Benon displays he can hit the high keys in this song. He does this with so much passion and trust me this song is way better than many crappy songs people play on their weddings.

The album released sometime in December at BodaBoda where Benon played all the 16 tracks with a band was a complete knockout blow for the ones who thought there were in his league. I am sure if you were to listen to these songs, it won’t be on radio apart from BBC, Touch FM, Vision Voice and maybe on Sanyu FM.

Other songs on the album are Hope, Singa Kisoboka, Hold On, Because of you, I know, Ani Yaali Amanyi, Guno Omukwaano, Gwe Kimuli Kyange, Rise Up ft Keko, Truly Believe, Ye Osobola (stand up), Show me love, Now am shining and Mpenzi We.

60 seconds or not of fame with Mckeith

It was the one the biggest mentions on Ugandan Girl's blog. There was so much hype around it. Her 60 seconds interview mentioned my name and I got approached by all these news wires looking to interview me. I mean who would think Sanyu FM's Seanice, Capital FM's Kassuja, NTV's Rosemary and Tina (Rendezvous), UBC's Lulu, WBS's ummmmmm don't remember her name would be interested in my interview. And by the way Isha Shassey of CNN came with her colleague Collin McEdawards looking for that interview. The 10 questions for 60 seconds.

Heart thumps fast, couldn't feel my pulse as they placed all these microphones on me and make up so I could look too good.


1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
That's a good question. You know as you grow up its like evolution is working its way. Something like reality kicks in and grabs that, that you wanted to be and gives it to somebody else. At first I wanted to be a driver, then I kept on growing up and that changed to me desiring to be a doctor. Ofcourse thats where reality kicked in with Chemistry and Biology plus physics. I also had a stint at wanting to become a Geologist.

 2. What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given? 

Hmmmm. Interesting question. Something like "don't start what you cannot finish." But I doubt its the best piece of advice I have been given.

3. What’s the best piece of advice you ever gave?

I give advice to people everyday. I can't exactly remember which one was the best. But there is one that I think I offered.

"You too young to commit yourself to this non-paying job"


4. What do you most enjoy about your job?

I am yet to start working after resigning at my old work place. (Long story)

 5. Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Uhhhhh. Any beautiful  lady who can have descent conversation with me. Maybe also with Dan Brown, Simon Baker, Cote De Pablo, Micheal Whiteley, Aristotle (RIP), Thomas Hobbs (RIP), Ousmane Sembane( RIP)... The list is endless

 6. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

I have had many of those too. But the most embarrassing was ummm let me see. I kept a lady waiting for an hour and on that day I was supposed to meet her sister. No follow up question on this please.


7. Who is the most important person in your life?

All people who play a role in my life are important. I can't exactly find one who is more important because everyone in my life plays a different role.


8. What’s your worst regret in life?

I wish I could tell you that I can only answer that off-the-record but I cant. But here is what I think. For everything that happens in my life I get to understand the world around me better.


9. Who is your role model?

Professional - Richard Quest. I have many Role models.


10. If you could be one person for a day, who would that be?

Rupert Murdoch.

 Anyone who reads this blog has been tagged to this post and can do the 60seconds. Unfortunately this is more than 60 seconds for me....

My country, My pain

It’s quite painful to watch a scene in a movie and if directly juxtaposed to the situation in my country it’s all the same. Blood sucking vampires in the movies feed on human blood of course there are those that seem to have an antidote that prevents them from feeding on human blood.

My country has played some of the games Lehman Brothers or even Enron used to take investors money and give themselves huge bonuses. They made huge financial losses but this never reflected in their balanced sheets. Has my country’s government taken the citizens and gambled on the tax payers’ money also? Just recently a supplementary budget was passed with ease (approx Ushs605b). Extra money for the government to spend to on I don’t know what since I am not employed by the government. Of course there is the economic question of our time that the more the government spends, the more the money that trickles down to the people. This places more money to the people and means they can spend it. The more the people spend, the greater the taxes the government will get through Value Added Tax.

This sporadic spending however will however less likely trickle down to the people who need it the most. It has taken the Ministry of Health over two weeks to bring a Yellow Fever Vaccine. Really!!! And a press conference is called to announce the arrival of the vaccine.

But why? Isn’t there like preparation for breakouts of such “common diseases.” So then how come some ministries are able to return money to the treasury like the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). How come the Office of the President always gets money from the supplementary budget? This time they got Ushs547b. What is it that they spend on?

The traditional leaders bill that has made the headlines on our local tv channels and the front pages of our newspapers is not going to improve service delivery despite it being passed or not. Should this be the focus of the country?

Questioning government on issues of service delivery has become increasingly tasking and it has begun to sip into society. Do the people put the government to task to deliver basic social services? If they did they we would probably have different MP’s in our parliament. It has become like a cycle. I know there are people out there who tend to distance themselves of issues and as long as they live their lives that’s it. This is not a bad thing but atleast feel some pain for the country.

Think critically of something other than yourself. Take concern of what happens in the society and try to say something (Taking note that we have different ways of showing concern). The Church, the businesses, the leaders and the young seem to be tuned into a mode of being self centred. It’s painful to watch a society gliding into different extremes yet something can be done.

It may also be too painful that some people realised that no matter what they do, a government will always turn a deaf ear. So what does that pain do? I grab a fiction novel, pluck earphones into my ears and scroll down my ipod and listen to the latest music, check my Facebook and Twitter account all in the name of wanting to be me. Like the whirlwind rises dust, my pain does the same. The pain of being a Ugandan at this time.

The wailing letter 2010 wrote

Dearest Mckeith  and your readers,

I trust you are well. I watched you people kick me out on the 31st of December and trust me it was very heartbreaking to watch.  Before I left, I decided to write you something small. It’s straight from my heart.
I am locked up in a prison with no walls. Just a tiny window. My ungrateful acts led me there. Now am struggling. To deal with my problem. To deal with my issues.

When I close my eyes, it’s you I see. Wishing I could turn the clock back. Turn it to the time before. For if I Hadnt then I would not be living with that guilt within. That night has become a nightmare. I have not been myself since. I have lost you. I have that part of me that I offered you.

You have taken it away. In my heart I regret. A part of me also thinks u knew what was going to happen. You knew I would want to do it. But somehow to deal with this I think you needed to blame someone. You needed to hate me. You needed to find a way of staying away.  That is what you decided to put in your head. I accept, coz u probably want this over.

I feel like I have become something else. You are scared of me. Scared of what I could do to you. I didn’t think it would ever get to that. I have lost my emotion. I feel drained. At whatever cost you are trying to erase me. I am too but it is proving to be tasking. I love and I miss u but there is nothing to do about it. I feel like needing a rest. A rest without drama.

I am jealous of 2011 but what can I do. All I want is for you to be happy. Gladly greet all your readers and tell them I wish them the best 2011. I can’t believe I am crying but I need to go.

Yours Truly 2010

P.S. I enjoyed the good times that we had though. I cannot recall many of those times because we barely had any.

Note from the skies

From the clouds I can see shinny little rooftops (Atleast that’s what I see). Staring through a window the size of Kobe Bryants shoe I also see a tail wing (I stand to be corrected on this). From this level am thinking it’s the future. The future of which if re-incarnation is to be believed I will have to take part.

From the skies there is so much comfort. Ofcourse it’s pretty scaring when there is turbulence. I would predict in the future we would refer to those as speed bumps. Yes am serious. Our cities are so crowded, the traffic and sea of ever changing human nature. Up in the clouds, I feel like settling on one of those clouds, holding a note book and scribbling down the chapters of my book. I slowly take my mind off things and human nature that tends to evolve. My brilliant little mind spins into action.

View of clouds along the Rift Valley. I wanted to sit on one of them.

The skies a littered with round shaped clouds and on each I see human beings wanting to stay away from the dirty, filthy, noisy and rusty cities. There is silence in the clouds. Time to think and time to read.
Then very soon in the future, families start moving to the skies. The rich can afford constructing in the skies. There are estates beginning to litter the skylines it starts getting choking for those who were silently trying to read.

The rich own private jets that take them to earth where they have their offices. The skies are littered with airlines now and they need to be regulated because there is so much traffic since the rich and powerful have taken to the skies. The peace that I had picked from the skies has now been taken away again. Now worry comes back, thoughts make a return and deceptiveness takes centre. I am now off to find a new peaceful place where I am not suffocated by a none-reading generation.

It’s time for that big decision. Taking on a new challenge, a new job and this is because where there was no happiness. And Until I find it, the sky will not be the limit because my dream is further than that.


Now Playing

Home - Goo Goo Dols
The Catalyst - Linkin park

aargh!! No Freshlyground

The freshlyground tour of East Africa was put off late yesterday as people in Dar-es-Salaam prepared for the show and I hate to say this. Its off.
Local organisers say its still on but a chit chat on their website says that tour is completely off.
For reasons beyond their control. Yah Beyond my control too now I have to re-plan my weekend.

They also tweeted this BAD NEWS FOR OUR EAST AFRICAN FANS: Our concerts in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya (8, 10, 11 Dec) have been cancelled... 

Now am out of here. They are saying maybe next year. Is there an album launch somewhere this weekend?
Even Phat fest is on Friday. But Why? 


I still have my playlist with some do-be-do..... :) 

Freshlyground for Uganda concert

Yet another live concert in Uganda and this time it is one of my favourite African band, Freshlyground. Another African act from the South African band, Freshlyground. They will be performing on the Ugandan stage on 11th December 2010. The show comes just a week after the American Jazz saxophonist Bobby Ricketts performed in Uganda. Earlier the same organisers Bohemia Concerts brought West African music sensation Salif Keita to the Ugandan stage too.

Freshlyground has seven band members that are from around South Africa, Mozambique and Mozambique and are usually referred to as an afro-fusion band. My favourite album is Nomvula for mostly the songs: Do-be-do, buttercup and I am the man. Do-be-do is one song I keep singing along while stuck in traffic or in order to feel good. Once you listen to it, please let me know what you think.

They have worked under the Sony BMG Records which shows how good they can get but most of all is their performances with the now deceased Miriam Makeba. They have also worked with the “todi” song sensation Oliver Mutukdzi plus the famous Femi Kuti. Now for a band that started in the early 2000’s this surely shows how good they are.

Ma’cheri their 2007 album is also quite interesting with my favourite Arms of Steel, Baby Tonight, Pink Confetti and Fired Up. In 2010 they also released another album called Radio Africa and ofcourse not forgetting their very first album Jika Jika. They have done various tours around the world and coming to Uganda lets hope the show will be worth it.

The challenges have be limited (or no) publicity these Bohemia concerts have had over the months, the lighting for the concerts has also been a little poor and finally my hope is that the show doesn’t get postponed like the Bobby Rickets show.

“We chose this band because that is what the East African community want according to the research we did. We have opinion formers who we send questionnaires when determine who next to bring and 65% of them said they wanted to some of the songs off world cup records and Freshly Ground with their Waka Waka were on top of the request,” said Desire Julia K Barugahare from Full Circle the local organisers told me this week.

She also added that for the festive season, let East Africa region should be merry and end the year in good merry mood.

“It is going to be one of those shows that they will remember for life and a good cap on 2010,” Julia added.

Freshlyground will be performing alongside “Deodato Siquir from Mozambique” and tickets will be sold for Ushs 80,000 in advance, 100,000 at the gate, 150,000 VIP from Uchumi Supermarket (Garden City), Quality Supermarket (Ntinda), Victoria Supermarket (Bugolobi)Cafe Javas, Good African Coffee (Lugogo). So be at Theatre Labonita on 11th December for this concert that I am optimistic will be fantastic.

Scribe in Transition.

Take two. This blogger has been inactive for while. Not because he has a writer’s block but because the paintbrush cannot work on the keyboard. Take another two. Grab a napkin and simply wipe that face of the sweat brought about by the smoldering sunlight. Someone once told me that a bold head can be as a result of the scorching sun. True or not true. The latter is what you should believe. Does this whole paragraph make sense? Take two.

So, this scribe is taking a break from this whole journalism thing. The one and a half years he has spent in this field well, his bank account is in the red. Yes. In business, if you are in Black then it’s good but in the red it means the business is struggling and probably has debts or its value has dropped. (You will need to write that down)

 It’s a tough decision but at times some decisions have to be made. Life is about choices (Its also a cliché by the way) and staying alive in this world is also required. Spending long days, nights and energy patching up that story so that East Africa gets to know the opportunities within the region.
This scribe is now in transition for now. He needs to survive. His social life went to the dogs, he worked too much and all for tiny piny peanuts that always came two months late. Life has to go on. The last few months have become very intense and a decision had to be reached. Take two.

Yes. He quit his job. He is now working a volunteer writer for the same newspaper atleast until the end of the year. For that he knows that he is doing because he has passion for what he is doing and what he loves. But does this put food on the table. No. Christmas is a few weeks away and he cannot even do shopping for anyone in the family. A slave to his job has deprived him of that which he deserves. So he will be leaving. Taking that break will probably present better opportunities that the job had deprived him of.

The theory (it cannot be found in any book) is that this dude believes he is worth more than what he has been offered and when one says media managers may be responsible for the current trend Journalists turnover, it is so true. It may look like pride, but this dude believes that he is way too young to suffer yet there are opportunities around him that are willing to recognise him for what he is worth.

"Take Me Out" by Atomic Tom LIVE on NYC subway

 They lost their instruments!!!!!!!! But then they used the Iphone Instruments to play this song.... :)

Away but BRB

I will be back to blogger and Twitter on Monday 4th October. I have been and still away on Holiday somewhere..... Hill Climbing, bird watching, reading, thinking............by this waterfall....

Oh Baz amma be reading the whole new domainwhatevername you may call it but the Awesomeness is yet to hit me. Bookmarked it like Tumwi did. And Tumwi, am still trying to ingest Blacula so am staying closely away from your latest post............. Hey els, you know I cant wait to be back. (I have your sandwich in exchange for some pictures) . World Peace forever..... :). Then there I was reading Observer on a lazy Tuesday evening and I saw himself The Rogue King........with Nigel 5..... Dude kudos kudos......  Brother Nev......I was there too..... Did you see the pixels by DT? Then there I was. I  was reading Sunday Vision on Tuesday....(weird huh) and then I saw, her self...... Darlyne with a byline on the Bayimba International Festival of the Arts and then am like huh......ok.... so warrup.....and then I read..... (No mention of Rachael K). or and then some dude called Harry II something something something, thinks the Uneven were not worth or worthy of an arts performance.... Or well they do..... FYI Bayimba is an international thingy...... Yah, no time for ranting....
Ouch, Rachael has been getting all the negative publicity but the question is can she really sing? I think she tries....atleast way better than Mya of BLU-3 its now BLU-1. So I asked Lady Sinister whether Rachael K can sing.......and all she could say was............. "I'd rather hold a used Napkin or Pamper than listen to........."
Truth be told (cliche) I did not ask her, but considering the intro to her latest post, then I made my own little conclusion.............. The Stories of Things Yah am also excited about African Writers but am worried about African Readers and a generation that is totally not reading.....(true story).
Enough for now. Need to get back to this 1500 piece puzzle........so please stop distracting me.....

Playlist.
Back to Black - Amy (who) Winehouse.....

Miss Not

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