Cattle rustler turns to music

After four years of living in the bush, rustling cattle and laying ambushes, Michael Angaun, a 23-year-old Karimojong popularly known as Original Lopeta has embarked on a carrer of music.

Three years ago, Lopeta, a resident of Kangole in Napak district, was among the hardcore cattle rustlers whom the army wanted, for killing a number of soldiers. He fled to Kenya only to return to his village one and a half years later.

On his return, he realised his gun was denying him freedom and decided to give it up to the LC1 chairman who took it to the army.

While he was now free of that burden, Lopeta now had to find something else that would earn him a living. He tried brick laying which did not work out for him because he was not accustomed to that kind of life.

Who could have known Lopeta could sit around the same drinking pot with the very army officers who tried to hunt him down for three good years? No one. But that happened after Lopeta started crafting lyrics that were catch and educative. Lopeta decided music was one way to earn some money and his first album No need to raid attracted many people, mostly the army personnel who are now using his music to encourage the rest of the warriors to surrender their guns.

“I am so pleased because I’m now a free man everywhere I go. Sometimes when I find the army car on the road, they don’t let me walk. They give me a ride. And yet before that, I was the greatest opponent of the army,”Lopeta said.

Lopeta who only has a mother said the reason he was involved in raiding was because he wanted to get 200 cows so as to earn admiration from the elders and other youth although he confesses that he could not have managed that.

“What I am receiving now through my music on every occasion when I’m called to sing either from the district or during the ‘go back to school’ campaigns is enough for me to sustain my living not like those days when I was still in bush,” he said.
From the time he started his music in 2007, Lopeta has managed to purchase a plot in Kangole trading centre. He adds that, through his music he has also helped in the disarmament programme by encouraging 20 other warriors to surrender their guns.

Mr Lopeta adds that his two albums have got him many fans including the development partners and the army who are using him to mobilise people whenever there is a function taking place.

“I got about Shs2m for the two albums that I sold and that money I used for purchasing my plot. I know that soon, I will start building my house using the money that I will get through my music,” he said.

He is now looking around for the cheapest music school in order to improve on his talent because he is not educated.
“This broken English I am speaking, I learnt from some of my colleagues who are musicians through chatting whenever I met them but I didn’t go to school,” he said.

His music has taken him to many places like Sudan, Turkana, Soroti and other districts in the country where he has been called to perform.

“I don’t stay for three days at home without receiving an invitation to go and perform,” he said.