Mampi treats Uganda to Zambian style Valentine's

Zambian sensation Mampi of the Swililili fame gave Kampalans a Zambian style Valentine’s Day treat at Hotel Africana on Thursday. Backed by the Ugandan UB 5 Band and her accompanying team of dancers who stuck to the Zambian dance styles, the artiste managed to lift the spirits of the mammoth crowd that had been let down by many Ugandan performers.

By design or default, the show organised by KT Promotions, seemed to have been arranged in three phases. First you had the typical downtown entertainment phase where Hotel Africana was turned into a kivulu of sorts. In this phase, half of the crowd made up of mainly downtown business people who ply their trade in the arcades had a full blast Valentine’s Day, passionately singing along to the emotional lyrics of Eagles Production artistes, Irene Namatovu, Geofrey Lutaaya and Catherine Kusasira. Meanwhile, the other quarter from the VIP section, where VIP meant having a plastic chair after paying more than twice as much (Shs50,000), dozed off or seemed disinterested.

Then the second phase would qualify as the high expectations turned disappointment phase as supposedly popular artistes Bebe Cool and Bobi Wine, left the crowd more disgruntled than entertained.

Well, Iryn Namubiru may have lived to patrons’ expectations with her Mwami hit. Bebe Cool after a back stage scuffle with the organisers that almost turned bloody only performed Kamwako in a visibly disillusioned mood, interpreted by some as intended to hit his nemeis, Bobi Wine who stirred the crowd into ecstasy when he stepped on stage and danced at zero distance from Mampi. Unfortunately, that was all he did. Not even protests from the crowd, surprisingly with only a handful of couples dressed in the day’s black and red colours, could get the Ghetto president performing any of his songs.

The third phase was when the night’s main act Mampi herself took to the stage, dressed in a see through micro mini that saved the day, at least for the male revellers. Yes, rather than have the crowd doze off, the men had their version of fun, gazing at the Zambian sensation’s body even when she performed over six songs in her mother tongue that kept everybody mum and dull. She did familiar songs like Why and Walilawolera, which got the crowd warmed up, but it was only after she performed the much awaited Swililili, after explaining the meaning of the lyrics that the crowd became lively.

Many passionately sang along the artiste lyric by lyric and yelled to her to perform the song again, which did not come through as Mampi, visibly worn out, walked off the stage. Not even performances by upcoming artistes that came on after Mampi could keep the crowd around as some headed for a wrap up of the day in the busy Jinja Road hang out spots, while others headed home.

iokuda@ug.nationmedia.com