When the music stopped, DJ Momo spinned his last

Loved by many, it was surprising that he even addressed “haters” in one of his last Facebook posts. Unlike many in limelight, he did not let fame get to his head. Such was DJ Momo, calm and unassuming up when he breathed his last.

It was shocking news for an afternoon and you could tell from the outpouring of grief that followed the announcement of the death of popular DJ Momo, (real name: Moses Nsereko), who had been ill with intestinal complications.

On that Friday afternoon, when revellers were gearing up for an evening of fun, the news came through that Momo was not going to play at Guvnor, Ange Noir’s premium section. And he had not resigned but the Lord had called him.

Soon, social media was awash with messages of his death. DJ Rachael Kungu posted on her Facebook wall, “Breaking news: I’m in shock right now I have just lost my brother in law DJ Momo who has passed away in India. I can’t believe now we have to apply the words R.I.P. to him as well now... noooo... God comfort my sister Hazel and give her strength to go through this.”

Hours of pain
By press time, a post-mortem report was not ready but a close friend, Kenneth Kayiwa alias DJ Apeman said, Momo suffered from gallstones. He was initially treated in Kampala but had been flown to India to undergo a surgery. It was while he was there that he passed on.
But before he passed on, every other day meant hours of pain. And he suffered just to stay alive, so his friends took the cause to social networks to fundraise the money that he needed to travel to India for the surgery. Now he is gone, family, friends and fans are left with are memories of this calm disc jockey.

Many friends
It was easy to befriend Momo, all you had to do was to join a conversation where he was. Before long, he would find something cheeky to say about you. In that way, he made many friends. At any one time you were sure to find two or more people chatting with him in the nightclubs or bars.

During one of those nights, on March 21, Fashion Meets Music at Club Rouge, DJ Momo showed no signs of pain but only flashed an occasional smile as the Master of Ceremony, Kats (Edwin Katumba) threw the praises at him. He took praise like this so casually and he found no reason to “grow airs”.

Skills
At the time of his death, he was deejaying at Ange Noir but he also showcased his enviable music-mixing skills at Club Rouge and Mateos. He leaves behind two children and a wife, who was by his bedtime when he breathed his last. His childhood friend, Richard Kayemba, also known as DJ Rickie recalls a playful Momo with whom he attended Molly and Paul Primary School in Makindye.

Loved to rap
“When we became teenagers, he started rapping,” Rickie recalls. He recounts Momo becoming a big fan of American rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG, whose lyrics he learnt by heart and performed for his peers.

This was partly the reason he went on to join hands with fellow rap fans in the early 2000s to form Bataka Underground. It was a group of upcoming hip hop and rap artistes that also included Alex Kirya alias Sabasaba and Silas Babaluku, among others.

Guitarist Myko Ouma recalls hearing the sad news, “I arose this morning to the sad news of a big loss to the Ugandan music industry. Deejay Momo is now a fallen hero. You’ll be missed dearly,” he posted on his Facebook wall. Jazz performer and Ange Noir’s publicist, Tshaka Mayanja, said he never knew Momo as a rapper, let alone a DJ.

Weird humour
“The first (time) we met was in 2004. In fact, he’s saved as ‘Website Momo’ in my phone, to this day! He designed the first BlackRoots Unlimited website. What a weird sense of humour he had.

He had jokes about everything. Here’s one: ‘Ugandans will never give props to anyone. If you bought a Gulf Stream jet, they’d still say, waa, naye Boeing ejisinga obunene (the Boeing is bigger)’. That was Momo for ya,” he recalls of the entertainer many will remember for his lighter side.

“If he was not quiet, he was cracking a joke,” MC Kats remembers. When I call up another friend, DJ Shai, for a comment, he answered with a question: “When someone like Momo passes on you hardly have what to say. Where do I start?” There is so much to the man that fit this page but one thing is true, Moses Nsereko, alias DJ Momo, will be missed by many.