Irene Ntale still got it

Irene Ntale’s career can make a brilliant movie script.
She started out with Uganda’s first and probably only rock and roll outfit, Uneven Band. Then, they performed at festivals and exclusive events where live music was a thing - she was usually in the company of people like Jackie Akello, a gospel artiste.

Then Swangz Avenue happened, Ntale’s sound changed with the label, she became a household name but soon, the marriage with Swangz ended.
For  time, Ntale was written off that even her Sukaali EP during the lockdown did not help much.

Yet of recent, the artiste is continuing to show Ugandans that she still got it - Ntale has since the end of 2022 been making strides with major performances such as The Soul-R&B Safari at Serena Gardens, the Boyz II Men concert in Kampala last month and a series corporate performances. Besides that, her new song Essanyu Dagala has been picking up.

Last week, alongside Maestro Band, Ntale opened Skyz Exclusive, a monthly show that will highlight an artiste through performance.  With Uganda’s live music scene scattered with different cover bands, highlighting a talent is not only a source of entertainment but a chance for revellers to appreciate this music the way the composers intended it.
Taking place at Protea Skyz Naguru’s pool area, it is fair to say the night was well attended, at least all the reserved tables had been occupied by 8pm and yet, Ntale was even yet to step on stage.

But Maestro Band had many things covered thanks to their lead singer Daniel Kaweesi, a talented vocalist whose break shouldn’t be far, at least a second break. Kaweesi is a winner of a talent show but seems he’s yet to get a chance with the mainstream industry.
That means that before Ntale came out to perform, he did a number of covers and later was backing her.

Dressed in a pink jumpsuit, Ntale came to the stage at 9pm with her shinny guitar. She’s an artiste that has had a fair share of both good and bad press that at the time of this performance, even with associations and federations dominating headlines, it is surprising she doesn’t seem to have a side - at least for now. She’s one of those that have chosen to do what they are good at, music.
But beyond everything overshadowing the industry at the moment, this was the first time in a very long time that Ntale was doing an almost complete set, and with an audience that had warmed up to her powers.

Whenever artistes like Irene Ntale perform, their shows leave more questions than answers, the prominent one is why the Ugandan mainstream audience warms up to everything but artistes that can actually sing, stay on key or even play an instrument.
It is a question that was asked more times during the show, first when Kaweesi of The Maestros was singing and later when Ntale took to the stage.
Her catalogue over the years has largely not changed, it’s only a few songs she will slide in but most of the time she stays true to the songs she released between 2013 and 2019.
For instance, during her run at Skyz, she did not sing a song from the past two years and neither any from the Sukaali EP.

But there were people’s favorites in her choice of songs, while others simply reminded people of certain times. 
With the help of Kaweesi, they did her collaboration with Bebe Cool, Love Letter, one of the songs that launched her into the limelight.
“It sounds good,” one of the patrons commented before adding that it however sounds special when Bebe sings it.

However, even when Ntale was doing a great job, the night was almost set up as a dinner, this ment many of her guests were seated and as it has always been, getting Ugandans off seats is a hard job.
Ntale pleaded with them and it was almost impossible.
It was however her last songs such as Gyobera and Sembera, two songs that appear on her debut album, that the audience gave up their seats. But still most of them cared about streaming the events for those on social media than live the moment. 
But that’s the world we live in.