Listen... A Pass is a GOAT. Periodt!
A Pass had a mostly one-man show, with only Lilian and Likkle Bangi featuring for their collabos
What you need to know:
- If Instagram stories, status updates and X mentions are anything to go by, then many people will not be forgetting January 31, 2025 for a while. The day singer A Pass reintroduced himself with a concert.
In 2020, Uganda was under lockdown and a few artistes were selected to entertain audiences at home during the Club Beatz At Home concert. Among those artistes was Alex Bagonza, who made headlines when he came on stage with a goat.
He wanted to put a point across. See, for long, Bagonza, known to many as A Pass, has regarded himself as a musical G.O.A.T, which simply means The Greatest Of All Time but the more he said it, the more naysayers criticised him for blowing his own trumpet. But beyond words, A Pass believes in himself and last Friday evening during his debut concert at Kampala Serena Hotel, he proved to thousands in attendance that he is indeed everything he says he is.
After more than 10 years in the industry, this is a concert many had been waiting for, no wonder Victoria hall was filled to capacity. The upper part of Victoria Hall has for long been out of limits to revellers but management was forced to open its doors to accommodate the overwhelming numbers.
The show that was sponsored by I&M Bank kicked off at a few minutes past 9pm after an opening from singing trio Warifiki. When done, the lights went out as a group of dancers emerged on stage dancing to Midnight Drum, a song many had long forgotten. This caused an uproar in the crowd who had been waiting for a few hours, seated without much action. Shortly, A Pass walked to the front of the stage, all covered up.
It was at this point that a LED screen cage that also acted as the live feed screens for the entire show descended on him. The transparent screens formed a cage where A Pass made his grand entry before fire graphics appeared on the cage and on the largest transparent LED screen ever seen at any concert in Uganda by Fenon Events. Some 240 intelligent lights provided a high tech look to the concert and this piece of display along with other set pieces was a marvel of technology that sent the crowd in excitement.
A Pass’ crowd was energetic, supportive and encouraging. They almost knew every song of his, sometimes out-singing him. You could tell the room was filled with actual fans.
A Pass had three sets. In the first he did seven songs; Tuli Kubigere, Sida Mukyalo, Oruso, Eh, Bagonza, Gamululu and Memories with Lilian Mbabazi. In the second set, he did nine songs; What People Do, Nkwagala, True Story, Like A Uber, Am Loving, Tulo, Abantu, Olumba and My Lover with Likkle Bangi. In the third set, A Pass did eight songs including Addicted, Give Me A Kiss, Wuuyo, Mummy, Chupa Ku Chupa, Turn Up Da Vibe, ending the show with Didadada. He was engaging and like a poet, introduced each song with a teaser to the audience to guess which song he was performing next.
His selection was a mixture of songs from all his four albums as well as singles but most importantly, this selection proved that he is a versatile artiste who is comfortable doing dancehall, reggae, RnB, among other genres.
A Pass had earlier emphasised that the difference with his concert would be the quality in sound and true to his word, the sound was perfection, thanks to his sound engineer, Kaboo, who came in all the way from Switzerland.
Just like his stage curation, A Pass’ fashion was also on point as he changed outfits five times, each reflecting a fusion of Asian-inspired, modern, and runway fashion. Every costume was bold, stylish, and uniquely A Pass, thanks to his designer Alecool.
DJ Roja’s 10 minutes of fame came during A Pass’ second set break, where he mixed in a heartfelt tribute to Uganda’s music legend, Mozey Radio, who died on February 1. DJ Roja, along with the show's hosts, took the audience on a musical journey through some of Radio’s biggest hits, sparking an unforgettable wave of energy as the crowd sang along and danced to every beat while Valentino’s angelic dance storytelling on stage added another layer of beauty to the night.
At a few minutes to midnight, A Pass called it a night, thanking his fans for turning up in large numbers. For the audience, he owed them nothing. A Pass delivered a show they will remember for days, or even years to come. For A Pass, this concert was worth the wait and definitely proof that he is not just the G.O.A.T, he is in fact a big deal. What a way to reintroduce himself!
