2016 memorable moments in arts
The Queen of Katwe cast pose for a picture at the movie premiere in October. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi
National Theatre hanging in balance
One of the issues that got artistes speaking in strong words is the reported sale of Uganda National Cultural Centre, or the National Theatre, in which they put the theatre’s director, Francis Ojede, on the spot.
This was after he launched a grand plan in which he divulged plans to put a new face and expansion of the 57-year-old arts facility.
The new plan is to have a 20-storey building erected in the theatre’s parking space. Also, Ojede, disclosed that the new plans included putting up new three theatres that will house some 6, 000 patrons.
The artistes, led by veteran artiste Phillip Luswata, contend that they were never consulted as stakeholders, or artistes at that and thereon. There is talk that during the establishment of National Theatre artistes had contributed £20, 000 (about Shs88 million).
Queen of Katwe, the missed opportunities
Queen of Katwe was this year’s biggest movie to have been premiered on the international stage, telling the Ugandan story from one of its backwaters, Katwe.
The movie tells the story of a young girl, Phiona Mutesi whose struggles alongside her family could be over thanks to her extraordinary ability at playing chess.
It stars Nigeria’s David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, and Madina Nalwanga. While it got a lot of hype, we could have done better at exploiting the limelight that exposed Uganda to the world, right from the shooting which Uganda lost to South Africa that made Uganda more expensive as ‘a set’. Uganda’s enviable sceneries, landscapes thus were not exposed.
Bayimba International Festival of the arts
Music here is one of the best offerings you can have but the Bayimba Festival of the International Arts is a lot more than stage performances.
Established artistes have recently started showcasing their talent on the same stage as gifted ones, who do not enjoy as much publicity but are genuinely talented.
This year’s edition saw Jemimah Sanyu take the audience on a frenzy expedition as she ably married dance, vocal abilities and a good connection with the crowd who asked for more as she took a bow.
Surprisingly, she was called in at last moment when one of the West African artistes failed to make it.
Ekyooto Uganda and the Ngoma drum sessions at the festival recapped a traditional setting within which Baganda socialised as they enjoyed local brew.
With the ring of papyrus reeds, some patrons enjoyed local brew such as mwenge bigere and Ntonto from local pots with traditional straws, others played games like omweso.
Around Ekyooto, which is a local fire place, patrons interacted while drummers and dancers showcased a variety of Buganda dances.
Bayimba will also be credited for bringing international artiste Geoffery Oryema to a Ugandan stage 40 years after he fled to exile.
Kampala Art Biennale gives continental artistes a platform
The second edition of the Kampala Art Biennale was titled ‘Seven Hills’. It was conceived by Cameroonian born, French-based Elise Atangana. The biennale exhibits contemporary art from Africa with the goal to display, educate and create debate about the value of art in society.
It takes a full month and this time round, the theme was woven around Kampala and its traditional seven hills, edging on the ‘City of Seven Hills’ which refers to Rome.
Like international cities, the artistic observations were in its modes of transportation and communication. The works depicted for instance the matatus, boda bodas, uber and changes in daily habits of the local population.
Nyege Nyege festival brings dull Jinja to life
Jinja got reason to get its groove on thanks to the Nyege Nyege International Music Festival which offered revellers an out-of-town fest to hoop to musical tunes as they held and sipped on beer, mixed and mingled.
The second edition of the fest honoured South African-Mozambican trio Batuk, Jesse Hackett from the Owiny Singoma Band and the North African electronic music collective Arabstazy which received a thunderous reception, igniting revellers to dance but also smokers into culture, clouding the space with intoxicating smoke.
Nyege Nyege gives the idea of the urge or free will to dance to music’s pulse with a multiplicity of music genres sounding through the nights and days of the festival in Uganda adventure capital -Jinja.
Femrite makes 20
The Uganda Women Writers Association popularly known as Femrite celebrated 20 years this year with various activities, including an international conference themed Rethinking African Literature for stakeholders in the literature industry such as writers, scholars, literary critics.
The organisation has been at the forefront of ensuring that Ugandan women writers get their space in both Ugandan and African literature.
Their impact on the community, however, reaches past book publishing. FEMRITE has birthed other initiatives such as the Uganda Writer’s Caravan and the “Giving Back to the Community” Campaign.
