Equipping youth with hip-hop skills
A participant performs during the camp. PHOTO BY Arafat Ndugga
Sixteen youthful rappers previously camping at Comboni Samaritan Palm Gardens in Gulu Town have concluded their two-week training organised by Bayimba Foundation in partnership with The Royal Danish Embassy in Kampala and Centre for Culture and Development.
The participants were selected from Kampala, Moroto, Lira, Arua, Soroti, Kitgum, Fort Portal, Jinja, Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara.
Selection criterion
They were selected basing on their rap flow, delivery, lyrical content, stage presence, creativity and for girls; there was an exception - good vocals. Those who participated last year were not allowed to engage in this year’s edition.
The aim of the hip-hop boot camp was to give intensive training to Ugandan youth by teaching them different aspects of hip-hop such as rapping, music production and song writing.
The camp involved lectures, rap cyphers, audio recordings and a 10-truck album has been recorded by the participants.
While in the camp, it was a daily routine for the rappers to leave their dormitories by 6pm and go for morning drills to make their bodies fresh. They would then attend classes for the whole day. These were facilitated by Sylvester Kabombo a rapper and hip-hop coordinator at Bayimba foundation, Lady Slyke, a rap-anchor at Newz Beat on NTV, Qrea-us a rap tutor and Godfrey Mugera, a fitness tutor.
