Jazz, Classical music get a firm grip

It was a beautiful night of Classical and Jazz music as the African Institute of Music (AIM) held its first ever music concert at the Kampala Serena Hotel Victoria Hall on November 17.

The event attracted a full house of both Ugandans and foreign nationals, who appreciate Classical and Jazz music together with African dance. It was also heartwarming as young people took to the stage, and displayed their skills in playing the sophisticated violin.

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The school had a lot to showcase from violins, bakisimba (a dance from Buganda) and choral singing, among others. The stage was set up complete with instruments such as flutes, violins juxtaposed with two pianos that were set at the bottom.

The night kicked off with the Jazz AIM group, which belted out tunes to the delight of a crowd that listened closely and clapped their hands in appreciation. It had Roy Kihika on the drums and Brian Mugenyi on the flute. The group played pieces such as Summertime, Blue Bossa and Just the Two of Us, among others.

There was a special presentation by Dr Kyu- Jung Rhee from Rutgers University, who was a visiting professor of AIM. Together with Maria Park Kim, they took the audience on a journey with sweet piano tunes as they hit the high notes.

The Africa Phil, another of the school’s products, performed Carnival of the Animals, a classical piece where they used instruments to talk about the different animals, like tortoises, elephants, kangaroos and swan.

The Jazz AIM team came back with Tamba as they performed Taxi Ride by S. Zamajobe, doing justice to the song with their sweet melodies. They managed to nail the song in their own tone and melody.

The wind instruments ensemble was perhaps the best act after the Jazz team. They blew sweet melodies right out of the instruments in to the ear. The wind instruments always make such smooth exquisite sounds.

The group saved the best for last as the Ngoma ya Mungu group took to the stage to perform Ugandan folk songs like Ikoneponesio and Emali, among other traditional songs.

about African Institute of Music

Establishment. The African Institute of Music was established in 2002 as a learning community. In 2011 the National Council for Higher Education approved its learning environment. The school is equipped with a variety of African, western classical, and band instruments and a qualified academic faculty.
Curriculum. This institution has managed to create its own curriculum contextualised for the 21st century of Africa with the belief that it will contribute to the world with African musicality. This includes African cultural groups, contemporary popular musicians and academic classical musicians.
Objectives. AIM’s objective is to create enlightened musicians who, while informed and appreciative of other cultures, will value their own heritage and contribute to the world with its beauty. The school also aims to raise innovative individuals by exposing them to the spirit creativity through training academic art music.
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