Friday, 9 May 2025
Tag: Hip-hop

Dream House Mbale

Bayimba – Mbale

The reduced numbers at the 2014 Eastern Regional drew a lot of comparison with previous festivals. This contrast could be made between last year’s performers and those of 2014, yet their disparity is not based on regional descent; rather, on popularity.

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Repackaging Gospel for the Mainstream

Indeed it seems that the music scene in Uganda is strangled by poor imitations of Dancehall and Reggae. But if we understand the history, the challenges and most importantly the gospel, there emerges soul-filled clarity.

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Saint Nelly Sade. Photo by courtesy of the artist.

St. Nelly-sade: Luga-flo lyricist, emcee, poet and thinker

“When I listen to the latest album of St. Nelly-sade, I can’t stop but muse that, by and by, future hip-hop critiques, collectors, practitioners, etc will reflect upon his music as a one of a kind archetype, and use it to school and inspire the coming hip-hop generations in Uganda.” Lutakome ‘Felix’ Fidelis has met the Ugandan underground rapper.

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Cyno MC. Photo by Serubiri Moses.

A Ugandan MC’s intimate keyboard hip-hop

Does hip-hop belong to Africa? And how has American rap music itself embraced Africa in its lyrics and metaphors? Serubiri Moses reflects on these questions, while at the same time tells the gripping story about Ugandan rapper Cyno MC’s, about his life-threatening heart surgery and how hip-hop helped him through it.

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Breaking Free at National Thetare, January 2012. Photo by Thomas Bjørnskau.

Breaking Free, a fusion of life

Urban dance can comfortably be twinned with contemporary dance. Any number of styles will combine to bring out an important message as was exhibited in the Breaking Free production on a cool Kampala evening on January 14. “Hip hop and dance potentially hold the key to the next stage in the development of the arts in Uganda. More productions in the mold of Breaking Free will be needed. And the public will have to be nudged in the right direction by experts in the area.” Steven Tendo reviews for Startjournal.org.

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B-boy .. and B-boy Abdul at the Raw Expression-event at Open House, September 30th 2011.

Where’s the real voice of Ugandan hip-hop?

Hooded teenagers in trainer sneakers stormed the “Raw Expression Party” organised by the Breakdance Project Uganda. Despite the success of the Raw Experience Party, the Breakdance Project Uganda should try to localize its content. The teenagers do not necessarily have to dress hip, talk slang and rhyme like the hip-hop celebrities in the U.S to garner attention and respect from other youth.

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