Culture

Uganda Grammy nominee, Eddy Kenzo, using music to pave way for deprived kids

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2023

Ugandan musician and first Grammy Awards nominee from the country, Eddy Kenzo, says he is using his music and status to pave the way for deprived kids in the East African country.

Kenzo who grew up as an orphaned and homeless kid, recounted his story on Thursday, said he used to struggle to persuade DJs to play his songs, but now, is using his success to offer hopes that even the poorest person can triumph.

Kenzo, whose real name is Edrisah Musuuza, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance, said he has only one goal which is to “broadcast his culture to the world.”

“I try to use my culture and what I know to sell to the world. I sell the language that I speak, I sell the music we do here locally and I modernize it and put out the sound that comes from where I come from and it goes global,” the Grammy nominee told entertainment reporters.

Despite growing up underprivileged, Kenzo said he pursued his dreams and made a name for himself with his hit single “Stamina”, which grew to become one of the most popular songs in Africa and dominated the airwaves for months.

And despite his meteoric rise to stardom, Kenzo says he hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings and is keen to pave the way for others like him.

Through his label Big Talent Entertainment, he now mentors Kampala’s disadvantaged youth to develop their musical talent.

Thirteen years after his big break, Kenzo is en route to take home a Grammy for “Gimme Love”, his 2022 Luganda-English song where he featured US musician Matt B.

“I love who I am, I love promoting who I am. I had to let him do what he does, but I had to make sure that I bring in myself in my own way. I started doing my Luganda and I taught him some of the pass, I told him to do it.

“And then this is what we did. And the message “Gimme Love” it’s all about giving love. Nothing could be better than that,” Kenzo said.

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Culture

South African DJ Black Coffee bags World’s Best DJ 2024

Published

22 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African disc jockey, DJ Black Coffee, has been named the World’s Best DJ 2024 at the Golden Moon Awards.

Reporting on the award, prominent South African tabloid, IOL, wrote:

“All hail Black Coffee from South Africa, winner of the Golden Moon award for the World’s Best DJ 2024! Black Coffee has taken the global stage by storm, blending his unique Afro-house sound with deep, soulful grooves that resonate with audiences worldwide.

“A pioneer, a visionary, and a cultural ambassador, Black Coffee continues to inspire millions, pushing boundaries and connecting the world through his music. A truly deserving icon of this prestigious honour!”

DJ Black Coffee whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, was not the only local South African entertainer who was recognised at the awards as rising star, Palesa Desiree Shilabje, popularly known as DESIREE, was also named the World’s Breakthrough Artist 2024.

On DESIREE, the tabloid said:

“DESIREE’s rise to prominence comes from her ability to craft electrifying DJ sets that seamlessly blend genres—African-inspired house, deep house, techno, and soulful rhythms.

“Her passion for diverse sounds has landed her on some of the world’s most respected stages, like DC-10, fabric, and Hï Ibiza, bringing her deep African influences to a global audience.

“Beyond her music, DESIREE proudly represents the intersex community, using her platform to inspire and educate about her experience. A truly groundbreaking artist, DESIREE is already leaving an unforgettable legacy.”

The Golden Moon Awards are held every year to select the best 100 clubs in the world and to award prizes in different categories to the major players in nightlife, individuals, clubs and associations.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Published

3 days ago

November 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.