Culture

Ugandan rapper/opposition figure, Bobi Wine, recounts ordeal in Dubai detention, blames government

Published

2 years ago

October 12, 2022

Leading Ugandan opposition leader and rapper, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has narrated his ordeal following a 12-hour detention at the Dubai Airport Detention Centre

Bobi Wine who revealed his ordeal on Tuesday on his social media network, claimed his travails were orchestrated by the Ugandan government, said his country had instructed the airport officials to block him from holding a charity concert in the Asian country.

Though the Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister, Okello Oryem, has described Bobi Wine’s allegations as “hogwash and rubbish,” insisting that Kampala had nothing to do with the entertainer’s detention, the musician believes his country was behind it.

Narrating what transpired when he traveled to Dubai on Saturday to hold what he called a charity concert seeking to raise funds to bring back hundreds of Ugandans who are stranded in different Middle East countries, the singer-turned politician he was singled out on arrival at the airport and invited for interrogation.

“When I arrived at the airport at about 8pm, I noticed that there was an unusual deployment, so I was taken into a room and they started to interrogate me,” he said.

“They asked me politically related questions whether I was going to hold a rally or a music concert.

“There were many people and during the time I was with them, they cried about how they are struggling for freedom and many of them knew me and they were calling me by name. These people are held on different cases but I had all the documents needed,” Bobi Wine said.

He said he was, however, set free after 12 hours and allowed into the country but the concert was blocked.

While responding to Bobi Wine’s allegations on Wednesday, Oryem said the Ugandan government of had more serious issues to deal with than worry about the rapper.

“The government has more serious things to do than follow Bobi Wine. He has tried to say things to the whites but they can’t listen to him because they are very bright.

“I suspect that Bobi Wine had a wrong visa and that is why he was arrested. He should not put it on us. Bobi Wine has been to Ukraine and shot a movie and told Europeans bad things about the Ugandan government but they have not listened to him.

“He is now out of content and he doesn’t have anything to say so he is forwarding his problems to the NRM government,” Oryem added.

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Culture

Burna Boy emerges Africa’s top earning artiste in the US from tours, concerts

Published

6 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation,
Burna Boy, has emerged as the first African artiste to stage the highest-grossing arena concerts and tours in the United States of America.

International rating platform, Touring Data, which provides a PDF and spreadsheet with ticket count information for tours in the US and Canada, in a post on X, said the “Common Man” crooner beat his record set in 2022 after he generated $1.593 million, (over N2 billion), at his TD Garden in Boston on March 2.

‘‘Burna Boy earns the highest-grossing arena concert by an African artist in US history with $1.593 million at TD Garden in Boston on March 2, 2024, surpassing his numbers at Madison Square Garden in 2022,” Touring Data stated.

The platform also noted that one of Burna Boy’s “I Told Them” tour sold out by large margins in Scotiabank Arena, Montreal and Toronto in Canada, Boston in the US, and Cologne in Germany.

Touring Data also stated that over 124,706 tickets valued at $93.50 on average were sold at the “I Told Them” tour.

“Revenue-wise, $11,659,531, or about N16 billion, was realised via the ticket sales,” the data platform said.

“Shortly after dropping the highly anticipated video for “City Boys”, Burna Boy announced his I Told Them… Tour.

“Produced by Live Nation, the 16-city tour kicked off on 3 November at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

“It marked Burna Boy’s first-ever performance in a Los Angeles stadium. He toured other American cities, including Houston, Chicago, Toronto, and more, before wrapping up in Atlanta at State Farm Arena on March 9th.

“Nine months earlier, the “African Giant” had a sold-out show at Citi Field, New York, making him the first Nigerian artiste to headline a stadium in America.

“BMO Stadium’s website said the singer commanded a crowd of more than 40,000 fans, including celebrities like Busta Rhymes, SZA, NBA star Mo Bamba, NFL Star Larry Ogunjobi, and British rapper Dave, who joined him on stage for a performance of his (Burna Boy’s) hit song “Location.”

“This history-making performance followed his landmark London Stadium performance, where Burna Boy made history as the first African to headline a stadium in the U.K.

“With his Madison Square Garden performance, the singer again made history as the first Nigerian musician to sell out The World’s Most Famous Arena.

“The global giant once again made history with his recently released album “I TOLD THEM…” after it debuted at #1 on the official U.K. Albums chart, making him the first international African artiste to earn the title,” it stated.

Culture

Meet the Ugandan tribe where bride’s aunt must ‘test’ groom’s manhood before marriage

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Bayankole tribe in the western parts of Uganda are a unique people with a strange tradition where a would-be groom is mandated to “test” his manhood and virility with an aunt of his bride-to-be before a marriage is conducted.

For the ethnic group who are found in the Bushenyi District, Buhweju District, Mitooma District, Rubirizi District, Sheema District, Ntungamo District, Mbarara District, Kiruhura District, Ibanda District, and Isingiro District of the eastern African country, marriage is of great importance as parents derive joy and pride from their children’s marriage and as such, the ability of the husband to stay “strong” is as important as the marriage itself.

Virginity in also held in high esteem so the girls must abstain from premarital sex.

According to the tradition, when a girl gets to the age of eight or nine, it is the duty of her aunt to groom her for family life.

Also known as the Ankole, the tribe considers the slim physique unattractive because to them, being fat is sexy, so when girls get to the ages of eight and nine, they are required to go through a fattening process which is usually done to speed up the weight gain of the girls so they can attract a husband.

The Banyakole marriage involves several ceremonies including a “giveaway period” know as “Kuhingira” where the relatives and friends of the bride present her with gifts such as cows and other food items to take to her matrimonial home.

On the wedding day, a feast is organized at the bride’s home where the father slaughters a bull while at the groom’s home, there is also a feast to consummate the marriage.

But first, there has to be one last ceremony, that involves tests that must be done by the bride’s aunt.

It involves the bride’s aunt testing the sexual ability of the groom by having sex with him to make sure he is potent.

During the act, the aunt learns the man’s sex techniques as well as favorite styles so she can gift her niece with pointers on what the groom likes sexually.

After confirmation is done, the bride is then taught by her aunt and allowed to consummate the marriage by being sent by her aunt to the husband with her blessings.