The Observer (Kampala)
Carolyne Nakazibwe
19 November 2009
opinion
That is the problem with growing older. And wiser?
The news that R Kelly is coming to town in January has sent many in a frenzy. They can't wait for the ticket sales to start. Some have even billed him to be bigger that the UB40 concert, bigger than Akon, bigger than...Lucky Dube. Eh!
Because of that I was forced to go back and re-examine myself. I re-listened to Gotham City, then I Believe I can Fly and waited for my heart to flutter wildly. Nothing. Then I played Angel, the one he does with Celine Dion and yes, there was a flutter there. But not enough to send me joining the ecstatic Kampalans everywhere.
It is not until I zipped back to Bump n' Grind and Your Body is Calling that a slow smile started forming on the corners of my mouth. Now, those were the days.
By the time dude sang U Saved Me ten years later and caused my eyes to well up as I listened to it, I had already had my fair share of Bump n' Grind. And nothing can replace those days!
My mind went back to a day at Kibuli S. S when the popular trans-day disco was in the Main Hall. We would march in wearing all sorts of things and makeup to look like true divas. And the boys' gawking eyes as we walked in were something to kill for. I mean, who would blame them; the transformation was usually mind-boggling. They would part with us after night preps and we were our nappy-headed selves. By morning, the hair would be inches longer (thanks to hot combing using forks) and there would be mascara and loads of 'Coppergirl'. All this at midday. We would descend upon the darkened hall (thanks to blankets covering the windows to allow the disco lights to work) and shake it.
Well, we didn't really shake, considering that songs like Your Body is Calling required us to simply rock from left foot to right as we shook our heads and torsos to the beat. Quite boring when I think of it now, but quite cool, if you were in Kibuli's class of '95!
When the music switched to Boyz II Men's End of the Road, it was also 'cool' for the girls to hold hands in a circle and do this left foot to right foot shuffle in the same place. It was supposed to keep the boys looking for a munyigo (slow dance) at bay! Ah, the good old teen age!
So as soon as I figure out how to rock to R Kelly in this 21st Century of spin-on-your-head-with-legs-in-the-air strokes, I will grab my ticket.
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