Kampala — Maurice Kirya knows only one thing - music. And he takes it so passionately that he broke the rules of engagement at his fans' City Beat magazine party held at Club Pa Lui on Friday. In company of World Music player Kaz Kasozi, he strolled into the Executive Wing of the club, only shook hands with a few of his fans and went straight for the microphone on the well-improvised stage.

"I know I should greet all of you. Let me do that with music," he apologised. The apology was taken and his sugared voice came through to the fans amazement. Experience shows that there are normally wild screams at these parties after an artist performs a song. For Kirya's first, his fans were stunned and dumbstruck for a minute. They then later took the lead from Kalungi Kabuye, City Beat editor, and cheered on.

They were struck for two understandable reasons: It was the first-ever live performance at a City Beat readers' party; two, they were brow beaten by that first instrumental, a vibrant guitar discussion by Kirya and Kasozi.

Then came the listening pleasure that his Return to Innocence song provided. It is a lyrically rich song that he performed for the first time because it is an attack of various popular artists "who have lost the plot."

But when asked by Peter Bazira how he has managed to keep the plot and not sell his art to the devil for commercial gain, he was irked. "That question is too difficult to answer. Who allowed this guy in here?" he complained.

But Bazira was celebrating a special moment in his life. The newlywed had requested City Beat to give him that special moment to mark his honeymoon. So for Peter and Mabel Bazira, Kirya will remain a cult status figure to them.

Nile Breweries' Shem Ssemambo wished the couple a never-ending relationship and "showered" them with Club beer. Other City Beat readers won goodies from Club and copies of the magazine. The likes of Dickens Kamanzi, who travelled from Ibanda for the party, were not disappointed.