Last Friday was the Eastern African Connect Centre at the just concluded Comedy Store Uganda's fundraising show, which featured musicians from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
From our own Spice Diana, Winnie Nwagi, Alien Skin, Ray G, Crysto Panda, Karole Kasita and Abeeka band, to Kenya's Nameless and Tanzania's Diamond Platinumz, it was East African music at its finest.
By 7pm Kololo Ceremonial grounds had decent numbers and Abeeka band came on stage to kick off the concert. After comedians including Madrat & Chiko, Maulana & Reign, and Bizonto cracked some ribs, the mood was right for fans to start dancing, as musician after musician came on stage.
The musicians brought their A-game, but it is Nameless that proved that old is indeed gold - never mind that Diamond Platinumz is currently the hottest selling item from the region.
Nameless stepped on stage shorty after 10pm, dressed in black and red and immediately, the atmosphere changed; the crowd went crazy as the Kenyan performed Wape, Marry You, Babalawo, Jeje, Tetema Twice, Deadly, Bomba Train, Ninanoki, Githurai, and Nasinzia, to which the crowd sang along, word for word.
Nameless set the bar high, which is why the latest ghetto star Alien Skin is truly something else; if anyone doubted whether he would match Nameless' vibe and energy, he soon proved them wrong. It is his time to shine. His 10-minute performance after Nameless was handled like a pro, sampling his Party, Mitwe, Tonkaka, Sorry, Oli Busy, and Sitya Danger, among others.
Now the crowd was ready for the Tanzanian headliner, Diamond Platinumz, who has also been nicknamed 'our in-law', because of his past relationship with socialite and businesswoman Zari Hassan, with whom he shares two children.
Diamond is a consummate performer and his stage presence that night was unmatched. He performed nonstop for an hour and pushed the crowd into a frenzy when he sampled Aziz Azion's Nkuumira Omukwano, dedicating it to his ex, Zari.
This one clearly enjoyed the "Ugandan juice", as Zari famously quipped last year when asked in South Africa what it is about her that makes men struggle to get over her.
He also sampled Jose Chameleone's Mama Mia, before launching into a monologue of praising Chameleone as East Africa and Africa's finest, repeatedly saying how much he respects the Ugandan singer currently recuperating in the USA.
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Diamond performed most of his songs from Yatapita, Zuwena, Sawa, My Baby, Waah, African Beauty, Marry You, and Kidogo among others.
The show ended at 1 am. The Comedy Store Foundation will use some of the funds raised at the concert to reach a wider pool of new, raw talent.
Alex Muhangi, the founder of the foundation, said they are also looking to mentor dancers, singers and other entertainers. The foundation also runs a program that focuses on mentoring young students in critical life skills through their Youth Training & Mentorship Program.
The fundraising concert will also boost the foundation's annual Home of Hope charity football match, where proceeds go to vulnerable communities. The last one held in December 2022 benefited more than 100 vulnerable children at Katalemwa Cheshire Home.
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