Serenading music is therapeutic. It calms the nerves and soothes the soul.
There’s no better way to appreciate the impact good music has on your psyche than sitting through a four-hour orchestra. Which is why when Kampala Jazz Benefit Concert themed its maiden show on mental health awareness, everyone sitting in the audience could easily appreciate why this was necessary.
While in Kampala, orchestra performances are rare and require you to pay premium, they live up to the bill.
It is music in its rawest form. Makes you appreciate the diversity of sounds which together create beautiful harmony.
Conducted by music educationist and composer, Polycarp Kyagulanyi, the show featured the Beats Symphony Orchestra alongside celebrated names like Moses Matovu, Frank Mbalire, Kenneth Mugabi, Alosysius Migadde, Michael Kitanda and Happy Kyazze.
Migadde, the multi-talented instrumentalist who has played on several international festivals opened with a titillating performance of his song Pearl of Africa.
Then Afrigo Band’s Moses Matovu (with backing from Mbalire) performed some of the Afrigo classics like Twali Twagalana, Sirina and Silikusula.
In explaining the concept behind the show, Janet Kantalama, the CEO of Safe Places Uganda, a private mental health rehab service that began in 2016 said music and mental therapy are inseparable.
“It is important that everybody makes a donation towards mental health, as this will make it easy to subsidize the cost of mental rehabilitation. These donations enable these services to be available,” Kantalama said.
In addition, urging employees to have these conversations (on mental health) with their employers. She implored organizations to put in place mechanisms to safeguard staff’s mental health, noting that “with no mental health, there can’t be productivity at the work place”.
According to Dr Hafsa Lukwata, the Commissioner for Mental Health in the Ministry of Health, the Covid pandemic was a silver lining for mental health as it was an awakening that normal people too suffer anxiety. This realization made everyone appreciate the trauma and stigma that people with mental illness suffer, more than they did before.
Most of the guests who spoke underscored the need for individuals to reflect on what support systems they have in place to ensure they have a healthy state of mind.
Davis the Violinist opened the second session of entertainment with a moving rendition of Gloria Estefan’s Wrapped.
For the rest of the evening, the atmosphere inside the Sheraton’s Rwenzori Ball Room was nothing short of an epiphany of the powerful grip that an ensemble of instruments can have on the soul. Many times, getting consumed in the moment that you want to close your eyes and allow your inner self savor the beautiful harmony.
In an era where the computer has killed the authenticity in the sounds that create music, and where creative patience could render one obsolete due to the fast-pace at which the industry is moving, the originality, ingenuity and collective effort that goes into an orchestra deserves all the credit.
Popular saxophonist Happy Kyazze achieved just that while at the same time putting up a dramatic and entertaining showcase. Together with Migadde, they performed Lambula Uganda.
Kyazze also did Sanyu Peke Yake before Sheila Sheila Bukenya, also a saxophonist and student at Rainbow International School led a symphony of Pentatonix’s Hallelujah.
Kyazze and Bukenya’s sax performances were a perfect build up to a stunning crescendo – Michael Kitanda doing Satisfaction and Binsemelile, a happy folk song from the Bunyoro culture.
It turned out the evening didn’t only offer a much-needed conversation about mental health, it also allowed the instruments (with the help of the playful performers like Kyazze) showcase side-splitting yet very entertaining conversations. You can’t imagine how hilarious it can be to hear the sax literally laugh out loud among other awkward sounds.
The show climaxed at 9pm, after Kenneth Mugabi’s set. There could not have been a better closer. Ordinarily, Mugabi’s is music that speaks to the soul, let alone when he croons his love-laced lyrics over violins, double bass, saxophones, flutes, trumpet, tuba and trombone among others instruments.
He performed Rita, Nkwegomba, Naaki to befitting loud acclaim from the attendees.
Watching him play ndingidi (spike tube fiddle) while Davis played the violin was nothing short of a beautiful convergence of the modern and tradition sound.
The production was made possible by Furaha Africa, Ministry of Health, Safe Places Uganda, Alliance Française, Rainbow International School and Winna Classic.
