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Friday 20 January 2023

Kampala Kool

I don't know whether this has been happening to other bloggers, but I have recently been bombarded by messages the gist of which are "this stuff you play is all very well, but what we really want is some mid-90s reggae from Uganda".

After extensive efforts on my part - those bargain bins don't rummage themselves - I am now in a position to oblige. I have tracked down a CD by one Winston Mayanja which contains two of his albums, "Bloodshed in Africa" (1993) and "Abafumbo" (1995).  

Mr Mayanja seems an interesting character. I discovered from a 2018 interview with him that he has a parallel career as a promoter - by his own account a very successful one although his does omit to mention the time he was briefly imprisoned and declared bankrupt after some shenanigans involving the no doubt blameless Chaka Demus & Pliers. He's also had a few spats with fellow performers.

As far as his own music is concerned you would not call it cutting edge but it is perfectly pleasant and Fine For A Friday. Here is a track apiece from both albums.

"Winston Dubstyle" - Winston Mayanja

"Okwagala Kuling'obudde" - Winston Mayanja

This post was written yesterday. I woke up this morning to the news that David Crosby has left us. This one's for him. RIP Mr Crosby.

4 comments:

  1. Tshaka Winston Mayanja's criticism of those other performers "they instead bought expensive cars and built houses for showbiz." made me smile.

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  2. Have you been getting those messages too?

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  3. It's not that you get such messages, it's that you are enough of a gentleman to respond graciously to them. We are all the better for it.

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