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Dancing to Busuulwa’s letters to Naka
Brian Busuulwa and his wife Madrine Nakabuye, hosted their first concert at the National Theatre on March 2, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Inspired by the styles of Elly Wamala, it is clear he writes music with the focus, storytelling, and acumen of Kadongo Kamu, the genre Wamala is believed to have discovered.
Many times, the media makes it hard for artistes with a different sound to get airplay. Thus, people such as Kenneth Mugabi, Aloysious Migadde, Apio Moro, or St. Nellysade often get attention because of a breathtaking performance at a concert or when they go viral.
That is the case of Brian Busuulwa, a composer, songwriter, singer and producer. He is an old soul in a young body. Inspired by the styles of Elly Wamala, it is clear he writes music with the focus, storytelling, and acumen of Kadongo Kamu, the genre Wamala is believed to have discovered.
He uses a lot of wordplay in his lyrics and always tries to say something with music, something that rarely happens today. Busuulwa and his wife Madrine Nakabuye, hosted their first concert at the National Theatre on Saturday night. The two make up Naaka Music, which is more than a music duo but a collective of singers and dancers.
Of course, what they offer is something that is not on the market. The hybrid of the fine Elly Wamala and the sassy lyrical play of greats such as Herman Basudde and Nakabuye’s impeccable vocals make the two a triple threat.
Their unique blend of traditional and contemporary sounds sets them apart from other artistes, showcasing their versatility and creativity. The success of their first concert at the National Theatre solidified their position as rising stars in the Ugandan music scene.
The two mostly sing to each other, but most of them are true life experiences of how Busuulwa and Nakabuye met, the challenges and him facing a lot of resistance from her father are all played out in the lyrics of different songs.
The two are storytellers and even when they are just singing, at least they have actors in the background playing younger characters, meeting for the first time and facing challenges.
What worked most at their debut concert was mainly the music. The 18-member backing choir and a backline that included drummer and percussionist Julius Ssengoba, alias JJ Bugoma, and Robert Kibalama on the conga drums kept the energy up.
From songs such as Siri Mwetegefu, Yabirinyamu, and Eva, the couple kept us on our toes with their story.
Of course, they had guests such as Andeleya Baguma, who performed his song, Take My Hand, where he also references Naka in one of the lines; her showing up and Busuulwa following through caused some sort of a scene, which hit different.
Above it all, Busuulwa and Nakabuye seem to have an amazing journey ahead of them. Whether they will need a viral video for Ugandans to learn about them, that is something we need to watch and wait for.
