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Lillian does it live
Lillian performs. Below is the Goodlyfe duo of Mowzey Radio and Weasel. PHOTOS BY EDGAR R. BATTE
Many of your favourite music gems came from big groups. Wyclef Jean came out of The Fugees, R. Kelly from Public Announcement, Phil Collins from Genesis, Lionel Richie from the Commodores, Peter Cetera from Chicago, to mention but a few.
When Blu3 announced they were going to pursue solo projects, pundits kept their ears on the ground. Lillian chose the moment to sample what she could do with her musical vitamins and a few weeks back, together with fellow performer Harry Lwanga and other vocalists and instrumentalists, they launched Lillian and The Sundowners band.
They have done a few gigs, at Emin Pasha Hotel in Nakasero and Fuego Bar in Muyenga. On Thursday they had their monthly musical exploration at Club La Beaujolais and to say they put up a good show is to be exact. Lillian Mbabazi let fans have a rare taste from her musical pot. She did five of her songs and covers.
She sampled classics from sultry Grammy award winner India Arie’s Brown Skin, Lauryn Hill’s remake of Bob Marley’s Turn Your Lights Down Low and leggy Tina Turner’s Simply the Best. She didn’t leave out reggae lovers as she did legendary, Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds and Redemption Song, all live and energetic as she urged fans to sing along.
It was a three-hour spell in which she also performed songs off her forthcoming album, including Kawa (slang for it’s all fine, and sure it was), Danger, a rendition of Angela Kalule’s Kankutwale, Yegwe Weka a Luganda-Rwandese collaboration with Kitoko and she saved Vitamin for last.
By the way the main man in her life, Mowzey Radio was in the house to support his girlfriend. Weasel was in the house too and got applause as he joined a smiley sweaty Lillian to do their collabo which doubles as her solo break-out hit, Vitamin which also crowned the live music experience.
The show had kicked off on a slow tempo with Harry Lwanga’s soulful on his guitar. He did three tracks and invited another vocalist Martha, who did Whitney’s Greatest Love Of All, before another singer Jackie (not of Blu3) also sampled Lauryn Hill.
After watching Lillian and the Sundowners do it live, you have every right to dismiss an artiste who still mimes to his music; it’s simply a rip off.
