Data Marshal: Lights go out for bassist who lit the stage

Data Marshal, the bassist for the ‘90s renowned reggae band the Blood Brothers passed away last Saturday aged 50. His brother Alex Guma, a drummer, expressed his deep sadness and revealed that Marshal had valiantly fought a prolonged battle against liver cancer for the better part of this year, ultimately succumbing to the disease.

Marshal’s contribution to the Blood Brothers was substantial as his bass skills graced their 1994 major joint studio album (Peace in the world), with songs such as Ndabye Okwegayirira by James Muwanga Wamala, This world is a crazy world by Ras B Ssali, and Hey mama Africa by Solomon Iboman, among others.

Described as “supremely gifted” by bandmate Ssali and grounded by his friend, Badru Senabulya, Marshal was born and raised in Kyambogo Lower Estates. He honed his guitar skills from a young age. It all began during his Senior Three year at Mengo Senior School when he was just 17.

His classmate, Godfrey Nsamba, who played an acoustic guitar, accidentally broke it. He entrusted his damaged guitar to Marshal for repair. This was thanks to Marshal’s technical proficiency in woodworking. See, Marshal gained valuable skills from his late father, Matthew Aige Mutto, who was a technical and vocational syllabus officer at the National Curriculum Development Centre in Kyambogo. Marshal was almost a mainstay in their home workshop.

Marshal took just two days to fix the guitar, ahead of the two weeks he had told the owner he needed to do the repair job. In days that followed, Marshal refined his guitar-playing skills. This decision would later define his unique style. This early exposure ignited a passion that would soon become his life’s work.

With the interest sparked, Marshal would begin experimenting with various musical instruments. It was the bass guitar that truly captured his heart. He recognised its significance as an instrument that forms the backbone of any band’s sound. His fascination with the bass guitar led him to dedicate countless hours to mastering its nuances.

Turning point

In his Senior Five at the same school, Marshal, along with his friends, formed a musical group named Super World. It included Godfrey Nsamba, John Kizza, Patrick Kaima, and the younger Jose Chameleone in Senior Two. Within the group, Marshal took charge of equipment and sound quality, in addition to his role as the group’s bassist. 

Veteran artist Robert Ssegawa, who led Sharing Band, the youth in-house band for the Nsambya Youth Sharing Centre, fondly recalls an encounter in 1993 when his band was scheduled to perform at a wedding. It was at this event that he first observed Marshal’s passionate bass guitar performance.

Impressed by Marshal’s talent, Ssegawa wasted no time in convincing the bassist that the Sharing Band suited his skills; not the Super World group. The prospect of going for an upcoming tour in Germany to raise funds for a Youth Centre Church in Nsambya was a sweetener. At that time, Fr Hans Ide, the Nsambya Youth Centre director, had entrusted Ssegawa with the task of rejuvenating the band’s lost glory.

Ssegawa fondly describes as an exceptionally humble and bright young man then. He shares an incident when Marshal expressed interest in playing the drums. Ssegawa was quick to advise his protégé to focus on his established craft. Taking up drumming would mean a loss of employment for the older drummer in the band. Such was Marshal’s maturity that he didn’t need a lot of convincing.

“He always let the music speak for him, and he maintained a focus on delivering his best,” Ssegawa says of how Marshal handled his new-found fame with the band.

Blood Brothers

Marshal’s journey took a significant turn when he joined forces with a group of immensely talented artistes. Ras B Ssali and Solomon Iboman were then part of the Sali Soliz Band. The band morphed to the Blood Brothers Band when Marshal joined the duo.

Joining forces with Ssali and Iboman came about due to a sense of lost direction at Sharing Hall Nsambya. This change occurred when Rev Fr Roland Champagne took over as the director, succeeding Fr Ide. Unlike his predecessor, Fr Champagne for one disliked ex-seminarians, such as Ssegawa, making life difficult for them.

This animosity eventually led Ssegawa to leave his role as the Sharing Band leader. Following Ssegawa’s departure, various members of the Sharing Band, including Marshal, also moved on.  Marshal brought his fans from Sharing to the Blood Brothers, occasionally returning to perform at Sharing Hall.

The band’s repertoire primarily revolved around reggae music, and as Marshal spent more time with them, he became increasingly captivated by the genre’s intrinsic roots. This led him to embrace the Rastafarian lifestyle, the dreadlocks inclusive.

In the mid-’90s, Marshal had his very first studio experience when he travelled with the Sali Soliz Blood Brothers to Andrew Crawfood studios in Nairobi, Kenya, thanks to Tshaka Mayanja’s connection. There, they recorded their first album, Peace in the world, which further boosted their fame and popularity.

While they were more than just a band and had formed a brotherhood through music, the group included an eclectic mix of talented individuals, such as Ras B Ssali, Solomon Iboman, Joseph Mutumba, William Bwewusa, Grace Dumba, and Alex Guma, among others. Each brought their unique skills to the table. They, however, lost their way at the turn of the second millennium, and a period of dormancy followed.

Beyond the stage

With a background in woodworking and technical skills acquired at home, coupled with his formal education in technical drawing, Marshal became the go-to person for event stage construction in the ‘90s.

“He was the man who designed and crafted robust stages from wood and timber, and he made it seem effortless,” Ssegawa tells Sunday Monitor.

Ras B agrees, adding that Marshal was a true problem solver.  “He could fix anything,” he says, pointing to not just the modern stages but also stage lighting.

Due to his expertise, businessman Andrew Rugasira commissioned Marshal to construct the stage for the inaugural Lucky Dube show in Uganda in 1995. Impressed with the quality of his work, Rugasira, the owner of VR Promotions, the events company that managed the first Lucky Dube shows in Uganda, entrusted Marshal with the responsibility of constructing stages for his future events.  Marshal also passed on his skills to fellow band members, such as Ras B Ssali, who later ventured into events, stage, and lighting management.

Finding love

In 2006, Marshal crossed paths with his future wife, Barbara Castelnuovo Data, an Italian clinical researcher specialising in infectious diseases based in Uganda. Castelnuovo, who works at the Infectious Disease Institute, first encountered Marshal when she attended one of his band’s performances. Their love story blossomed naturally, and after 15 years of being together, they officially tied the knot in a wedding ceremony three years ago.

Although they did not have biological children, they welcomed two adopted sons into their lives. Castelnuovo described Marshal as the most supportive person she had ever met, someone who encouraged her to pursue every dream they shared. Together, they built a beautiful house in Busabala with a breathtaking view of Lake Victoria. Marshal personally selected all the materials and equipment for the house and played a significant role in its construction and interior design.

Marshal was also a devout Catholic, who remained committed to his faith until his last days. He was an active member of his church’s choir, where he often played the guitar. He also generously shared his technical expertise with the church. Additionally, he was a part of the prayer group at Mill Hill Fathers in Nsambya.

His Death

Earlier this year, Marshal began experiencing stomach complications. He initially treated them lightly. Their persistence, however, raised red flags. Initial tests failed to uncover the true nature of his illness. It was only when his family decided to fly him to India recently that a diagnosis of late-stage liver cancer was made.

The doctors in India delivered the grim prognosis that there was little time left for Marshal. Upon his return home, he underwent a gruelling course of chemotherapy treatment. Despite the best efforts of his medical team, Marshal passed away in the early hours of last Saturday morning at his home.

He was laid to rest on Tuesday evening in Bango Village in Koboko District. Marshal is survived by a wife and their adopted children.

DATA’S BIO

Data Marshal Mutto was born on June 30, 1973, to the late Matthew Aige and Alba Aseru Mutto.  He was the second of nine children in his family.

He attended Kyambogo Primary School, Mvara SS, Kyambogo College School, Mengo SS, Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo and Institute of Teachers Education Kyambogo.