Lulu celebrates Uganda performance

 Musician Lulu, who last Friday performed at the Kampala Serena Hotel in Uganda during the Kirya Live Concert, says the opportunity helped him connect with new fans who appreciated his performance and music.

Lulu was the only foreign act for the concert hosted by the Ugandan musician Maurice Kirya. Other Ugandan artistes in the house were afrosoul singer and story-teller Kenneth Mugabi, alternative hiphop and soul poet Ebrahim Soul’O, traditional music instrumentalist Michael Ouma and multi-instrumentalist Aliddeki.

In an interview after his performance, the musician said he was overwhelmed by the positive reactions he got from the fans at the concert.

“I went there to give it my best. I created a set that screamed ‘music’ and that is all it took to sway the patrons,” said Lulu.

He said the patrons, who filled the venue to capacity, attempted to sing along and hype him up.

“We had fun for one hour, but with the way the fans reacted, I felt like I was there for 10 minutes,” said Lulu.

He said some of the songs he performed included Okongola, Mponyere, Sendera, Ungondibwelezera and Ukonde wa Lero.

 Apparently, it is Ungondibwelezera that initially caught Kirya’s ears first to get deeper into Lulu’s music.

A video clip of his performance that we have seen shows the musician, backed by Mathumela Band, singing Ukonde wa Lero while giving shout-outs in Chichewa.

Looking back at the performance, Lulu said it was scary imagining they were not Malawians, but Ugandans.

“I was so surprised right from my first line that people were screaming my name. After performing two songs, I dropped the guitar and took it to the dance floor,” he said.

In a post-concert message, the

 Lilongwe-star thanked all musicians who supported the show as well as fans.

“Honestly, I want to make a thank you post, but I don’t know where to begin. I am overjoyed. Thank you all,” he wrote on his official Facebook page.

Writing on his Facebook page after the concert, Kirya, who introduced the showcase in 2011, said he was at a loss for words.

He wrote: “Honestly, I want to make a thank you post but I don’t know where to begin.”

Patrons responded with congratulatory messages, with on patron, Ssekimpi Kilevu simply saying: “Classic, that was a hell of a performance.”