Wednesday, March 5, 2008

What does it mean to be a citizen?

What does it mean to be a citizen?
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2 comments:

UGANDANS COMMUNITYCANADA. NORTH AMERICA. said...

Hi there! Majid Alemi Junior

akujowangita alemi uk thought you might be interested in this article from The New Vision online: http://www.newvision.co.ug

They also added this comment:
""

Will Afrigo sound the same without Sekyanzi?

By Joseph Batte

IT of was with great sadness and shock that I learnt of the death of Charles Sekyanzi, the long-serving Afrigo band member last week. However, as a writer, I have to put emotions aside and look at what the veteran musician contributed to our local music industry.

Sekyanzi hardly graced the entertainment pages, so you might ask: What is the fuss about his death? Ask the Afrigo Band. Or band leader Moses Matovu.

Matovu and Sekyanzi’s friendship dates back to the 1960s when they were students. They met again when Matovu joined Cranes Band.

The two were among the group that broke away from the Cranes in 1975 and formed the ‘Africa Go(ing) Forward Band,’ which was shortened to Afrigo Band!

Sekyanzi was significant in shaping and defining the Afrigo style. As a trumpeter, he was part of the tight brass section comprising the horn, percussion, bass and rhythm and lead guitars.

Take away Sekyanzi and what you have left is lonely, almost hollow-sounding Moses Matovu! Sekyanzi’s voice complemented and blended so well with Matovu’s, you could easily tell they had been singing together for long.

In an interview on Vision Voice, Matovu admitted he sorely missed Sekyanzi. “Whenever I wrote a song, the first person I consulted was him.

When I sang it, he would instantly harmonise it. Just like that. That is how good he was.” If you listen to some of the songs they did together, like Jim, or Buli Omu Yali Yetaaga Munne’, Sekyanzi is like a laser beam with pitch-placement. There is no doubt that he sang the exact, perfectly-tuned note his brain told him to.

Another reason Afrigo will feel the loss of Sekyanzi is because on many occasions he sang back-up vocals. Singing back-up is not as easy as it looks.

Sekyanzi made it look easy. Sekyanzi the person was harder to understand. James Wasula, one of the directors of the Afrigo Band says: “He was a complicated man who preferred to keep a low profile.

He hated the glitz and glamour associated with stardom. He preferred to let the music and his talent do the talking.”

There was also a no-nonsense side to him.’ In an interview with London-based magazine Eyecom, he accused the late Philly Lutaaya of masterminding the looting of Afrigo band’s equipment in 1979.

When Sekyanzi stepped on stage six months ago, it was clear that sickness had affected his singing. His voice lacked its usual melodic presence.

That accurate pitch placement seemed to have gone. His singing sounded shy, timid, breathy, shaky and nervous.
When I asked Matovu whether Afrigo Band would miss him, he replied: “Yes. Very much.” Will the band collapse? His answer gave me hope: It was a ‘No’. Life has to continue with or without Sekyanzi.”

He was right. Sekyanzi’s death does not mean Afrigo Band will crash because it is not structured around personalities.

Our sadness is mitigated by the fact that Sekyanzi’s suffering has ended and that Afrigo Band will be here tomorrow. Rest in peace, Sekyanzi.



You can also read the article online at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=9&newsCategoryId=233&newsId=674420

March 14, 2009 at 6:44 PM
UGANDANS COMMUNITYCANADA. NORTH AMERICA. said...

Hi there!

akujo wangita alemi uk thought you might be interested in this article from The New Vision online: http://www.newvision.co.ug

They also added this comment:
""

Will Afrigo sound the same without Sekyanzi?

By Joseph Batte

IT of was with great sadness and shock that I learnt of the death of Charles Sekyanzi, the long-serving Afrigo band member last week. However, as a writer, I have to put emotions aside and look at what the veteran musician contributed to our local music industry.

Sekyanzi hardly graced the entertainment pages, so you might ask: What is the fuss about his death? Ask the Afrigo Band. Or band leader Moses Matovu.

Matovu and Sekyanzi’s friendship dates back to the 1960s when they were students. They met again when Matovu joined Cranes Band.

The two were among the group that broke away from the Cranes in 1975 and formed the ‘Africa Go(ing) Forward Band,’ which was shortened to Afrigo Band!

Sekyanzi was significant in shaping and defining the Afrigo style. As a trumpeter, he was part of the tight brass section comprising the horn, percussion, bass and rhythm and lead guitars.

Take away Sekyanzi and what you have left is lonely, almost hollow-sounding Moses Matovu! Sekyanzi’s voice complemented and blended so well with Matovu’s, you could easily tell they had been singing together for long.

In an interview on Vision Voice, Matovu admitted he sorely missed Sekyanzi. “Whenever I wrote a song, the first person I consulted was him.

When I sang it, he would instantly harmonise it. Just like that. That is how good he was.” If you listen to some of the songs they did together, like Jim, or Buli Omu Yali Yetaaga Munne’, Sekyanzi is like a laser beam with pitch-placement. There is no doubt that he sang the exact, perfectly-tuned note his brain told him to.

Another reason Afrigo will feel the loss of Sekyanzi is because on many occasions he sang back-up vocals. Singing back-up is not as easy as it looks.

Sekyanzi made it look easy. Sekyanzi the person was harder to understand. James Wasula, one of the directors of the Afrigo Band says: “He was a complicated man who preferred to keep a low profile.

He hated the glitz and glamour associated with stardom. He preferred to let the music and his talent do the talking.”

There was also a no-nonsense side to him.’ In an interview with London-based magazine Eyecom, he accused the late Philly Lutaaya of masterminding the looting of Afrigo band’s equipment in 1979.

When Sekyanzi stepped on stage six months ago, it was clear that sickness had affected his singing. His voice lacked its usual melodic presence.

That accurate pitch placement seemed to have gone. His singing sounded shy, timid, breathy, shaky and nervous.
When I asked Matovu whether Afrigo Band would miss him, he replied: “Yes. Very much.” Will the band collapse? His answer gave me hope: It was a ‘No’. Life has to continue with or without Sekyanzi.”

He was right. Sekyanzi’s death does not mean Afrigo Band will crash because it is not structured around personalities.

Our sadness is mitigated by the fact that Sekyanzi’s suffering has ended and that Afrigo Band will be here tomorrow. Rest in peace, Sekyanzi.



You can also read the article online at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=9&newsCategoryId=233&newsId=674420

March 14, 2009 at 6:46 PM

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