The 29th of June, 2019
Went down
In history
My history
For so many reasons
It was going to be A GREAT DAY! Who knows?
But the books go back as far as 2016, I must say
At the time when I first got to know that Chronixx would be performing in Uganda
Now, don’t get me wrong
I had listened to his voice before I even knew the stage-name he goes by
On tracks like Smile Jamaica, Blaze Up The Fire on Peace Is The Mission with Major Lazer and
There was also the Rootsman Riddim of 2013 that had one of his most famous tracks, Here Comes Trouble
Those days of 2015 and 2016 were good days….very fundamental days, if you will
And I had made some good friends all over the place
That one of them had offered me a ticket to go watch “Chronixx in Uganda”
I was like….yeah, let’s do this
The day comes and voila….I miss it!
I don’t know if my priorities just weren’t right that week
Or it was just me acting up
I don’t know
But from then on, I swore to keep on his heels
Like everywhere….on socio and in my ears, too
Yeah…..remember the all mighty Roots and Chalice?
I can’t even begin telling you how many times I have listened to this project!!!!
And so, a few weeks back, I get to see on my TL that Chronixx is coming back home for the Pulse Jam Fest
And with him, shall be the Zinc Federation band aka the Zinc Fence band! (Have you had a cuppa Koffee lately? These guys are the sugar in there)
Hhhaaa….you should have seen the smile on my face at that moment
It’s like when you are broke and as you are searching your pockets in your clothes, money drops from one of it and there you have it….magic!
This was it….there was no chance in hell I was missing out this time
Whatever happened that week?
My whole focus was at the Sheraton Gardens without a doubt!
3 years….I had waited for this one time
Yeah….that’s how much it meant to me to experience this
Monday, the 24th, I rush to the Sheraton to buy myself a VIP ticket
You know….when you have a hurting right knee, you just can’t stand for long and not entirely sure what could happen in the GA
Vibe ready, day and any other plans cancelled…
Saturday….
Now, if you haven’t been to Kampala before, you might find our night-life very interesting
You could mistake the owls, bats and other birds to be the working class of the nation and we, the guys that do the night-duty
We are literally all over the place
I get to di place at 4:30PM
Settle in and open my ears and heart for some good times
Quite a number of artistes hit the stage just before the sun set
The one that grabbed my attention the biggest, was Buchaman
I had to put my phone sideways and watch him and his pal for the entire time they hit the stage
I don’t know about you but there is something about him!
For all the years I have watched him, he simply won’t fade away
Now, here is why this day made a mark on my life
Online, I have made a ton of friends that I usually meet on the soils and tarmac in flesh
So, was this day
Many of these, I had first or last met or seen in 2015
I managed to fist-bump a number of them…not all, unfortunately!
Many had shifts they were working the entire time I spotted them
I got hungry….as always
You know what that means and most especially, if you are in a place like the Sheraton, right?
Lots of Chicken Shawarma and hot beverages for me (hihi)
I started eating just before Maddoxx Sematimba got on stage
Now, if you haven’t heard or seen him perform in flesh and blood, your YouTube just might do the trick for you
Calling him a legend is short-changing him
Photo credit: Gad Rogers
Mic-testing….sound-testing….one more time
Before the Don Dada step pan di floor!
Donning this special outfit, he crashes the party!
The main man, CHRONIXX!!!!!
Truth be told, I couldn’t wait any longer
Back in 2016, some of those that at Ndere Cultural Centre testify that everything was great save for the fact that many people there that day didn’t really relate or understand Chronixx’s music or reggae music, in general and what it all stood for
They usually say that the third time is the charm but for this case, the second time has been the charm, though!
We were ready….totally in love with the beats, sounds, the freedom and the band, too
You should have taken a look around you by 9:45PM….there was literally no space to place your feet in the air
Jam-packed to the teeth
If I tell you what track Chronixx played first, it will be a lie
I was still eating….but from a place that had a much better view now
And so excited, too
Every song he sung to, it was just like singing or humming to the Roots and Chalice
Word for word, line for line, stanza for stanza
I loved it all
Then, came the part where we went along to Skankin’ Sweet
There’s something to this song I may know about
I just can’t get enough of it
It was like singing along to your favourite school rhyme
I got lost in the line, “forget your troubles and rock wid mi”
EVERYTHING AT THAT MOMENT WAS irie….as we rocked side to side with whoever was closest to us.
You are familiar with that monster that was set loose from Protoje’s Ancient Future called Who Knows?
I had to ensure he leads us on to this one
And that would be the end of my time at the Jam Fest!
This song always gives me life when I feel like my activism for better is failing
I remember somebody else out there is having it worse than I am
And I keep fighting on!
11:43PM….I signed out and was on my way.
What a show
What an experience
What a day
What a week
What a time in my life!
Unto the next one…..