East African Gazette
Kampala
When a well-known artist Ray G from Western Uganda revealed plans to stage his debut gig at Kampala’s Lugogo Cricket Oval Ground, several self-proclaimed music critics from the Central regions anticipated that it would be a flop.
It came to pass on May 10, 2024, as scheduled. People began pouring to the arena as early as 2:30pm, and by 8 p.m., it was full to capacity.
The show quickly became the talk of the town, with attendees constantly updating their social media accounts.
The same critics hailed it as the best show ever conducted at the arena, in terms of both sound and attendance.
The concert drew audiences from all over the country, particularly from his home base in Western Uganda, where folks had to travel nearly 400 kilometers by bus to see their son perform.
Indeed, he made a statement. The same date had been reserved by another trio singing group known as B2C. Their show was supposed to take place at Hotel Africana, but the group decided to postpone it following the hype of Ray G’s concert.
To some observers, Ray G’s concert success was not surprising because he has been a steady performer since the beginning of his music career in Mbarara district, producing good music.
He made history by becoming the first performer from Western Uganda to hold a concert in Kampala.
One of the remarkable things witnessed at the show was that musicians with good music can always stage a concert without leaning on any politician like it is today. Chameleon has also done the same before.
It’s about good music, not politics.
Ray G never asked any politician for endorsements or support. He and his promoter, Norbert Events, instead spent a lot of money promoting the concert through various media outlets, especially social media.
The assumption these days has been that without a backing by the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and musician Robert Kyagulanyi in Kampala, the show would not be a success, however, this was a distinct case.
Another remark is that the vocalist avoided antics both before and during the performance.
He remained himself, performed in one costume throughout the show, and focused on his act till the conclusion.
The ‘haters’ claim that he ferried people all the way from Mbarara to Kampala, but that remains irrelevant because, at the end of the day, the singer wanted people.
Finally, all artists need to learn from Ray G, that good music is the only thing, not beef.
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