Alexander Bagonza, aka A Pass, maybe a playful character out of studio and off stage, but his maiden concert on January 31 at Kampala Serena hotel showed he is all business and then some, when he starts to sing.
For those who know how serious A Pass can be when it comes to the quality of his art, it was no surprise the lengths he went to, to pull off the perfection that was his weekend concert. From flying in a sound engineer from Switzerland, to getting Steve Jean’s Fenon Records to put up one of Serena’s best production sets yet, A Pass fans seemed to be in awe of the Wuuyo singer.
By 6pm, a blue carpet inspired by the title sponsors I&M Bank, was ready to give the perfect backdrop to the elegance of the guests, all of whom were impeccably dressed. When doors opened at 7pm, fans’ eyes were almost blinded by the stage Fenon had designed, with LED screens running from one end to the other, coupled with a cube LED screen suspended above the stage.
The evening’s hosts Douglas Lwanga and Viana Indi took to stage to welcome the crowd and introduce the first performers – Warafiki. The trio sang No Love No Money and Love Eno, before the hosts returned to welcome the main act of the night, A Pass and his band.
Wearing a white robe with pictures of himself right from childhood, and an actual goat skin, to depict his self-proclaimed title of the Greatest Of All Time, A Pass energetically kicked off his first session with Tuli Ku Bigere, released in 2015.
He then smoothly transitioned to Sidda Mu Kyalo, which was going on normally, until musician-turned-NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, made his way into the hall at that moment.
The screams from the crowd were deafening, as he walked to his table with his brothers Daxx Vibez and Banjo Man, as well as his singing partner – Nubian Li and NUP Deputy Spokesperson – Waiswa Mufumbiro.
When calm was restored, A Pass’s show continued, and he was joined by dancer Ritah Dancehall, whose outfit excited the crowd more than her dance moves. Later, A Pass would return for the second session, slowing down for his soulful love songs.
He started off with I’m Loving, to Oluuso, and Tulo, with the audience singing along. He then performed Abantu, before A Pass invited songstress Likkle Banji on stage to perform My Lover, a song that many knew word for word. The chemistry between the two could not be ignored.
Throughout the performances, the sound was exceptionally good. Kaboo, the sound engineer from Switzerland, made sure the output from the backline was balanced to give the audience an enjoyable feeling.
As A Pass grew into his performances, it was easy to tell that there was time and intention invested in the three-month rehearsal period. The dancers, the band, and the artiste were all in sync.
The third session started with a touch of reggae, with songs such as Omunnakyalo and So High, before A Pass took the audience back to RnB ballads off his Bagonza album. Wamu was one of the crowd’s favourites.
However, when he performed Wuuyo, it was clearly the song everyone was itching for. From beginning to end, everyone was singing with A Pass, arms in the air, swaying like the song meant something personal to each of them.
At 11pm, DJ Roja took over, starting with a tribute to the late Mowzey Radio. Ten minutes later A Pass returned to give the crowd 30 minutes of a groovy wind-down. With performances of Guli Wano, Mummy, Ccupa Ku Ccupa and Didadada, A Pass had saved the best for last.
At 11:40, he performed Turn Up The Vibe, another song that got the crowd screaming, and what a way to close a concert!
He thanked his fans for supporting him and proving naysayers wrong.
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