By Nimusiima
In a nutshell: Navio revolutionized the art of video shooting in Uganda. He puts the proverbial eggs in one basket. He rather pours millions of money in a video than staging a show. It works. It has worked for him over the years. His videos have climbed up platforms where other artistes dream to be. He has received international nods that, well, other artistes still see as a dream. He dropped the much-awaited Kigozi video recently. Here are my two cents: This is quality work. He is going back to the basics with name titles, which is fine. He needed something to join the dots with his originality. The next step will be, perhaps, seeing him rapping in Luganda.
Kigozi is shot at Rubaga Cathedral. Navio is a proud Rubaga boy. So he decides to take it back to his roots. I loved the whole church concept. But what I loved the most is the simplicity of the video. It’s not crowded as you would expect; something common with Hip Hop artistes throwing in their friends and skimpily-dressed girls and borrowed cars and fake bling and fake money and liquor and guns. He veers off that path. Who is in the video then? Two folks. Two friends. Him and The Mith who sat quietly in the empty cathedral. Well, staunch Christians wouldn’t like the sight of Navio rapping and spitting verses in the holy grounds, but the heck, the picture is artistic and alright. He looks dapper. The dark jacket that seems to say, ‘I am king of this thing’, which makes him look more attractive, I would imagine, to his ardent lady-fans.
Kigozi is good because its picture comes off as good to the retina. The song might not stir you but the video will. Which Navio has mastered over time. Release a subpar and substandard song and add a good, pricey video to it. Boom!
Watch the video here.