By Bash Mutumba
Alexander Bagonza aka A Pass had promised his followers on Twitter that he would never open the app again this year until he has a hit song. Well, this was no bluff, and the hinted Ykee Benda collabo turned out to be a hit, by the name “Turn Up The Vibe”.
Since its release, the hard-hitting banger, with a thumping bass line has been perceived as a rip off from older songs, like “Singa” by Bobi Wine. Clearly, this is a rather selfish opinion, and if you ask me, it doesn’t hold any water. The masterpiece produced by Nessim is testament that he understands the two musicians. He singlehandedly built both their careers during their time at Badi Music, before the trio left to start their own enterprises.
The collabo was long overdue, so none of the three was going to disappoint. The catchy hook sang by Ykee Benda, which gets a chorus “Linda ko” response from A Pass, accompanied by a brief sax solo on every call, gives the Ugandan dancehall song some sleek flair. Not only is Ykee’s execution commendable, but A Pass too with his attempt at a suave falsetto, and his usual witty lyrics, can’t go unnoticed.
The video by flamboyant Swangz Avenue Director Marvin Musoke, was equally great, with nice locations, beautiful lighting and a befitting color grade; the only downside being with costume choice. After deciding to give the music video a vintage theme, a few characters in the film were off by a couple of decades: the sax girl’s dress, the cobbler’s clothes, and the haircut and shirt of the man carrying a batch of green banana; all looked a tad bit misplaced in the kind of 70’s theme.
Ultimately though, “Turn Up The Vibe” is an awesome song, which deserves all the massive airplay and hype it is receiving.
Watch the video here.
