Blankets and Wine, for the past time, has been satirically associated with rain rendering self-styled creative souls to flip the Blankets and Wine coinage. And on Sunday afternoon, when dark heavy clouds hovered over Kampala, tension raised its dreaded feelers in our heads. I knew it was bound to rain and Blankets and Wine would instantaneously be Blankets and Rain. It never rained, thankfully. Actually, the sun came out in a dress and poured onto us like melting brass.
Anyways, by 2PM, the initial time of the event, Uganda Museum gardens had registered a handful of people. But numbers steadily increased in leaps and bounds, and by the time the clock struck 4PM, the greenish grounds choked with hordes and hordes of people with their legs stretched on fashionable mats.
Blankets and Wine – the social event that teems of the cajoled fragile Kampala middle class that comes to forget their insecurities, debts to the knees, and the middle age crisis. They drank wine and beer, and ate exotic food. They were dressed to the proverbial nines; the men, some of them, clad in trendy trousers as their counterparts, the ladies, ducked under huge hats with larger-than-life trendy shades and silky little garments. All this, they are ducked under umbrellas, slouched in seats or stretched on mats with music, pelted from the speakers, in their ears. Fun, innit?
The emcee of the day, Deedan, tried to engage the audience, giving out random freebies and goodies to, as you have guessed by now, folks who could dance well. And they danced, though not the best dance styles you would want to see on a daily basis, but, nonetheless, they danced for the heck of it. Plus, the wine was in their heads. Some went away with bottles of wine.
Musical performances began later in the day. They kicked off with Richie with his band and crooned to the best of his voice, singing most of his tracks, like ‘Missing You’. Novell Band followed thereafter with renditions of their favorite artistes. The people danced along in circles shouting thunderously, joyously still, and raised their glasses to the gods of happiness.
And when Irene Ntale walked up the stage, the fast-rising chanteuse took it home. She performed most of her tracks, actually all of them. From ‘Politrix’ to her sensational ‘Gyobeera’ track.
Darkness, later, inked the sky and the much-awaited Afrigo Band hadn’t stepped onto the stage. Maybe the people were a tad impatient, though they didn’t mirror signs of impatience. But when Deedan called the legendary Afrigo Band on stage, the people, all of them, wobbled onto their feet like a rookery of penguins. They shouted and chanted, loudly. With Rude Boy Devo, Moses Matovu and Joannita Kawalya, Afrigo Band showed that their music is indeed timeless and knows no age. Even the pretentious girls sung along to their tracks. They took a detour down the memory lane and performed their renowned songs like ‘Olimujawa’. Joannita Kawalya enchanted everyone with her timeless ‘Jim’ song.
Clearly, it was a fun-filled day. Thanks to Tusker Malt Lager who have continuously made Blankets and Wine a success.
BigEyeUg Staff