2015, besides bringing us politics and the Pope, it brought us good videos. We saw Sasha Vybz taking videos to a higher level. We saw artistes dropping sweat to create creative concepts. It was a musical year. And each passing year, the videos get better, thankfully. These are the top 10 music videos that cut it this year.
Busabala by Maurice Kirya
Sasha Vybz was on this. Have you watched it? You should. Great storyboarding. Creative concept. Impeccable shots, especially that shot where a shoe was thrown at Maurice Kirya as he raced out of the house. And, of course, it was a good song. If you watched it on mute, the story would still come out nicely. It was a rural setup that resonated with the lyrics. And Maurice showed his acting prowess on this, too. Great song. Great video.
Sili Zari by Sheebah Karungi
The song borders on the controversy. But that’s not the point. The talking point is on the video. Sasha was on this as well. It opens with a shot where Sheebah was seated on a toilet, flipping through a magazine, her undies dropped to her knees. Who would think of that? It takes a weird mind to come up with such odd shots. And that takes the biscuit for me. The camera angles were great, typical Sasha Vybz. The lighting in that darkened and crowded room showed a skillful Sasha at work. It was a great video. But, of course, Sheebah is not Zari. Is she?
Twatoba by Pallaso and Davido
Pallaso was a bomb last year. He was everywhere; TNS was on its peak. But things started falling apart like Chinua Achebe would say. However, Pallaso released Twatooba and dragged Davido on the remix. They shot a video as well. It’s great. I love it. It’s pretty hard shooting in the dark. You have got to know how to play with the lighting. This wasn’t a shabby video.
Juicy Juicy by Radio and Weasel
To me, this is one of the best songs of this year. It’s memorable. It’s catchy. It’s danceable. It’s cheeky. It’s sweet. It’s juicy. Now, put Sasha Vybz behind the camera, get a few girls (mostly models) and a one Sheila Saltofte. Tell them to wear dazzling white attire around a plush home with pricey drinks. Shoot anything on sight. It’s tedious to shoot all that clutter. It’s harder to make the video synch with the audio. This? Well, this is a great video. The storyboarding wasn’t bad. And everyone in there seemed to be having fun (must have been the drinks). There is a touch of professionalism in it too which, for the most part, lacks in most of the videos.
Mbilo Mbilo by Eddy Kenzo
Sitya Loss was a huge opener for Kenzo. The bar was set high. And he had to churn out videos that matched the viral latter. Surprisingly, Kenzo had stuck to the script. His videos, most of them, are great. Mbilo Mbilo, too, was a great concept. However, he needs to stop using kids in his videos. It’s turning to be predictable.
Kamboyine by Maro
It opens with Maro staggering out of a shanty rural home. The house is muddy. He has these torn clothes on and a hoe, but his signature hat remains perched on his rugged hair. He strolls over into the village. And that’s it. I love it because it has that raw ‘Ugandaness’ in it. The concept is rich yet simple. And it’s a great song, this. Mid-song, people break into choreographed dances. Those take much shine. But the village setup was the highlight of this video.
Simple Girl by Lillian Mbabazi
It’s not a popular song. It’s not a popular video. But that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s a great song with equally a great video accompanying it. This has to be one of the best videos of this year if you look keenly. The storyboard was great here. Scene-after-scene, shot-after-shot, everything was flawless. And they shot numerous scenes that followed a love story of a simple girl. This is great work, Lillian. Great work!
Otubatiisa by Irene Ntale and Sheebah Karungi
Shot by Swangz Avenue, Otubatiisa is a great piece of art. The two girls are selling like a hot rolex now. The hype was worth it. And video wasn’t shabby. It showed how multitasking Swangz Avenue can be; produce the audio and shoot the video, too.
Trouble Maker by A Pass and Ekky
Ekky is a great artiste. A Pass is massively talented. Get these two together and they will make trouble. It’s a great audio. And the video? Wow! Just wow. There is something unexplainable about the visuals of this song. It’s well-crafted.
Tubonga Naawe by All Stars
Pull off the hat of politics and replace it with a musical hat. Let’s face it, Tubonga Naawe is a good song. It’s catchy and danceable. It’s insanely memorable it sticks on the walls of your head. And Sasha Vybz was tasked to shoot the video. There are unnecessary scenes like when the artistes lugged the yellow jerry cans. What was that for? It’s odd. But the lads looked to be having fun in the vastness of Namboole Stadium. Now, shooting those egotistical folks is quite a hard job (they had Bebe Cool, Chameleone, Weasel and Radio in the same space). And Sasha miraculously pulled it off. However, the greatest shot in the video is the bungee jumping shot. That was epic! Good song. Great video.
Staff Writer
