Uganda: The Pioneer is Going Global

 

Uganda: The Pioneer is Going Global

The Monitor (Kampala)

February 2, 2007
Posted to the web February 1, 2007

Phoebe Mutetsi

It's a Monday afternoon and Mohammed Swabri better known as Redsan has to fly back to Kenya, but just before he walks out of Hotel Africana, he's promised to let Its Friday find out how his last three nights in the city of fun (Kampala) were.

Before this interview, the Kenyan musician has to clear the hotel bills and officially check out. But when he comes down to the hotel lobby laden with luggage and ready to check out, there seems to be a hitch at the reception. Bebe Cool tells him that the hotel bill is a lot more than the expected.

Dream studio's top-notch music producer Washington Ebangiti and Bebe Cool had come to see him check out.

The problem seems to be the unclear numerous phone calls that were made from his hotel room. " I don't know these phone numbers, if people came into my room and made calls, I'm not going to pay for them," He says.

Amidst all these arguments and co-accusations, he's smiling. To a female staff, he says; "Look, the only Ugandan I know is Bebe Cool, and none of these [pointing at the receipts] is his phone number, besides, the signatures here don't match mine, so how can I be billed for expenses I didn't incur?"

This argument is not about to end so I have to interrupt because otherwise we might end up driving to the airport together.

Still smiling, he leaves Bebe Cool and Washington to handle the bill scuffle and apologises for the delay.

"You're not doing any interviews before we clear this mess," Bebe calls him. "Well, I have cleared what I have to," Redsan answers and proceeds for the interview. After a few niceties we start off. Did you enjoy your stay? "Oh very much, until just then," pointing at the hotel's reception, he says, "But its all good. I had a great time. Kampala people showed me so much love and both my concerts were very well attended. I am really grateful."

Redsan says Uganda is becoming popular with East African musicians and especially Kenyans because, "It is a haven for an East African musician. Ugandan people have so much love and they appreciate their local musicians," he says, adding that unlike the Kenyan media which is hell bent on killing the local artiste, the Ugandan media, celebrates and promotes local musicians.

"You have big media houses like the Daily Monitor and WBS Television all interested in the musician's work. But the Kenyan media continues to report how we [local artistes] have nothing worthwhile to offer and how we're never going to make it on the international scene," he reveals.

And making it on the international scene appears to be all Redsan is focused on this year and the years to come.

"I have been focused on the international scene for about one and half years now," he says. "Since the last time I was in Uganda [early 2005] I went back and decided that it was time to move on to the bigger challenge - the international scene."

Redsan says that he has since hooked himself up with new management Monalisa, who are based in Miami, U.S. And it is this U.S based music label that created, recorded and produced his third album The Pioneer.

"Before Nameless and all these star Kenyan musicians, I was there. I am the first new age musician to emerge in and out of Kenya, and the people know that. So they call me 'the pioneer.' I am the pioneer of Kenyan music as we know it today," Redsan explains why he refers to himself and his third album, The Pioneer.

"All the songs on this album are in English because it targets the international audience," he informs. And with his international album, Redsan says he has toured most of the world promoting it, his name, his music and his home country.

"I can safely say, that I have successfully launched myself on the international scene."

The album's lead single, Touch, has received massive airplay on MTV Base.

Red San's Touch video can be cast with Sean Paul's Gimme de light, and Rihanna's Pon Da Replay. " Like I said, the Touch music video was strictly for the international scene. The choreography was done in France. Most of the girls in that video are French."

He says that the fast paced hip hop/ dancehall music video was shot in France but put together and produced in Miami.

In 2005, Red San revealed to Daily Monitor that Chameleone, himself and Bebe Cool, comprised the original East African Bashment Crew (EABC). But today, the EABC is comprised of Bebe Cool, Wyre and Nazizi of Kenya's Necessary Noise.

So what happened to the original trio, why did Chameleone and he (Red San) break off? "We started out as East African Bashment Crew to break through to the fans.

Uganda: The Pioneer is Going Global

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We were all starting out, the music industry in East Africa was non-existent then, so we needed each other. But when we broke through, we then wanted to grow as musicians and pursue different kinds of music, separately.

Like if you listen to our music now, Bebe Cool's music is different from mine, Chameleone's music is different from Bebe Cool's and mine is also different," he explains.

But what about Ogopa Djs, the Kenyans that apparently gave these three East African stars their big break? " Ogopa did not give us a break. We - Bebe Cool, Chameleone and I sought out Ogopa. We financed Ogopa, we made them famous, we gave them their break not the other way round," he says.

Redsan says that the three of them had to leave the Ogopa Djs because "Ogopa's main goal was to make music for the East African market, to hit big with East Africans not the rest of the world. Yet East Africa is home, the people at home are already acquainted with us so why not break through the foreign waters?" he argues.

And East Africa does love Redsan. His shows at Club Rouge, Steak Out and Lido Beach over last weekend were all a sell out.

"People in Kampala show me so much love. I love performing in Kampala, there is so much positive energy and the shows are always great," he says, noting that he had more fans than he could have imagined, especially at Lido beach.

 

"There were 6,000 people at the beach concert," he says. "It was so much fun." "So you must be loaded now," I joke. "Yes I am, the people paid very well," he confirms.

Redsan says that he is likely to be back in April for an Easter show or in August to launch his fourth album. And for all lovers, he's releasing a single on Valentine's Day called Desire. "It is in English and I know Ugandans will love it." At that, the boys (Bebe and Washington) come to remind him that he has got to go.

"Please indicate that I am really grateful to all my Ugandan fans," he beseeches, "I had a great time over the weekend."