Notes on Kampala (from Nairobi in transit)

After a brief trip back to London to chair the BBC Performing Arts Fund Urban Bursary auditions (the best so far - really great, impressive people. The nominators did us proud!) I'm back in Africa, but East this time.

I first went to Kampala in 1999 for the British Council. At that time I'd visited around half a dozen African countries. Although the trip came to nothing (the BC pendulum was swinging in the "no arts" direction that year), I was really struck by the beauty of the city. It's built on hills - 7 apparently, like Rome, Lisbon or Sheffield(!). It's a really verdant place. Maribou Storks hang around like gangsters in the trees that line the streets of red red earth. On my short visit in '99 I thought it was my favourite African city. Nine years and another half dozen countries later, I think it still is. It's not just the surroundings, it the people. Friendly, confident, proud. I was in the city to work with the team to identify who should be on the WaPi advisory board for events that are due to start in July or August. I met some really impressive people: designer and music entrepreneur Geoffrey Ekongot; singer songwriter Tshila; and, probably the person who impressed me most, Abramz of the Uganda Breakdance project. We went to one of his regular classes held in the open air one evening. There was around 80 to 100 young people divided into 4 or so "classes" of different levels. One was working on up-rock, one on foot-rock, another on floor work (learning windmills). It wasn't only the level of the "students" that was impressive, it was Abramz as a teacher. He's a really good dancer (but didn't seem to be a "pace-setting" type of teacher) - infinitely patient and good humoured. He'll definitely be a key part of WaPi in Kampala. I was accompanied by the artistic force behind WaPi in Dar Es Salaam - Zavara. Zavara's a Tanzanian rasta who (like Blaze) is a natural people-person. He's got time for everyone. All too often, too much time. We had to drag him out of every meeting we had as he wanted to talk and talk and we literally had to push him into the car to catch his flight home. James, our driver, later told me that Zavara had not only missed his flight, but had wanted to stop to take pictures of the lake on the way to Entebbe. James told me Zavara didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He left him in the check-in area, talking to four new friends that he'd picked up in the queue.

So Dar Es Salaam next, to see WaPi in action tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it, though not the mosquitos (pronounced "mos-kwee-toes" in these parts) they bit me to ribbons the last time I was in Dar - they're vicious. The bite you through your jeans!