Great art, low turn out
Artists make a painting at the event. Courtesy photo
A large black sculpture that appears like a scorpion with long-toed limbs, white thorny back and grey head stood positioned in the middle of Bukoto Street in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb. As dancers swung away to mixtures of urban pop music with African instrumental sounds on one end of the street, models showcased local designers’ outfits and artites got revellers singing along.
The 9th LaBa! Festival of the Arts, therefore, gave its audience a variety of art forms, whose marriages have developed over time. Carolyn Crisco, the director of Goethe Zentrum Uganda-German Cultural Society, says LaBa! festival has had very different faces, attributing the dynamism to the artists who sit on the committee. Even though LaBa! is a market and exhibition space, “it creating new experiences and a space where people can enjoy in Kampala, loads off traffic,” she says.
Showcases from artists Giovanni Kiyingi, Batalo East and Tabu Flo dancers made for entertainment, as did music from Santuri deejays.
Fashion shows toured this century’s clothes in fabric, painting, animal print, which allowed young creative plays about with recycled costumes in straw, feathers, silver wrapping. Gloria Wavamuno’s work reflected the future of our fashion industry and the possibilities it has to offer. Buyi Pheel, a new entrant in the fashion industry, showed a vibrant collection off his label Koolo. Sema infused calabashes to make chains and necklaces, while Medman brightened up with colour.
Though free of charge and despite its rich artistic offerings, the festival did not draw large crowds, a telling of the local appreciation of the arts, especially visual art. No doubt, a lot of awareness is needed in this industry.
