One of Uganda’s biggest Afrosoul artists, Kenneth Mugabi, has revealed that he got his big break in the industry from performing on the Fun Factory Comedicine stage at the National Theatre.
“While we were on campus, a friend of mine called Shamim pestered Mendo (Teacher Mpamire) to take me to the National Theatre and give me a chance to perform – which he did. He introduced me to Richard Tuwangye, who asked me to come and perform the next Thursday, and that’s how it began.”
He added that his song ‘Kibun’omu’ was a crowd favorite and that when he had his first concert titled ‘Strings of My Soul’ in October 2018, almost the entire audience had come from the weekly comedy show.
Mugabi has since captivated audiences both in Uganda and beyond with his acoustic guitar, mellow voice, and poetic lyrics and will be hosting the ‘People of the Land’ concert on 24th November at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
“All this is thanks to the opportunity I got from the Comedicine weekly show,” he added.
Richard Tuwangye, one of the founding members of Fun Factory, said, “The Fun Factory stage has nurtured several talents over the years – both in comedy and other creative acts, and we are proud of the impact we have had and continue to have on the country’s creative industry.”
Fun Factory will be celebrating 20 years of weekly comedy this weekend with the Big Sunday comedy show with Uganda Waragi at the Kampala Serena Hotel – where all the group’s legends of comedy including Richard Tuwangye, Veronica Tindichebwa aka Tindi, Dickson Zizinga, and others will be performing.
Hillary Baguma, the Uganda Waragi brand manager, said, “Uganda Waragi celebrates all things that are authentically Ugandan, and as the biggest supporter of comedy in Uganda, we are proud to be supporting platforms that provide opportunities for creatives from all over the country to showcase their talents and grow their crafts.”
In addition to the Fun Factory group, Big Sunday will feature performances from Dr Hillary Okello, Agnes Akite, Lilian Mbabazi, and Janzi Band, as well as a yet-to-be-revealed surprise after-party performance from a leading Ugandan performer.