Graffiti painting on one of the steel doors leading into one of the many entertainment spots at Nalongo Busia Uganda tells the story of a place oft patronized but rarely admittedly so.
The soldiers represent the Ugandan state. In Nalongo, they are there to maintain order, but not the law. She of white eyes and mouth must represent the bevy of beauties on supply and the depths one can fall fraternizing. Of course, Nalongo is not the place to fall in love, but with at the right amount, you’ll find some love.
The Power of Graffiti Art & Hip Hop in telling the story of Nalongo Busia Uganda
Writing for the blog 21st African, Lwandaz Tales traces the roots of Graffiti Art, explaining why this form of expressionism is so powerful. If you are yet to visit Busia on the Kenyan side, kindly ask your local guide of your desire to visit Nalongo for a drink and to sample some of the world famous Ugandan street food. Trust me, it won’t disappoint. Only then will you appreciate the picture and what Lwandaz Tales talks of when he writes:
Quite often, this trigger that spurs action (towards righting societal wrongs) is some form of oppression. Whilst the (corrective) action almost always eventually mimics the nature of the trigger, part of spectrum of release of societal tension is usually some form of physically harmless creative expression. This reaction to events around the artist that is biased towards expression of feelings rather than physical objects (in their environment) is what gives graffiti art a standing as a form of expressionism. True art is real and life mimics art. With graffiti art, these sayings could not be more apt
Some time in the late nineties, a Kenyan hip hop group with a leaning on social consciousness in their music churned a hit song ‘Pesa, Pombe, Siasa na Wanawake’ . It was a lyrical tale of the four sisters: money, alcohol, politics and women.
Pesa pombe siasa na wanawake (pesa)
Ndio zitafanya wanaume wauane (pombe)
Pesa pombe siasa na wanawake (siasa)
Ndio zitafanya wanaume wazunguke (na wanawake)Pesa pombe siasa na wanawake (pesa)
Ndio zitafanya wanaume wauane (pombe)
Pesa pombe siasa na wanawake (siasa)
Ndio zitafanya wanaume wazunguke (na wanawake)-Pesa, pombe, siasa na wanawake lyrics –
Karaoke
Where at these sisters reside (you might ask)?Try Nalongo, at the Busia border side of Uganda . Everyone who’s reveled there claims that it’s the sin party capital of the region that banks Lake Victoria that both Kenyans and Ugandans call Samia. On the Busia point of the Kenya-Uganda border, the party never ends.
Subscribe to Mulembe Weekly
Get culture, language, stories and discussions in your inbox every Friday 5 PM East Africa Time