The ninth edition of Blankets and Wine is slated for Sunday 3rd May at the Uganda Museum grounds in Kamwokya and Kenyan singer Eric Wainaina is on the cards as the main performer.
The festival is stamping its mark as one of the events where Kampala’s yuppies, snobs, corporates, socialites and the clueless with a little money to spend enjoy a picnic style concert. The idea is to carry a blanket, mat or suuka, lay it on the museum lawns and sip on wine as you watch live music performances. Well, there is not as much wine as Tusker that is provided by the events sponsors, so it could as well be renamed Blankets and Tusker.
The last edition in December had South Africa’s Freshly Ground. Blankets and Wine being an event for a “fine” crowd not your Kiggunda masses, many pretended to know Freshly Ground music, even humming along to the rhythms, but they only came alive when the band did Waka Waka, their 2010 World Cup theme song with Shakira, and Doo Bee, that had everyone singing along, Do Bee Do Bee Do.
We guess it will be the same story when Wainaina hits the stage as the only song Ugandans know is the 2001 hit Nchi Ya Kitu Kidogo (Country Of Bribes) that won him international recognition for preaching against corruption in Kenya.
The “flossing” of watching the respected Wainaina aside, Radio and Weasel will be there to heat things up with their catalogue of chartbusters. World music singer Susan Kerunen and Janzi Band will also perform.
Tickets usually cost Shs75,000 at the gate, but advance tickets are selling at Shs50,000 on kaymu.co.ug.