By the time the first sax note curled into the chilly Kampala night, it was already clear, it was not going to be an ordinary Christmas concert. “This is my first Christmas in Uganda in seven years,” jazz saxophonist Isaiah Katumwa told the crowd, his voice steady but reflective.
“So, I just wanted to share it with my peeps, as my young son would say.” It was that kind of evening- intimate, unhurried, and deeply personal. A spectacle built on a deliberate gathering of people who had followed the music, some for decades.
For many in attendance, Katumwa needed little introduction. A self-taught saxophonist with deep gospel roots, the musician has spent more than 30 years shaping a distinctly Ugandan jazz sound- one anchored in faith, patience and quiet excellence.
His music, often described as prayerful and reflective, has travelled from Kampala to international stages, yet it has always remained grounded in spiritual conviction. Even during years spent abroad, his journey has been less about reinvention than calling, returning home not to start over, but to begin again with purpose.
From the outset, MCs Simon Kasyate and Siima Sabiti set the tone with warmth and humour. “Whether you’re down here by the pool with us, or seated up in the house, you are all most warmly welcome,” Kasyate announced, before pivoting into light-hearted housekeeping.
“As the night wears on,” he warned with a grin, “temptation may arise. Places of convenience may begin calling. Please—do not use the pool.”
Laughter rippled across the venue. “And let’s not cross the aisle, even for a good friendly cause,” Siima added. “Let’s keep it safe.” Backstage, the band prepared quietly.
Onstage, Katumwa let the music do the heavy lifting- original, unhurried and unmistakably his. “Every song has a title. Every song has a story,” he said, walking the audience through Welcome, Dance Again and Smile On, all drawn from his album Dance Again.
“The music I play is original. I don’t really do cover songs, except at Christmas, when we allow ourselves a few classics.” For many in the crowd, the material was new. Katumwa had not officially launched the album in Uganda.
But that, too, felt intentional. Midway through the evening, the mood shifted. “Today, I lost my uncle—who happens to be Hum Kay’s father,” Katumwa said quietly, referring to one of the musicians onstage.
Hum Kay had come straight from the burial to perform. “Sometimes in our line of work, we move like soldiers,” Katumwa added. “You show up. You deliver. You don’t disappoint.”
He asked the audience for a brief prayer. The applause that followed was softer, heavier- love made audible. Christmas, Katumwa reminded the crowd, is ultimately about love, and love, he insisted, must be felt.
He said, “I’m one of those people who is in love with love. What is love if you don’t share it? What is love if you don’t give it? If I can’t feel it, if I can’t see it- then what is it?”
Introducing What Is Love, he spoke to a truth many nodded along to: that love spoken but not shown leaves a hollow space. “Love has to be felt. Love has to be seen,” he said.
There were lighter moments too. The weather, Katumwa joked, had begun negotiating with his saxophone. “He doesn’t like the cold,” he laughed, patting the instrument.
“But I keep explaining to him- tonight, he still has work to do.” Beyond the music, the night marked a turning point. Earlier this year, Katumwa celebrated 30 years in music, a journey shaped by faith, perseverance and seasons when his path was misunderstood.
“After 30 years, you ask yourself- so what? Then what?” he reflected. “So, I’m projecting myself to 2026. I’m starting again.” He is back in the studio, working on new material.
This time, he says, the launchpad is home. “I want to project myself to the world from Uganda,” he said. “Not from the United States.” In that spirit, he introduced his new manager, Elizabeth Kyomugisha Mushabe, describing the Christmas concert as their first project together.
“We didn’t do billboards,” he explained. “This was intentional. The fact that you are here speaks volumes.” Elizabeth thanked the audience for braving traffic, weather and short notice.
“With this music, this team and your support,” she said, “we are going to do something great, not just for Kampala, not just for Uganda, but for the world.” As the evening drifted toward its close, Katumwa introduced Special Feelings, a love song with the tenderness of a wedding vow and the patience of jazz.
By then, the message was unmistakable. This was a concert, homecoming, confession of faith and a quiet promise of what comes next. Or, as Simon Kasyate had summed it up earlier in the night, with perfect timing and a smile: “What a way to close the year.
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