By the time the first saxophone note curled into the cool Kampala night, it was already clear this would not 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 wanted to share it with my peeps, as my young son would say.”
And indeed, it was that kind of evening—intimate, unhurried and deeply personal. Less spectacle than deliberate gathering, the concert followed the quiet, faithful path that has defined Katumwa’s three-decade career. A self-taught saxophonist with deep gospel roots, Katumwa 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 remained grounded in spiritual conviction.
Even during years abroad, his journey was 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 a warm, humorous tone. “Whether you are down here by the pool with us, or seated up in the house, you are all most warmly welcome,” Kasyate announced, before pivoting to light-hearted housekeeping. “As the night wears on, 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. On stage, 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, guiding 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,” he said, pausing before adding, “except at Christmas, when we allow ourselves a few classics.” For many in the audience, the material was new. Katumwa had not officially launched the album in Uganda. 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 on stage. 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 do not disappoint.” He asked the audience for a brief prayer. The applause that followed was softer, heavier. Christmas, Katumwa reminded the crowd, is ultimately about love. “I am in love with love,” he said.
“What is love if you do not share it? What is love if you do not give it? If I cannot feel it, if I cannot see it, then what is it?” Introducing What Is Love, he voiced a truth many nodded along to. 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 that tonight, he still has work to do.” Beyond the music, the night marked a turning point. Earlier this year, Katumwa marked 30 years in music.
“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 did not do billboards,” he said.
“This was intentional. The fact that you are here speaks volumes.” 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, a homecoming, a 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.”
