Music Competition

Unfortunately, along with a lot of other posts, this one is way overdue! A couple weeks ago, our team found out about a primary school music competition that was being hosted here in Mbale. We thought it’d be a cool cultural experience, and also a good way to be more involved with the schools, so Sarah and I wanted to attend. On the day of the of the competition, we had some other things to do, but since it was an all-day affair, we showed up a few hours after it started. As we approached the gate to Northroad Primary school (where it was held) we saw a small crowd of people outside. We joined the crowd to see what was happening. Apparently they had closed the gates, and since the place had filled, they weren’t allowing any more in. So as Sarah and I were standing around deciding what to do, a man inside the school comes up to the gate and starts yelling, “Open the gates! Let them in!” We didn’t really know why, but suddenly we were invited in and the gates closed behind us. Then we walked up to the table where you pay for entrance. There we saw another teacher friend, Apollo. He spoke with us for a minute, and we asked him how much it cost to get in. “Oh, for you it is free,” he said. We assured him we’d be willing to pay like everyone else but he insisted. So we left the table and made our way to the hall where the performances were happening. I began to see why they weren’t letting any more people in, the place was packed! So much so that you really couldn’t move much. Chairs were long since gone and people were just packed in every corner. Dancers were lined up waiting to go on stage, and I began to wonder how we’d even make it inside. But then a young man spotted us, told us he knew where we were sitting, and parted the crowd until we got inside. There we saw some other volunteers from our group and sat with them, after others insistently gave up their chairs to us. Once seated, I heard the MC talking. He said, “And we’d like to thank our American dignitaries who have just joined us…” American dignitaries? If only he knew that I was a nobody in the US! We hadn’t met most of the people at this competition, but just because we were from America they treated us much better than we deserved.

The dances and performances were awesome. I was impressed with the energy of the youth and their creativity in costumes. They also did some speeches and poems, some of which I videotaped and could show you when I get home!