Koffi Olomide to grace Kampala charity concert

Congolese lingala star Koffi Olomide was expected to arrive in the country last evening.

Olomidde is slated to perform tomorrow at a Monitor Publications Limited-sponsored charity concert aimed at raising funds for the first private blood bank in the country. The initiative is a brain child of Rotary Uganda.

The France-based artiste was invited by Rotary Uganda to perform at the Red Music Concert that is raising funds to construct the first private blood bank in the country. The organisers expect to raise Shs1.5 billion to kick-start the project.

Sharing stage with Olomide will be Uganda’s Jose Chameleone, Rema Namakula and Grace Nakimera. The show takes place tomorrow at Lugogo Cricket Oval .

Mr Emmanuel Katongole, the district governor of Rotary District 9211 recently told the Daily Monitor that the concert is one of the measures that the Rotarians are undertaking to raise the required Shs1.5 billion.

He explained that currently, Nakasero Blood Bank (the country’s only one) is overwhelmed by the blood demands it receives for emergencies. And the new blood bank will be housed at Mengo Hospital.

Olomide, the popular artiste
Olomide is one of the Congolese musicians who dominated the Ugandan music scene in the 1990s. According to an end-of-year listenership survey by Capital FM in December 1994, his song, Papa Plus (popularly called Senga) was the second most popular song in the country.

Born on August 13, is in the northeast of DR Congo, Koffi Olomide is a graduate of Bordeaux Business University in France where he earned a diploma in Business Studies in 1980.

Now, 57 years old, the musician started out as a song writer. His first composition, Onia, was a success. He ventured into recording his own songs as a vocalist. Eventually, he formed his band that he named Quartier Latin, in 1986.

Meanwhile, Rotary International’s top brass arrived in the country to participate in Rotary District 9211’s annual assembly and conference that started on Wednesday and runs up to Saturday.

Rotary bosses in the country
District 9211 includes Uganda and Tanzania. Mr Dong Kurn Lee, the chairperson of the Rotary Foundation and one-time president of Rotary International, is the key note speaker at the occasion.

Speaking after his arrival on Tuesday night, Mr Emmanuel Katongole, the governor of District 9211, said: “It is an honour to host someone of Lee’s stature. Previously, we have been having past governors and past directors gracing such events. His presence is a statement that the status of rotary in Uganda is recognised and growing” Mr Katongole said.

Mr Samuel Owori, a former director of Rotary International, and past district governors Geeta Manek and Stephen Mwanje are attending this year’s conference that is underway at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

The Monitor

UM– USEKE.RW