(Kampala) – Ugandan musician Gravity Omutujju has faced more bumps than a taxi on Kampala Road during rush hour, but after his underwhelming concert at Lugogo Cricket Oval last Friday, he is not about to hit the brakes. Despite performing for a “handful” of fans—something even a village football team wouldn’t brag about—Gravity has claimed he remains unfazed. Instead, he has promised to give it another shot, like a boda-boda rider determined to squeeze through traffic gridlock no matter the risk.
As the saying goes, “Enkumbi telimba” (the hoe doesn’t lie), but in this case, the numbers at Gravity’s concert told a different story. The turnout was smaller than expected, and adding salt to the wound was the faulty sound system that decided to malfunction right when Gravity hit the stage around midnight as if they just were not in the mood for another concert.
However, Gravity wasn’t ready to let a little thing like low attendance or bad sound rain on his parade. Speaking at a press conference the day after, he did what any self respecting Ugandan artist would do—vowed to try again. “This was just a bad day,” Gravity said, shrugging off the event like a farmer shrugs off a bad planting season. “You can have a good business and one day things don’t go well. A big football team can also lose a match,” he added, likely drawing inspiration from the spirit of the KCC FC after one of their less than stellar performances.
Gravity is no stranger to the ups and downs of showbiz. After all, this is the same man who once boldly declared that he could take on the entire Ssentamu family in a music battle—except for Bobi Wine, of course. But for now, it seems the battle was not with the Ssentamus, but with the forces of Lugogo Cricket Oval.
Comparisons were inevitably drawn between Gravity’s performance and singer Mikie Wine, who was staging his maiden concert on the same night at Jahazi Pier. While Mikie Wine’s show was reportedly packed, Gravity, with a straight face, insisted that his crowd was still bigger—just spread out over a much larger venue. “The people who were at Lugogo were not so many, but if you take them to Jahazi, they might shut it down. That is according to me,” Gravity said, reminding everyone that while numbers might have been low, it’s all about perspective. Jahazi Pier, after all, is like a katogo bowl compared to Lugogo’s ludo board.
Comedian Patrick Salvado took to X (formerly Twitter) to offer Gravity some wise words of advice. Salvado urged his fellow entertainer to embrace the reality of the situation, stop justifying himself, and move on. “Dear Gravity, let it go. Sometimes things don’t go the way we plan,” he tweeted. Salvado reminded Gravity that Mikie Wine’s success should be celebrated, not undermined. He concluded with a philosophical touch, adding, “These are earthly things… ate Omutonzi yasalawo”—loosely translating to “God has already decided.”
| Concert Comparison | Gravity Omutujju at Lugogo | Mikie Wine at Jahazi Pier |
|---|---|---|
| Venue Size | Large (Lugogo Cricket Oval) | Smaller (Jahazi Pier) |
| Crowd Turnout | Sparse | Sold Out |
| Sound Issues | Yes (faulty sound system) | No |
| Performer’s Reaction | “Just a bad day” | Celebrating success |
| Next Steps | Vows to try again next year | Riding high on concert success |
Gravity’s attitude, however, remains as buoyant as a bicycle boda-boda rider taking on a potholed road. “I’m going back to Lugogo. I’m to try again,” he promised, no matter how many seats were empty this year.
Of course, this whole ordeal would not be complete without a dash of bravado. “If you’re out there as an artist celebrating my loss, you need to realise that I’ve filled up Lugogo five times,” Gravity said, challenging his detractors to ask themselves just how many times they have managed the same feat. It is like a market vendor boasting about how many pineapples they sold last month, even if today’s sales are low.
He claims like any true Ugandan hustler, he is ready to pick himself up, dust himself off, and head back to Lugogo for another attempt.
