Brinsley Forde, the ex-frontman of legendary British reggae outfits Aswad, is set to hold a charity tour in Uganda this August.
Information we have gathered indicates that there are ongoing talks between Forde’s promotional team and Silk Events to organize the tour that will feature concerts in Kampala and Gulu.
And as part of the build-up activities, we have been told, the 59-year-old two-time Grammy Award nominee will address a press conference in Kampala a few weeks from now. His short stay will also see him identify potential partners for his tour, which will be more for charity than profit.
“Brinsley wants to start up a charity project in Uganda to help resettle Kony war victims as well as street kids in Kampala,” Forde’s ground team has told us, revealing three out of the five proposed shows will be free to raise money for the charity.
Forde himself has recently written to The Observer expressing his interest in partnering with us on the charity project, which he says will involve a school, safe water programmes and possibly homes for the beneficiaries. It will be the second time Forde is coming to Uganda following Aswad’s thrilling performance at Serena hotel – then called Nile hotel – in 1995.
During that time, Aswad was at the top of their game with songs like Don’t Turn Around, Shine and Smile, commanding a cult following across the globe. Forde, however, quit the band in 1996 to concentrate on his acting and journalism careers. And the Uganda show could not be better timed given that the former child actor just returned to music after a long hiatus.
His debut solo album, Urban Jungle is set for release on June 6 but has created a buzz in the UK. Already, the title single, Can’t Stop Me Now, is currently the number one song in Britain. And to boost his Uganda charity project, Forde is planning on remixing the song with young local artistes.
