Joshua Baraka’s B’rakaland EA tour is making its final regional stop this Saturday, September 26, at Nkore Place, Mbarara, before focussing on the tour’s much-anticipated Kampala finale in November.
After sharing his B’rakaland experience and Keep Walking journey with audiences in Gulu, Arua and Mbale, over the past few weeks, Baraka heads to the land of milk and honey, this weekend, to share the experience with Mbarara’s gregarious lot, as the tour builds towards its biggest moment yet.
For Baraka, the road to Mbarara is another opportunity to do what the tour has set out to achieve from the beginning: take his music beyond the capital, meet the people who have followed his journey, share experiences and create new memories with audiences across the country.
It is also a fitting chapter in a year that has seen the artiste continue to expand his reach, from new music and bigger stages, to his appointment as Johnnie Walker’s Icon Walker in Uganda and the face of the brand’s new Keep Walking campaign.
The campaign’s philosophy- that progress is found in continuing to move, even when the destination is still ahead, has found a natural expression in Baraka’s own story.
His journey has taken him from Kawempe to becoming one of Uganda’s most recognised young artistes- globally, with every new stage bringing a different audience, experience and opportunity to grow. B’rakaland has allowed him to take that journey on the road, meeting and sharing with fans in their own cities, rather than asking them to wait for the Kampala show.
“Every stop on this tour has reminded me why the journey matters,” Baraka says. “You get to see people who know your songs, people who have followed your story and people discovering your music for the first time. Mbarara is the last stop before Kampala, so I am looking forward to making it count and sharing another part of this journey with the people there,” he added.
For Johnnie Walker, the partnership with Baraka is about celebrating that movement and the ambition behind it.
“Joshua’s story continues to evolve, and that is what makes his journey so relatable,” says Christine Kyokunda, Johnnie Walker Brand Manager. “He has continued to take his music to new audiences, embrace new opportunities and challenge himself to go further. Mbarara is an important part of that journey because it marks the final regional stop before the Kampala show, and we are excited to see him connect with another audience before bringing the journey home.”
With Mbarara marking the final regional stop, attention will now turn to Kampala, where Baraka is preparing for the B’rakaland EA finale in November.
The Kampala show is expected to bring together the different threads of the tour, the music, the audiences he has met along the way and the artistes who have joined him on the journey. Kenyan star Bien-Aimé Baraza and Ugandan songstress Naava Grey have already been confirmed for the Kampala stage, with more artistes expected to be announced ahead of the show.
But before the lights come on in Kampala, Mbarara is the city to be this Saturday. All roads shall lead to Nkore Place, this Saturday.
