Mbatumidde’; Prince Nelson shines in new season song, outs video

It is that time of the year again.  The Easter celebrations are upon us.  All over town, Televisions and Radios will be beaming songs in celebration.  Once such song that is likely to get a fair share of airplay is ‘Mbatumidde’ which was released by  award winning singer  PRINCe Nelson.

In his song Mbatumidde, for example, PRINCe Nelson’s lyrics invoke fond memories for anyone who has ever celebrated Christmas, Easter and EID in the ‘pre-soda-everyday-everywhere’ era, the ‘pre-rice-and-meat-everyday’ era, and the ‘pre-wardrobe-full-of-clothes’ era

The song has been released this Easter Season. Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence.

In such a period, families, friends and people unite to have special holidays. Other board planes, tube or train to go and be with their loved ones in these holidays, so PRINCe Nelson decided to sit down and compose Mbatumidde song to bring together families and loved ones.

In Mbatumidde song, a Luganda word meaning’ Greetings ’a young man who has lived in the states for a long time gets back to the fonder memories while growing up in his native nation as such a season starts.

The song was written, directed and produced by Prince himself.   It was recorded at  Vault Studios Katy Freeway, Houston Texas engineered by Dave Williams former drummer of the OJs.

The guitars were by Mike MacMahon, Drums by Dave Williams, Saxophones by late Gerald Gray (former saxophonist for Tina Turner) backups by Tamara, Tiffany, Latoya and Claudia Harrison of Brookshire Texas.

Advisory for arrangement of instruments were done by legendary Calvin Owens and assisted by Late legendary Rapper Bushwick Bill.

This  young man goes ahead to sing about the memories of home of great wild life, landscape, the aroma of culturally prepared food and most importantly the fact that all that is free.

The memory of the dusty, beautifully curved and paved roads that bring childhood memories, all the former places he grew up visiting and enjoying, all that brings back the memories of such a season.  It pains him so much that in the states he has to part away with money to make such lifetime memories. When he is singing these lines in the song, you simply don’t want him to stop. The song is such a tune!

The song then was remixed at JEEB Records by Engineer Crouch, more guitars by Mike Ouma and saxophones by Jose Sax. Luganda backups by Nikki and Joana Hearts.  Mixing and Mastering Engineer was Herbert Skills. He did it in Sterns Studios  UK while the video is directed by Kim XP.

With such memories in the young man’s mind, he sends his seasonal greetings to his family through a phone. It is emotional and painful though.

Even when the song starts playing, you immediately get the feeling of a holiday. As it goes on, then you conclude that East or West, home will always be the best.

Well, Mbatumidde is a composition of rock guitars, synthens, state of art Pianos well played around with. As I personally listen to this song, I am made to pick up the phone and send my warm greetings to my mother in the Village and wish her happy Easter.

Well, Mbatumidde’s song justifies the magic of such a Season. They never grow old. More peculiarly, though, such Season songs produced in the 1970s and the 1980s still rule the airwaves today, Prince Nelson as a singer is slowly taking over.

PRINCE Nelson songs are dusted off every Festive season and played on repeat until the New Year sets in. Only Boney M, the occasional Mariah Carey (O Holy Night) and George Michael/Wham! (Last Christmas) can punctuate Nelson’s humus groove.

Mbatumidde is one song off PRINCE Nelson’s album titled Road to Babylon. The Album has around 8 songs.

A section of radio stations in Kampala say that tonnes of domestically-produced Holiday songs don’t tell good Seasons stories but Prince Nelson changes this. He brings similar charm like the decades-old sounds of Boney-M or late Lutaaya.

It should be recalled that apart from legendary Lutaaya, Prince Nelson is the only Ugandan who released enduring Christmas memories in song.

 His lovely Azaalidwa song is a Christmas carol sung, celebrated and played on all TV, Radio stations globally since its release in 2006.  Prince Nelson is cleverly using nostalgia to make his music and legacy immortal.

In fact, a quick Google search for ‘Ugandan Christmas Songs’ pulls up Azaalidwa. This is a fact. The challenge he throws at Uganda’s artistes interested in creating a Christmas legacy, is to get a good team of professionals that can combine talent and give us very good Christmas songs

Well, have a happy Holidays! May you all send Mbatumidde song to all your loved ones.

About PRINCe Nelson..

I got my question answered when a couple of weeks ago, I was involved in an industry grapevine chat, where I asked the question: who is handling Prince Nelson lad?

The answer was: He manages himself. Good stuff – that certainly explains a lot. It explains why one of the most talented singer is set to  future more frequently on the charts.

PRINCe Nelson is freakishly good – and he features a wonderful diverse array of musical abilities.

PRINCe Nelson’s music career kicked off when he went to the US as a cultural exchange specialist with African Cultural Exchange, an organisation whose goal is to show Americans and Africans the beauty of both cultures. Nelson steadily grew into an established artist.