Okello Bernard graduated last year from Entebbe School of Land Surveying and Management with a Bachelor’s degree in Land Surveying that he had been studying for 3 dedicated years plus one year of practice. But after his graduation ceremony, the graduate is now into the performing arts.
Today, he is a presenter at Jazz FM, one of the local radio stations, calling himself “Uncle Ben” where all his shows have no connection to his graduate course. Every day, he sits in a lonely studio room, surrounded by electric devices, microphones, speakers, wires, and speaks to himself, hoping someone outside there is listening to his shows and would one day make request for the music he or she would love to listen to. He also uses his show to inform the public of “gigs” that are happening around Kampala.
He hosts two shows at the radio station, one about the gigs, and the other, he hosts Ugandan Jazz artists in a weekly live sessions event where he brings artists to an up-close encounter with their fans. Last week, at the inaugural live sessions event, he hosted Apio Moro, an Afrosoul artist who sings in Japadhola and English, in a live jazz session through some of her favorites and some of the songs from her new album, Chuny Apech, explaining to her fans the inspirations behind every jam.
In a conversation with Campus Bee, Okello shared his story about the change of priorities even after all those years in land surveying school.
“I studied Land Surveying for 3 years, then I specialized in Mapping and Geographical Systems” he says. After school, he practiced with a mapping agency for a year before he quit it for music.
He remembers that his association with music has not been recent interest, but something that he has had for a very long time.
“I associated myself with music way back from High School” he remembers. Okello did his O’ level from Kiira College Butiki, a traditional single school for boys in Jinja, where he was also a member of a school choir group called “G-Club”. Here he offered music as an elective for the Uganda Certificate of Education in O’ level.
In his form 6 vacation, he joined the Mashariki Band in Jinja where he played the bass guitar, which instrument he still played for the band even when he joined Entebbe School of Land Surveying and Management in August 2014.
“My networks at campus were mainly in the gig/music circles compared to Land Surveying” he says. When he started practicing land surveying, he remembers that he did not find the practice engaging for him.
“So, I changed my mind to a career in performing the arts” he says. He did not get so much opposition from his “liberal” parents. His family has always been in the “showbiz” where they had engaged in promotions and events management.
“They used to bring international artists for tours in Uganda” he says, referring to the struggles of the parents that he grew up watching. His parents he says have always been supportive of his adventures and music being among them.
When asked if he would ever practice land surveying, he says he feels rooted in creative and performing arts.
“I am following my heart. I will focus on radio and the entertainment industry” he says. He is currently pursuing a course in music at the Africa Institute of Music.
Okello regrets not focusing on studying courses that had a connection with performing arts because music had always been his strength way back from school.
He advises students not to waste time in school if they think they would not be practicing the academics they are learning.
“Anyone reading this and still has a chance, I would recommend they follow their heart from day one”.
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