Bitone graced the states house in Entebbe on sat morning, performing for Uganda's own, president Museveni, and Burundian president Pierre Nkunziza. Nkunziza was visiting the pearl for 3 days, and Bitone helped send him off in style.
The performance was short and sweet (maybe 3 minutes) but Museveni spent a considerable amount of time talking with the kids afterwords, asking them each their name, age, and place of birth.
I was honored to shake his hand (sorry no picture), and he gave me about 8.5 seconds of his time to explain what I was doing in Uganda, and the work of Project Focus. The fact that PF is based in Lyantonde (very very near to where the big guy hails from) didn't hurt, and I was able to get him some PF literature. The security at statehouse was no joke and at first they weren't going to allow me to take any photos or video of the performance, but as soon as I dropped the names of some Lyantonde restaurants and businesses on the soldiers to prove myself, we got on just fine. Nepotism doesn't seem so bad when you're on the right side of it.
The kids were elated, and they are in the process of writing some personal reflections on the day for there own blog (bitonetroupe.blogspot.com), so keep an eye out. This is definitely the direction Bitone wants to be heading into, and the folks who arranged the show also promised future bookings for state diners and government functions.
A professional photographer from the New Vision newspaper took a few snaps for the whole Bitone crew with the president, and hopefully I'll be getting my hand son those soon.
Bitone graced the states house in Entebbe on sat morning, performing for Uganda's own, president Museveni, and Burundian president Pierre Nkunziza. Nkunziza was visiting the pearl for 3 days, and Bitone helped send him off in style. 
The performance was short and sweet (maybe 3 minutes) but Museveni spent a considerable amount of time talking with the kids afterwords, asking them each their name, age, and place of birth.
I was honored to shake his hand (sorry no picture), and he gave me about 8.5 seconds of his time to explain what I was doing in Uganda, and the work of Project Focus. The fact that PF is based in Lyantonde (very very near to where the big guy hails from) didn't hurt, and I was able to get him some PF literature. The security at statehouse was no joke and at first they weren't going to allow me to take any photos or video of the performance, but as soon as I dropped the names of some Lyantonde restaurants and businesses on the soldiers to prove myself, we got on just fine. Nepotism doesn't seem so bad when you're on the right side of it.
The kids were elated, and they are in the process of writing some personal reflections on the day for there own blog (bitonetroupe.blogspot.com), so keep an eye out. This is definitely the direction Bitone wants to be heading into, and the folks who arranged the show also promised future bookings for state diners and government functions.
A professional photographer from the New Vision newspaper took a few snaps for the whole Bitone crew with the president, and hopefully I'll be getting my hand son those soon.
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