THE STAGE COACH ACADEMY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Every year, the Pearl Rhythm Foundation searches for young and fresh artists to mentor, to meet its objective of contributing to a larger pool of authentic, creative, and original music talent in Uganda. Any artist can audition, and those with the most potential are selected to go through a three-month mentorship program, including studio production and rehearsals, to prepare them for their Pearl Rhythm Festival performances. The Stage Coach artists’ best works are included in an annual Pearl Rhythm compilation CD, which promotes these new acts after their launch at the festival. The academy has produced up to 24 urban artists whose careers have taken off with most of them featuring on both local and international stages, including awards.
Stage Coach Kampala targets urban-based emerging artists in their prime years of 18- 25, while the community outreach targets the rural-based indigenous talent holders to create a link between the urban and grassroots communities. This in turn creates a fusion sound which is appreciated in the urban, rural as well as on international platforms. This group also includes those who are eager to take on training and skilling opportunities that the platform offers, especially for college and university students. In 2023, Pearl Rhythm Foundation, with support from Empresa GmbH, launched its first stage coach community outreach to tap into grassroots cultures to interact and identify indigenous talent holders.
The Pilot community outreach started in Kisoro, found in South Western Uganda, bordered by the Republic of Rwanda to the South, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the West, Kanungu District to the North, and Rubanda District to the East, home to the endangered Batwa community and the mighty Gorillas. Under this outreach program, Pearl Rhythm mentored 33 community artists whose careers have taken off, with most of them featuring on platforms and have also engaged in collaboration projects with urban artists. The Stage Coach Academy has produced up to 24 urban artists, with most of them becoming household names locally and gracing international stages such as the Busara festival, Afrima awards, Hipipo awards, and other international touring circuits.
100% of the artists and sound trainees who take part in the festival and other activities are in-house made under the Stage Coach Academy and Pearl Rhythm mentorship program. Additionally, three graduates of the program are currently trainers of trainers, while two have established their own production houses in Kampala to continue the legacy. (Joses Arinaitwe and Gordon Mugoda) “We learnt a lot from the classes and this made us grow vocally, lyrically, and mentally as artists. After the music classes, we were taken for studio sessions, all fully sponsored by The Stage Coach. The Pearl Rhythm Foundation allowed us to perform at the Festival, where we had to put to use all the skills we had acquired from The Stage Coach classes, and it was a huge success for us to grow musically in such a short time. The Stage Coach sponsored our first-ever live show dubbed ”Unveiling the Undercover Brothers.
SELECTED STAGE COUCH ARTISTS
Monthly Activations
Pearl Rhythm activations are mini-festivals held at the National Theatre every last Monday of the month from June to September in the lead-up to the main event. They show off the Stage Coach acts, new and old, and give people an idea of what they can expect at the main festival. These activations are free to the public done in partnership with the Uganda National Cultural Centre, and may also provide opportunities for other partners to contribute and engage with the Pearl Rhythm Festival audience. The Pearl Rhythm activations have changed the efficiency and quality of live performances of artists who participate at the Jam session. Consequently, this has attracted quality audiences, some of whom follow the annual Pearl Rhythm festival and boost ticket sales. The monthly activations are an opportunity to enable interns, trainees, and budding artists to master their craft as well as it being a platform to interface with potential promoters and future performing opportunities.