Vinka explains why her maiden concert took longer than expected – Sqoop

Why Vinka was in no rush to hold a concert

For years, Ugandan music fans had one question for Vinka: When are you finally going to have your own concert?

Despite being one of Swangz Avenue’s longest-serving artistes and building a catalogue of popular songs, the singer kept her maiden solo show out of reach while some of her labelmates took their turns on the big stage.

Now, as she prepares for her first ever solo concert, Vinka Live & Loud, scheduled for Friday at Lugogo Cricket Oval, the singer has explained why she chose to wait.

According to Vinka, she simply did not believe she was ready.

“The brand Vinka was not ready, but as of now, it’s grown. The voice is grown, the songs are in plenty, it’s a big body of work and I have understood this work more,” she said.

Her decision meant resisting the pressure that often comes with having a hit song or enjoying a surge in popularity.

While many artistes use a successful run to quickly announce a concert, Vinka wanted to first build enough music and a strong enough identity to sustain an entire show.

That patience also meant watching some of her Swangz Avenue colleagues get their moment before her.

Azawi, who joined Swangz years after Vinka’s journey with the label had begun, held her maiden Azawi African Music Concert at Lugogo Cricket Oval in July 2022 before following it with another show at Kampala Serena Hotel in October 2023.

Winnie Nwagi, another of the label’s established artistes, also held her concert at Lugogo Cricket Oval in September 2022.

Vinka, meanwhile, continued building her catalogue and fan base without a headline concert of her own.

Her relationship with Swangz Avenue also goes deeper than her career as a recording artiste. She spent years within the label’s ecosystem, initially working as an artiste manager before eventually becoming one of its performing artistes.

That makes the arrival of Vinka Live & Loud significant not only because it is her first concert, but because it marks a moment she believes she has worked towards patiently.

Over the years, she has built a recognisable identity through songs such as Love Panic, Chips Na Ketchup, All Over You and Lalala, establishing herself as one of Uganda’s notable pop and dance music artistes.

For Vinka, therefore, the concert is not about catching up with colleagues who got there before her.

It is about finally reaching a point where she believes the artiste, the music and the brand are ready for the demands of a solo show.

“I did not want to rush it,” is essentially the message behind her explanation.

And after years of fans asking when she would finally headline her own concert, Vinka now has an answer, August 21.

This time, she believes the wait has been worth it.