Jazz saxophonist and composer Isaiah Katumwa has paid tribute to Afrigo Band’s Moses Matovu, describing the late musician as a major inspiration to him and generations of Ugandan musicians.
Katumwa said Matovu’s decades-long career demonstrated that Ugandan musicians could dedicate their lives to music and build lasting and respected careers.
“Moses was far more than one of Uganda’s greatest musicians. He was a pioneer, a mentor, an inspiration, and one of the people whose life helped many of us believe that a serious, lasting music career was possible here in Uganda,” Katumwa said.
He said Matovu had already helped create a path for younger musicians long before many of them found their place in the industry.
“Through his musicianship, his discipline, his consistency across decades, and his love for the craft, he became part of the very foundation on which generations of Ugandan musicians have stood,” he said.
Katumwa said Matovu’s journey also influenced his own career, particularly when he was starting out as a young musician.
“As a young musician finding my way, I looked at people like Moses, and I saw proof that an African musician could dedicate his whole life to the art and be respected for it. That example meant more than he may ever have known,” he said.
He urged the public and the music fraternity to remember Matovu for his contribution to Ugandan music rather than only the circumstances surrounding his death.
“It is difficult to speak of a life of such significance only in the context of the circumstances in which it ended. I choose instead to remember the decades that came before that final moment—the music, the stages, the lives touched, the musicians encouraged, and the quiet ways he shaped our industry,” Katumwa said.
He described Matovu’s death as a major loss to Uganda’s music industry, saying many musicians regarded him as an elder and a big brother.
“Uganda has lost an icon. Our music industry has lost one of its great pillars. And many of us have lost someone we regarded as an elder, a big brother in music,” he said.
Katumwa thanked Matovu for the legacy he left behind and the path he helped create for younger musicians.
“Moses, thank you for the music. Thank you for the road you helped build for those of us who came after you. Your contribution will live far beyond this moment, and your name will remain written permanently in the story of Ugandan music,” he said.
Matovu, one of Uganda’s celebrated saxophonists and a longtime member of Afrigo Band, died in the early hours of Thursday in Kibuli, Kampala.
