Opinion

The start of this year around January 15 my news feed had something to do with happy new year, new music alert and “Play01 drops new song holiday” which is apparently the latest single off his Aura album – which we have waited for, for years I guess. Trust the process fam!

The song is a holiday/weekend song. You want to extend your weekend or holiday or work leave but don’t know how to say it – “Holiday” is the song. If you are your own boss like the sample from MC Kats saying “I can quit anytime…” and you are on holiday this is your tune. It’s our new “Party After Party” of the lazy man and woman who hopes to enjoy time off work.

This was our reality before COVID19, before 20 March, 2020.

Born Kisubi Jacob, Play01 is a Jinja bred man (someone say East Side in Winnie Nwagi’s “Matala” voice), he wished to extend his holiday, he likely did like someone else out there who controls how and when they work – the free time he always wanted was unfortunately granted to him. What should he do?

Through Jan 15 to March 18 we were singing, “don’t call me, don’t call me (am on holiday)” but now the recent video says we are on lockdown.

The “Holiday” music video is likely the only attempt at visualising life right now. It’s a lock down video. The story, is centred on a masked Play01, through out different days of national lock down, in the house.

The first days he can afford to pour down a Johny Walker, till we realise he is on a Bond 7 and now economising the ka toilet paper role he is left with. You see a middle-class man struggling to stay afloat since there is no business, eating capital and savings. This is every person’s story who can’t afford the previous luxuries. He can’t go out!

On the outset, Lockdown challenge and accompanying videos from radio personalities, friends, rappers where featured. The Mith, Cleo The Sphnyx, Daudi Oguti, The Jaluo, comedian Daniel Omara, Andre Otim are some of the notable acts. They add to the vibe, each individual shows or tells how they are keeping it down during this Lockdown.

The story is told with ease, opening with the HE Yoweri Museveni’s address about the 21 days extension to featuring him working out – takes away the frustration. we

We are in it together when we start watching The Sphynx bake cakes, or Wake vibing to the song, and even seeing comedian Tumusime make an appearance.

Economically things are going easy for most average Ugandans. It’s hard to extend your holiday in our economy. We all thought it would not last so long, the Lockdown is still on. Play01 didn’t know we would be on some sort of emergency holiday, but he has embraced the situation and told his story with the assistance of others.

The last frames, show Play01 dress up to go out, reaches the door, a person coughs, a header says “14 more day” of lockdown – that’s our reality. We can’t go out for long. Like how Martha Smallz sung on the same song Play01 is featured: it ain’t safe outside. Stay at home, social distance and sanitize.

It’s beyond holiday. A new normal is upon us and we have to adjust and rethink how we live socially, economically and beyond.

Watch “Holiday” below.