INTO THE B’RAKA LAND

Last weekend we got our visas stamped as we took a trip into the B’raka Land. After a Euro-tour through Denmark, Finland and others… All the way to a sold out show in London, the fastest rising star on the African continent came back home to Kampala to deliver an epic concert on 29^th November 2025, one day after dropping his debut album, JUVIE.

In one weekend, Joshua gave us so much to unpack. So, let’s start from the Music.
We have seen Joshua evolve from projects like Baby Steps, where songs like Tewekweka exposed some of us to his talent, all the way to Watershed, which let people know and confirm that he was for real. We journeyed with him through his Growing Pains, where the continental appeal was beginning to ring true, and then he gave us Recess. Through these many projects and countless features, Joshua has showed us his talent, consistency and heavy work ethic. It was constantly Moves on Moves until we finally got JUVIE.

Right from One of One, we knew we were in for some flames, and we did not have to wait to get them because the next song on the album, Morocco, delivered all the heat and then some. The song is a Banger, and from early reviews and reactions on the socials, it is clearly a crowd favorite. Joshua immediately follows this up with Dive In, which was released earlier as a single, so we already knew that JAE5 and Joshua Baraka had given us an anthem. The project does not slow down at all, as he continues into Still Young, another early crowd favorite, which confirmed that we were four for four with eight to go!

One of the things that made the listening process epic was the sequencing. After starting with all that heat, Joshua gives us a mini interlude, before slowing down the tempo with one of my favorite songs on the Album, This Time. It is a well written song with silky melodies and smooth vocals that will definitely appeal to the fans that are into his more afro RnB side.
Joshua kept the energy going with State of My Heart, which features Kenyan sensation, Bien, which he followed it up with Wrong Places, which spent most of 2025 as the number one song on Apple Music in Uganda and was by far the most streamed song on Spotify in Uganda this year.
Joshua Baraka’s Juvie makes for a nice, smooth and simple listening session, right from the start, all the way to the final song, So Low, featuring The Compozers, which was a perfect way to close the project and leave us on a high note.

By the time we got to Ndere Cultural Center for the concert, we were pumped and ready to get right to it. Those of us who knew all his projects and collaborations were eager to see what selection of songs he had picked to sing to us. Those of us who have watched him perform multiple times in the past were eager to witness his growth on stage and to be a part of yet another chapter of his story. Overall, there was a high dose of FOMO in the air. Before Joshua even sang, the show had already hit a number of positives in my books; great price structure from the early bird to the last day – This was perfect to allow the core fans to access and afford their night out with their superstar.

Another win for me was the strategic partnerships, from Talent Africa to Bell Citrus and Mirinda– this set up the perfect vibe and energy, making the drinks and food affordable, enabling every fan to have a total blast in this economy, especially with DecemBAR loading and Kampala about to throw event after event our way. By the time Joshua jumped on stage, the crowd was fully charged and ready to go! Shout out to Joshua and his team for ticking all the boxes.

The performance was great, overall. Joshua had great song selection, and did not leave us feeling as if we’d missed out on anything. He catered to the different fan groups that were present, from the day ones to the late comers. He even delivered some extra throwback fire for the older fans too. He picked the right collaborations in A Pass, IzabelUG, BigTril, Mun G and Maurice Kirya. We were not left wanting. And for any little thing that didn’t go according to plan, I just got more excited, because it just showed that there is still room to grow, and we can only trust that he will step right in and through that room.

Keep streaming JUVIE Here