Derek Debru

Derek Debru co-organizes MTN Nyege Nyege Festival, „a twisted gathering where 4,000 gays come and practice open sex and evil rituals in a lush green forest,“ as described by an informed critic, though the organizers themselves tend to consider it to be a transformational festival. The annual gathering is an offshoot of some of the most notorious underground parties in Kampala and an annual reunion of many different East African scenes, while also serving as a platform to present the sounds of two homegrown labels: Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala. The labels are part of Boutiq Studios, an open and safe space/arts incubator for East/Central African artists to reside, create, and collaborate on music and film projects, set up by Debru and Arlen Dilsizian in early 2016.