For four years, George Mulindwa has given Ugandans living in the United States a reason to brave the February cold, dress up and celebrate love to the rhythms of reggae.
His annual Valentine’s dinner and dance, Lovers ReggaeFest, has grown from a modest gathering in a hall into a celebration hosted at the Crowne Plaza, bringing together lovers rock, elegant fashion, live music and the warmth of community.
Guests arrive dressed for the occasion, friends reconnect over dinner, and the dance floor comes alive with reggae’s warm, unhurried rhythms. Amid New England’s winter chill, Mulindwa has created an event that gives people a compelling reason to leave their homes and celebrate together.
For him, Lovers ReggaeFest is more than another party on the diaspora calendar. It is a commitment to building a tradition where romance, music and a sense of belonging meet.
Mulindwa’s connection to reggae began in Uganda, where he developed his craft as an artist and worked at Radio Simba. His journey from Uganda’s radio and performance scene to a New England ballroom gives the festival much of its personal character.
At Lovers ReggaeFest, the music evokes memories of home, while the gathering reflects the lives Ugandans and other guests have built abroad. Lovers rock provides the soundtrack for slow dancing, intimate conversations and nostalgic reflections.
The festival’s fourth edition drew guests from California, Florida and Washington, DC, as well as visitors from the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden, demonstrating its growing appeal beyond the local Ugandan community.
Asked how he has sustained the event over four editions, Mulindwa shifts attention from himself to the people who have supported the initiative.
He acknowledges Maureen Asiimwe, chairperson of the Uganda Boston Community; Damali Nanfuka, leader of Spirit of Uganda; Geofrey Kaweesa; and Nsereko Simple of Radio Uganda Boston, among those who have contributed to the festival’s growth.
His appreciation extends to the artists, organisers and individuals who have helped turn his idea into an annual gathering.
“These people have made me. Without them, I would not be standing. I am so humbled,” he says.
Music remains at the centre of the Lovers ReggaeFest experience, with the Conscious Reggae Band providing the live accompaniment. The group’s members hail from Jamaica and neighbouring Caribbean islands, bringing a Caribbean influence that complements the festival’s Ugandan and wider African identity.
The band has performed alongside Mulindwa for more than a decade and has supported all four editions of the festival. Its continued involvement has helped establish a consistent live-music identity for the event, with the musicians expected to return for the fifth edition.
The band’s musical training is also a point of distinction. According to the organisers, every member has studied at Berklee and holds more than two qualifications related to their instrument.
Their contribution reflects the festival’s wider ambition: to offer an experience that combines entertainment, musical quality and cultural connection.
Fashion adds another dimension to the event, giving guests an opportunity to make a statement through their attire.
The best-dressed man and woman are each set to receive $500, while the winning couple will be awarded a night in a hotel suite.
The prizes add a playful competitive element to an evening built around romance, personal style and social interaction.
Following an edition headlined by veteran Ugandan singer Mesach Semakula, the next gathering is expected to feature Madagascar’s Reu-Niza and Afro-Caribbean Music Awards nominee Safia Leslie.
Ugandan performers Karitas Kario, Angela Kalule, Amanda Nas, Grace Sekamate and Bruno Semax are also expected to feature, bringing together different strands of Uganda’s music scene within the festival’s broader African and Caribbean setting.
The programme is also expected to include a live radio session featuring Ugandan presenters now living in the United States.
For members of the diaspora, the session will offer an opportunity to reconnect with familiar voices that once accompanied their daily routines in Uganda. For younger attendees, it could provide an introduction to media personalities who helped shape the country’s popular culture.
By bringing musicians, broadcasters and members of the diaspora together, the festival creates space for cultural exchange across generations.
Admission is priced at $150 and includes dinner and access to the live entertainment and other activities. While the programme offers music, fashion and socialising, Mulindwa’s broader ambition appears to extend beyond the event itself.
The festival’s value is reflected in the people who return, the friendships that are renewed and the relationships strengthened through a shared celebration of music and culture.
For Ugandans living far from home, such gatherings can provide an important connection to familiar sounds, personalities and traditions while welcoming friends from other communities.
After four editions, Lovers ReggaeFest has established a recurring space for romance, nostalgia and cultural expression. Its continued growth will depend not only on its performers and programme but also on the community that has embraced it.
Through Lovers ReggaeFest, George Mulindwa is giving love a reggae rhythm and creating an occasion for people to dress up, reconnect, sing along and celebrate the journeys they have made together.