When Eris Gino's four-year-old daughter Lola asked why a Ugandan superstar on tour in Australia couldn't come to their house in Hobart, she decided to try to make it happen.
Ms Gino's family are dedicated fans of Jose Chameleone but could not attend a mainland tour date several years ago as the venues were not suitable for young children.
Rather than miss out, Ms Gino contacted the tour promoter and asked if Chameleone could perform in Tasmania.
With little experience and "next to no budget", Ms Gino organised a Hobart concert her children could attend.
As Chameleone recently returned to Australia for another tour, Ms Gino reflected on how she enticed the musician to make a special visit to Tasmania in 2017.
Concert prompted by 4yo's wish
On a three-week tour of Australia in 2017, Chameleone had time to fit in an extra show – it was a dream come true for Lola.
"He was in our lounge room drawing elephants and braiding Lola's hair," Ms Gino said.
"It was one of those pinch-me moments.
"We were standing in the kitchen saying, 'We can't believe this is real, we can't believe he is actually in our house'.
"It was such a whirlwind."
When Ms Gino contacted the musician's tour promoter, Chameleone was already in the country performing.
The date provided by the promoter gave Ms Gino just six days to organise all aspects of a Tasmanian concert tour stop.
It was a first for the musician in his then two-decade career.
"I said, 'Oh my gosh, let's do it!'" Ms Gino said.
With a "teensy, tiny bit of experience", Ms Gino organised a venue and sound, security, flights, accommodation, meals, and her husband provided on-ground transport.
"We were selling tickets, and nobody believed us," Ms Gino laughed.
"When they realised he was actually there, a lot of people came up to us and said, 'I never thought I'd see him live in Africa, let alone Tasmania.'"
First ever Tasmanian concert
Chameleone's popularity spans generations in the Gino family: Ms Gino's husband Lawrence listened to his music when he was 10 years old and living in Uganda.
"He's huge, he's had a long reign as well — he's East Africa's Beyonce," Ms Gino said.
The artist has won a slew of music awards, including continent-wide African music awards and a European music awards nomination for Best African Act.
Lawrence Gino has memories of watching him perform on the streets of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.
"He used to hire a big, flat-tray truck and do a live show on there and drive around the city," Mr Gino said.
"All of the kids would follow him, and I was one of those.
"He's more than an artist, he's someone you look up to."
Following the Tasmanian concert, Ms Gino said the family stayed in touch with Chameleone quite closely for a number of years.
He returned to Australia in March 2023 but did not do a Tasmanian performance.
Ms Gino joked about organising a concert, but with an additional two children taking their family to seven, life has become a "little crazier".
"It's one of those things, you really can't believe happened," Ms Gino said.
"I think Lola will always be a fan. When you've had that kind of experience, you'll always love the music.
"It was expensive and we were out of pocket a bit after ticket sales, but the experience was worth the outlay."
