Welcome to the program, Asha Naava Grey Zziwa. So many names!
Alright, there were those names but then there were certain changes made after discovering my lineage; so, the Zziwa is no longer there. We discovered that my father comes from the royal family as well.
And the Grey…?
The Grey name came about when I was looking for a name on Facebook. I remembered Grey’s Anatomy and I was like let me just put Grey because I used to love Grey’s Anatomy.
How do you feel?
I would feel flattered if I were told that folks after folks chose my music as their best [on Desert Island Discs]. It is an honour. It is like a dream come true. Before I began music, I never thought people would like my music, because I was writing it for myself.
When did you get into music?
I am the last born of five. I used to look up to my older siblings. I thought they were better than me because they were multi-talented. When it came to music, they were perfect. My father was a good artiste, though he was a businessman. He used to draw and paint. Our first-born plays cricket and we have doctors, but they all love music more.
I take a song back to my sister and she will be the first to criticize that it is lacking. So, I thought I was not good as they were; so, I couldn’t place myself with them. In school, we used to sing but I was afraid to go out and sing.
So, to whom are you born and how was your childhood with them?
I was born to Prince Mulondo [RIP] and Princess Ndagire Tracy. My mum’s father was half Irish, half Muganda. Last born… spoilt brat I must think. I think so.
At one point I didn’t have sense of direction because I had all these people to look up to. And the music bit, we loved music, but my father did not think music could get us anywhere. He was like, “go read your books.” It is only mum that invited the singing because she liked to sing.
Where did life take you in terms of school?
My mum was a nurse. At one point she went to Nairobi and I followed her there, where I started studying and then I came back. I went to Buganda Road primary school, then Kibuli SS, for one year.
I had to go to a range of schools that I cannot name right now. I was always moving with my mum because I am the last-born and others were in boarding schools. I think I needed mum because I was so vulnerable. There was no way she could leave me anywhere. I went through so many experiences.
From relationships to giving birth at a tender age [she had a baby at 18]. That gave me a sense of independence and I realized I could do so much by myself.
How many kids do you have?
I have one. She is 13.
Does she sing?
She used to sing when she was younger. But now she likes to speak more. She started to love journalism. She is an artist, because the father is a painter. She loves to draw, dance, and plays piano.
Folks have said you are one of the most underrated Ugandan musicians.
I think the way other artistes do it, they have to put their private life out in the open. I don’t do that.
I can swear to you that many people have listened to your songs and know the name Naava Grey, but cannot pick you out of the crowd.
That derives more from where I come from; how we were raised. We were not let out of the house and if they found you outside, it would be a serious beating. There were certain boundaries and a sense of protection.
So, that carries along with you into your career as a musician, or are you running other things and music is just a hobby?
Of course, once in a while there are other things I do like family businesses and other stuff like real estate. I am always singing to myself. We could be seated here and I feel like I want to write.
It flows naturally. I do not plan music and I can tell you that there are songs that are out there and I did not plan them. Ninga Omuloge. That is like the listeners’ favourite. Ninga Omuloge came in like 2009. There was a song that was playing by Mafikizolo and it had this specific instrumental that led me to Ninga Omuloge.
I remember I was cleaning around the house and then I wrote it. I completed it in 2012 and went to studio. We recorded the song at 2 am.
But what does it mean?
I am like the bewitched, but bewitched in a good way. Love kind of thing. People keep asking me, were you in love when you wrote this song? But it was actually during the time when I was facing a crazy breakup with the father of my child.
At what point do you stop studying?
There was that point during the Tusker Project Fame competition but before it came, in 2006 I was sleeping and I dreamt of myself on that stage and people were cheering me on. When I woke up, I was like will this actually happen? In 2008, my family urged me to go for the competition.
I passed the auditions, but it was really surprising and shocking because I had never sang to people [outside family] before.
When you walked out of Tusker Project Fame, what was on your mind?
I was like OK, I did not win [she was a semifinalist]; so, let me just go and carry on with school and everything. But because of that stage, I got in touch with so many producers; so many artistes wanted me to help them with certain songs.
Because of the training at Tusker Project Fame, I knew how to write songs and embarked on my career. But before that, I met [music producer and the man behind Fennon Records] Steve Jean, through GNL Zamba. There was a concert and I was backing GNL, and Steve Jean happened to be around.
One day he gave me a call telling me he wanted me to go to his studio and do some voice check and maybe we could start working together. I went to his studio and he introduced me to producer Michael Fingers, who had just come back from the UK and wanted to start a production house here.
I sat down with him and he played me a couple of beats he had made and there was this one he had called the New Day Beat and that became the Nteredde beat. In the morning I went to record the song. It was just the chorus and after listening to it, Steve Jean could not leave the studio.
Everyone was like, this song is already a hit. I went back and wrote the rest of the lyrics and everything worked out.
How did you feel the first time you heard your own song on radio?
I cannot explain that moment. It was like something new and different to me.
What is the biggest stage you have graced?
There was a stage in South Africa where they had all these international artistes. It was like a fest in 2014 when I had just released Soka Lami. It was huge and so many people…
What kind of phobias do you have?
Being alone, like staying in the house alone. I do not want to be around strangers though the music has kind of helped me to adjust. Like living in the Tusker Project Fame house for that long surrounded with strangers was tough.
What is your favourite dish?
Chicken. And I love to cook my dishes.
And how do you wash down your favourite dish?
Water and juice. No wines or any other alcohol.
Naava, where do we see you in the next five years?
I have plans to build foundations, run advocacies and continue with music because I can never depart from it.
Transcribed by Ernest Jjingo.
jjingoernest1@gmail.com
