Ah! Like who?

No! Saagala ntalo (I don’t want wars.)

OK, first give me an a cappella sample.

[Laughs] Are you serious? Are you going to write about that? [Anyway he accepts and sings his most popular song –– Obubadi].

Impressive! So, where have you been?

Around. I just started singing in 2017 and I have seven songs and I have just released one this year, but I also have collabos with other musicians. I have a collabo with Sheebah, Grenade, Vinka (Sweet Love), Daddy Andre and Prince Omar (Kyayoya).

Some critics say you sing as if you are being strangled.

[Laughs] That’s true, but that’s my style. It’s called drunken style and it’s a bit versatile. I can do reggae, ragga and anything else, so long as that’s what is demanded on the market. I always tell DJs to remove sound and I give people a cappella when I’m at a show.

You have many songs; which one is your favourite?

It is called Makanika – it is my latest single. It needs a lot of my time … it is a love song and it is worth listening to. I was inspired by King Saha (Halo Halo) song, Bebe Cool and Winnie Nwagi. Please tell your editor to put my Instagram (@johnblaq official), Twitter (@johnblaq) and YouTube (Johnblaq) handles for me in the story!

Man, ekyo kirango (that’s an advert) I should bring you an invoice!

[Laughs] I promise to pay when I become a celebrity in the near future.

For a colleague at work, you are the biggest celebrity if there ever was one…and I’m sure she would like to know if you are married.

I’m very, very single! It’s time for music, and music is like a woman that needs care and love. If you don’t give it care, you will flop. I have seen many flops because they rush into getting beautiful women, forgetting their music.

But musicians are known for having many women…

True, it’s said that musicians are womanizers, Rastafarians, take booze and smoke weed, but I don’t use anything; in fact, I’m always sober. I don’t want to womanize and get diseases.

These things; you will be under pressure, if you are to get a girlfriend, she must be beautiful – for instance Zari and Diamond [Platinumz] and some fans when they realize you have a girlfriend, they shun you.

Good you know there are diseases! Now, your life away from music…

…still it is about music. I’m always doing interviews related to music. I have not invested a lot, because music has not paid me much.

[Quick Talk decides to shock him with a topic change:] And how many boxers do you have?

What! [Hahaha…it worked!] You’re going to write that? Ok… [Appears to be mentally counting] I have 20; I buy in dozens and I wash them myself before I take a bath.

Why don’t you sing in Lusoga as the trend is?

I’m a Musoga and proud of being one. Don’t worry, I will be producing a song soon and it will be targeting the Lusoga market. By the way, people prefer Luganda and Kampala market is big; if you break through in Kampala, then you are done! We have many regional musicians that are ‘upcoming’ for years because their music is just for that region.

Let’s talk about education.

Sasoma nnyo (I’m not very educated); I went to Lwanda and Hassan Tourabi primary schools where I did my Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Bweyogere S.S (Hassan Tourabi Secondary School) for both O and A-level. That is where I stopped and I started doing music.

My father is Musa Waiswa Zodolo and my mother is Annet Nabirye; my father was a Catholic who rebelled to become a Muslim. [Ohhh…no wonder he had no qualms with his son returning to Catholicism, Quick Talk muses to himself.]

justuslyatuu08@gmail.com