Do you consider yourself lucky because you have the gift to begin with?
I don’t think I am lucky; I think I am blessed. There are many times my luck runs out but my blessings never stops. Everybody does not have to understand my journey. What matters is their support.
Do you think you have an advantage because you come from the musical Mayanja family that also gave us Chameleone, Weasel, AK47 (RIP)?
In order to be successful in life, you have to take every opportunity at full advantage; so, yes, maybe I would have been a different artiste if I did not come from a musical family, but we shared a lot.
Tell me about your first time on stage…
My first time on stage was during nursery school on a speech day; they put me in the back because I was tall, but I remember wanting to be seen. I was very active in school. My name was written everywhere in every school.
Which schools where these?
I moved to different schools because I was stubborn. I went to Happy Hours nursery and primary school, Mengo Senior School, Kasawo SS, Kithende College School, St Augustine’s College and finally graduated from high school at Pennsylvania High School.
Before we go into the music, are you currently seeing someone?
Yes, I am currently seeing someone, though she does not want to be in the limelight.
Tell me about your first song; who produced it?
My first song was recorded by my brother Jose Chameleone. It was called Obulamu Bwakiseera.
And there have been many since; your album Change; what is the story behind it?
Change was an album I produced by myself. It features another brother of mine, The Mess. It’s sold at Number Four in Maine, at all the Bull Moose music stores.
A lot of music on it was inspirational and inspired by true events of life. All the music videos on the album were also directed and produced by me. It was the last album I released in America.
But Uganda is my home and I missed being around my family.
You were one of the founders of the successful Team No Sleep; why did you leave then?
It was time to move on and you need to find your horizons and climb new mountains. I left because it was a time for me to leave.
Your song Malamu is about love. Who inspired it?
My love life experiences, through real-life, through fictional life, true friends through family and also through everyday experiences, all inspire my music.
It is such a beauty! Now, is the Ugandan music industry moving in the right direction?
I think finally it is. We are working so hard to re-introduce the sound of our own and music back into the audience. People have been lost to foreign sounds and that kills the originality, but we are working on it and I think we have done a great job.
Many musicians are abandoning the trade for politics…
It is our country politics and everybody is allowed to participate in their country’s politics, everybody’s allowed to grow or change, and we should all give others a chance to grow and change.
After Malamu’s huge success, what next?
Nalonda Nemala is my latest single and its topping charts from YouTube to radios to newspapers… everywhere it has gone viral. Then there is Sikyegomba featuring Govnor Ace, Ndiwuwo featuring Ava Peace. Romeo and Juliet featuring Feffe Bussi is already out.
What would you tell upcoming artistes?
Work hard and be patient; good things take time.
atiluknathan@gmail.com
