The year 2000 was a momentous one for several reasons.It marked the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st.On top of that,it marked the start of the new millennium,hence the moniker Y2K,short for Year 2000.It was a time of old endings and new beginnings,a state of affairs that impacted Ugandan music as well.
Gone with the old millennium were the Congolese and overtly Jamaican rhythms that had defined the soundscape,as new acts merged the previously existing styles with a new form of local afrobeats and dancehall that would give rise to the the characteristic sound that came to be known as “Kidandali”.
Today,a quarter of a century later,it is the perfect time to take stock of the the numerous memorable runs by various artistes that have left their mark on the Ugandan music industry over the last twenty five years.
The initial idea was to document twenty five runs in twenty five years,but we realized that would result in so many notable acts being left out.And even now,with the list open ended,it is inevitable that some deserving names will be forgotten;such is the volume and diversity of art released in the modern era.
This list will certainly not be exhaustive,but we will try our best to include most of the stars,past present and future,who have defined the soundscape this century.
Some will be legends who have gone or will go down in history as some of the best to ever do it,while others will be acts who showed immense early promise but eventually flamed.Then there will be those who are at the peak of their powers right now,as well as those who are new on the scene but are threatening to become the new ruling class of the music industry.
This list will be published in installments,so be sure to regularly check the Drizpost website for updates.
So without further ado,below are some of the hottest runs in Ugandan music this century;
1.Queen Bella(2005-2008)
Long before Queen Sheebah and King Cindy wrestled for the crown of the dancehall,Queen Bella reigned supreme.Originally part of Roger Mugisha’s infamous Shadow’s Angels,she ditched dancing for singing,debuting with the 2003 release “Anekutte”,a collabo with Yvette Coffee.
But the pint-sized raggamuffin really took the throne with the zippy 2005 hit “Faasi”,a classic dancehall number about,well,Queen Bella needing enough faasi,street vernacular for space,when she is doing her thing in the dancehall.
Carried by the iconic opening lines “Gwe madam nga olya ku zizo emikono wagulu nyabo(Ehhh)/Nawe boss nga balya zizo emikono wagulu ssebo…”,Faasi was a revolutionary song,as before it few female artistes had broken out in dancehall,which was considered a masculine genre.
Queen Bella didn’t stop there.She consolidated her position with songs such as “Dodo”,”Endigi”,”Kikiri” and “Doi Doi”.The hits slowed down after that,but only after earning her a nomination for Best Dancehall Artiste at the 2008 PAM Awards.
2.Maro(2013-2015)
From one self proclaimed musical monarch to another.Magada Ronald AKA Maro AKA The RnB Kyabazinga went on one heck of a tear in the early years of the 2010s.
Maro’s breakthrough came in the form of 2010’s “Toneraaga”,a heartbreak anthem made alongside Empress and Mikie Wine.His newfound fame brought a record deal with Aziz Azion’s West End Entertainment,but subsequent hits then proved elusive.
Maro would find a working fomula in 2013 when he founded his own label Vocal Police.He promptly scored his first solo hit,”Genda Ewamwe”,advising women suffering domestic violence to return to their parents’ home rather than endure the torture.
It went on to be one of the biggest songs in the country that year,but Maro was only just getting started.He followed it up with “Rising Star”,but it would be 2014’s “Kyokoba” and 2015’s “Kamboine” that came to define his prime,as his soothing melodies in his native Lusoga captivated audiences all over the land.
3.Red Banton(2009-2011)
The quietly legendary Red Banton burned so brightly at and around the turn of the century that he was spoken of in the same breath as the so called Big Three.In fact,there are still those who insist that based on purely raw talent,he was on the same level as any of those legends.
His only issue was inconsistency,as he failed to replicate the success of the early Noughties,where he scored smash hit after smash hit,including generational tunes such as “Noonya Money”,”Bagala Alina”,”Kakoona”,”Ponytail”, to mention but a few.
By the latter part of the decade,Red Ba was becoming a relic of a bygone era.But then he got featured on Radio & Weasel’s 2009 album “Bread and Butter”,appearing on the track “Speed 180”.Red Banton was back with a bang.
“Speed 180” won fans’ hearts back as Red Banton,in his trademark homourous rhyming style,mocked his own downfall,including the iconic lyrics “…Abantu bali so dubious/Bakufula marvellous/They say you are such a genius/Yet you’re not a genius…”.
With new life breathed into his career,Red Banton didn’t look back.He quickly dropped “Balogo”,a comedic narration of the allegations of witchcraft that have always dogged the music industry.His association with Mowzey Radio continued to bear fruit,culminating into the defiant “Sijakuva Kampala”,which turned out to be Red Banton’s last solo hit.
His second peak would end with one final flourish.A memorable guest verse on Magic Washington’s 2011 hit “Magic Anthem(So High)” where he concluded by saying “No guns no fighting…murder!”.
4.Ngoni(2005-2007)
Before Radio and Weasel were dubbed the dynamic duo,the title belonged to Pato and Aydee,AKA Ngoni.
Consisting of Patrick “Pato” Nyanzi and Eddie “Aydee” Ddumba,Ngoni rose to prominence in the mid 2000s as they churned out a series of zouk and pop hits under their GoodEnuff Records label where they doubled as not only celebrated singers,but gifted producers as well.
The biggest of them all came in 2005 on the Mr. Mosh assisted “Digi” which contained the iconic line “Bwowogana nga mpet’ekoona/Wetegeke nyingiza gear”.
A clever club cut packed to the brim with sexual innuendo,it brought them a degree of infamy as they were criticised by some for making vulgar music.But the fans went crazy over it,and Ngoni indulged them,following it up with such hits as “Nasiima Gwe” and “Bigula”.
They would continue to have success well into the end of the decade,but mainly through collaborations such as “Nsotta” with Sizzaman and “Nina Omwami” with Desire Luzinda.
