Uganda, is now ranked number three in Africa as far as music and entertainment is concerned. Uganda is home to over 65 different ethnic groups and tribes, and they form the basis of all indigenous music. The Baganda, being the most musically vibrant nationality in the country, has defined what constitutes culture and music of Uganda over the last two centuries.
This is an article about a Ugandan musical band.
Joanita Kawalya is a Ugandan musician and activist. She is a member of the Afrigo Band, the longest-lasting musical band in Uganda, which has been in continuous existence since 1975.
Frank Mbalire is a Ugandan musician and guitarist. He was one of the members of Afrigo Band.
Fred Masagazi (1937–2009) was a Ugandan "Afrojazz" musician. He was the first Ugandan artist to have his song played on the BBC, with his song "Kolazizo", in 1963.
Rachael Magoola is a Ugandan singer, songwriter, dancer, and politician. She is one of the members of Afrigo Band. In the 2021 general election she was elected to Parliament, as the women's representative in Bugweri District, for the National Resistance Movement.
Undercover Brothers Ug also simply known as Undercover Brothers are a Ugandan music duo composed of guitarist and vocalist Jay K Mulungi and vocalist Timothy Kirya, whose music career sparked off when they won the auditions and represented Uganda in the sixth season of East Africa's biggest singing competition Tusker Project Fame. The duo released their first album titled At Dawn in December 2014. In December 2016, their song Nsikatila was nominated in the Best R&B Song category at HiPipo Music Awards (#HMA) 2017.
Pius Mayanja known by his stage name Pallaso is a Ugandan recording artist, songwriter, producer and videographer. He sings in Luganda, mixes with English and sometimes Kiswahili. His music genre specialty is Afrobeats, Hip hop, Dancehall, Afropop, and RnB. His musical journey started back in 2000 when he started out at Leone Island, a musical group owned by his older brother, Dr. Jose Chameleone. He later moved to the US, where he lived for 10 years, before returning to Uganda in 2014. Upon his return, he set out to establish his now very celebrated musical career, and formed the group, "Team Good Music" which seems to be working well in the Uganda Music Industry.
Jemimah Sanyu, also known as the Stage Gladiator, is a Ugandan musician, performer, producer, and voice coach. She has a commanding stage presence with a very strong voice. Sanyu has met people like President Yoweri Museveni while singing at the I am a Ugandan album premier. She has shared a stage with top African stars like Habib Koite, Navio, Joanita Kawalya of Afrigo Band, and Juliana Kanyomozi. and many other African stars.
Giovanni Kiyingi, is a Ugandan folk singer-songwriter and world music artist. He is known for his skills as a multi-instrumentalist who plays the local Ugandan fiddle (endingidi), akogo, adungu, guitar, harmonica, flute, djembe, calabash, congas, drums, and maracas, among others. He was one of the Ugandan artists chosen to welcome Pope Francis to Uganda at Kololo on 27 November 2015.
Suzan Kerunen is a Ugandan world music singer and songwriter who performs African contemporary music in the local Ugandan language of Alur-Jonam as well as in English, Swahili and other world languages. She is a double Kora Award nominee who competed against Ethiopia's Michaih Behaylu, Astar and Bluz and Kenyan Wahu and a PAM Award winner. She was appointed Uganda National Tourism Ambassador to promote Cultural Tourism. Kerunen has shared stages with Africa's best artists and musicians including Kenya's Suzanna Owíyo, South Africa's Yvonne Chaka Chaka, ASA and other Diaspora artists at the KORA ALL AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS in Benin, Mama Africa Miriam Makeba, Oliver Mutukudzi, Third World, Kinobe Herbert backed up by Soul Beat Africa at The International Jazz Festival.
Nsikatila, sometimes spelt Nsikatira, is a world-pop love song by Ugandan music duo Undercover Brothers Ug. It was released as the second single from their first EP album and first major release, At Dawn in December (2014) and re-released in January as the first single from their 2016 album, Hitlist. Co-written by the duo's Timothy Kirya and Jay K Mulungi and produced by Jude Mugerwa, the lyrics portray a lover who stammers whenever he talks to his lover.
Nsikatila was in December 2016 nominated for Best R&B Song at the HiPipo Music Awards (HMA) 2017
The Milege World Music Festival or just Milege Festival is an annual music festival, happening every November, organized by Milege Afrojazz Band. The festival is a celebration of world music, games, cultural dances, stories, poems, and so on. Art pieces from the Repainting Uganda project are also displayed and sold during the festival. The festival invites many different world music stars from across Africa and sometimes from Asia, Europe, and America. The Milege World Music Festival of 2014 saw Japanese world star and world's first female nyatiti player Anyango perform.
Sheebah Karungi, professional also known as Queen Karma and Sheebah, is a Ugandan musician, dancer, actress and feminist activist. She debuted her acting career in Queen of Katwe as Shakira. After quitting Obsessions, a dance group she joined in 2006, she started making music and later rose to recognition upon the release of her hit single "Ice Cream". In 2014, she released her debut project Ice Cream, a five-track EP which did well commercially and led her to win back-to-back HiPipo Music Awards Best Female Artist in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. She also won the Artist of the Year award twice, in 2017, 2018, and 2019 at the HiPipo Music Awards.
Arinaitwe Rurihona, professionally known as Haka Mukiga is a Ugandan world and folk singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and dancer. He sings in a number of local languages including Rukiga, Acholi, Rukonjo, and Rufumbira.
Hannington Muhumuza Wacha, also simply known as Producer Hannz or Hannz Tactiq, is a Ugandan hip hop and Dancehall producer and DJ. He is the CEO of Hannz Records located in Makindye, Kampala. He has worked with most of Uganda's top hip hop and dancehall musicians including Navio, Rabadaba, Dr. Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool, Sheebah Karungi, Mun-G and many more.
Humphrey Nabimanya is a Ugandan social entrepreneur, philanthropist, peer educator, founder and team leader at Reach A Hand, Uganda. He founded the Ikon Awards.
Janzi Band, sometimes simply Janzi, is a Ugandan afro-fusion, contemporary and world music group formed on 27 August 2009 by Ssewa Ssewa and friends Abraham Sekasi, Jackson Kirya and Steven Oundo. The band has a hybrid repertoire of music, including notable covers as well as an original ethno-pop discography. The band has worked alongside a number of Ugandan musicians, including Lilian Mbabazi and A Pass.
Pearl Rhythm Festival is a world music festival organized by the Pearl Rhythm Foundation to celebrate Ugandan music and hosted annually at the National Theatre. The festival is the climax of all the activities in the Pearl Rhythm Foundation... Preparations for the festival always start at the start of the year with auditions, training, recording and activation performances and then the festival towards the end of the year.
