Tshila

Last updated

Tshila
Tshila Bayimba Festival.png
Tshila performing at the Bayimba Festival in Kampala, Uganda
Background information
Birth nameSarah Tshila
Born (1983-06-10) June 10, 1983 (age 41)
Kampala, Uganda
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboard
  • kora
Years active2006–present
LabelsIndependent
Website www.tshila.com

Tshila (born June 10, 1983) is a Ugandan singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. [1]

Contents

Background

Tshila was born in Kampala, Uganda. [2] She wasn't raised in a musical family and didn't study music at any of the schools she attended as a young student in Uganda. [3] She completed her degree in software engineering in the United States of America, then returned to Uganda, where she began to develop her musical talent. [4]

Musical career

Back in Uganda, she began making music as part of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Bataka Squad. Inspired by the influence she could have through music, she taught herself to play guitar and started to experiment with her own sound. She recorded and self-produced her first album, Sipping From the Nile, in 2006. The album gained recognition from music critics around the world. In 2007, the BBC World Service conducted a talent search and named her one of the 20 best unsigned artists in the world. [5]

Tshila performed at international music festivals in Zanzibar and Senegal, and toured Europe, sponsored by the Austrian Ministry of Culture. Her musical blend of acoustic soul with hip-hop, traditional African music, jazz and spoken word poetry introduced audiences to her unique style of artistry. She collaborated with Johnny Strange of Culcha Candela and Stereotype from Vienna, Austria. She became an ambassador of the Afrika Rise Foundation and the Bavubuka Foundation, which offer underprivileged youth a way out of poverty through music and the arts. [6]

In 2017, she performed at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington, DC.

Tshila returned to the studio in 2018 to record and produce World in Crisis. The album is a musical message for the world that chronicles humanity's shared challenges and offers universal solutions. She addresses the social and political challenges the world faces, especially from an African woman's perspective. She cares deeply about the issues that affect Africans and people of color worldwide.

Tshila's mission is to create inspirational music as a force for positive change in the world.

Discography

Press

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauryn Hill</span> American rapper and singer (born 1975)

Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as one of the most influential musicians of her generation. She is often credited for breaking barriers for female rappers, popularizing melodic rap, and pioneering neo soul for mainstream audiences. In addition to being named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, Hill was listed as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. In 2015, she was ranked as the greatest female rapper by Billboard. Her other accolades include eight Grammy Awards—the most for any female rapper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fugees</span> American hip hop trio from New Jersey

Fugees are an American hip hop trio formed in 1990 in South Orange, New Jersey. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to prominence in the mid-1990s for their pioneering blend of reggae, R&B, funk and hip hop, which eschewed gangsta rap and made them one of the most significant alternative hip hop acts. They occasionally rapped in Haitian Creole, and were one of the first hip hop bands to incorporate live instrumentation during their performances, along with the Roots.

<i>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill</i> 1998 studio album by Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after the Fugees embarked on a hiatus, the album was almost entirely written and produced by Hill. It is a concept album about educating oneself on love, with lyrical themes encompassing relationship complexities, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. Predominantly a neo soul and R&B record, it incorporates genres such as hip hop, reggae, and soul, and features guest appearances from Carlos Santana, Mary J. Blige, and D'Angelo.

Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread African American influence. In 1985, hip hop reached Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Some of the first Senegalese rappers were Munyaradzi Nhidza Lida, M.C. Solaar, and Positive Black Soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Sudan</span>

The rich and varied music of Sudan has traditional, rural, northeastern African roots and also shows Arabic, Western or other African influences, especially on the popular urban music from the early 20th century onwards. Since the establishment of big cities like Khartoum as melting pots for people of diverse backgrounds, their cultural heritage and tastes have shaped numerous forms of modern popular music. In the globalized world of today, the creation and consumption of music through satellite TV or on the Internet is a driving force for cultural change in Sudan, popular with local audiences as well as with Sudanese living abroad.

Hip hop soul is a subgenre of contemporary R&B music, most popular during the early and mid 1990s, which fuses R&B or soul singing with hip hop musical production. The subgenre had evolved from a previous R&B subgenre, new jack swing, which had incorporated hip-hop influences into R&B music. By contrast, hip hop soul is, as described in The Encyclopedia of African American Music, "quite literally soul singing over hip hop grooves".

Contemporary R&B is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.

<i>MTV Unplugged No. 2.0</i> 2002 live album by Lauryn Hill

MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 is a live album by American singer Lauryn Hill. The performance comes from her 2002 MTV Unplugged special recorded on July 21, 2001, at MTV Studios in Times Square, New York City. Hill abandoned the hip hop sounds of her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) in favor of folk and soul songs. It was recorded while she was pregnant with her third child YG Marley. The songs were written solely by Hill, who performed them unaccompanied by a live band, while playing an acoustic guitar. It features lyrics about religion, police brutality, mental health and abuse of authority, along with spoken interludes about her personal and artistic struggles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doo Wop (That Thing)</span> 1998 single by Lauryn Hill

"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released as her solo debut and lead single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estelle (musician)</span> British musician (born 1980)

Estelle Fanta Swaray is a British singer, rapper and actress. She is known for her eclectic blending of musical genres including R&B, soul, reggae, grime, hip hop, and dance. She has collaborated with prominent American artists including John Legend, Robin Thicke, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, will.i.am, Kanye West, Akon, and Tyler, the Creator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keri Hilson</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1982)

Keri Lynn Hilson is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she began her musical career as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other artists under the wing of record producer Anthony Dent in 2002. At the age of 14, Hilson secured a record deal with the girl group D'Signe, which ultimately disbanded. She attended at Oxford College of Emory University while contributing to material for popular artists, including Britney Spears, Usher, Ciara, The Pussycat Dolls, and Mary J. Blige; she joined the songwriting-production group, the Clutch in 2004.

Boomba music, also referred to as kapuka, is a form of hip pop music popular in Kenya. It incorporates hip hop, reggae and African traditional musical styles. The lyrics are in Swahili, Sheng or local dialects. It is associated with the Ogopa Deejays and is believed to have originated in the late 1990s with artists such as Redsan, Bebe Cool and Chameleone. It went on to dominate East African airwaves after the release of the Ogopa Deejays' first album in 2001, which included artists such as the late E-Sir, Nameless, Mr. Lenny, Amani, Mr. Googz and Vinnie Banton amongst others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayna</span> American singer

Wayna is an R&B/soul singer and songwriter who was born in Ethiopia and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She worked as a writer for the Clinton White House before releasing three solo albums, garnering three Billboard-charting singles and a Grammy nomination. She currently tours as a vocalist with musical icon Stevie Wonder.

Port Harcourt, a city of Rivers State located to the south of Nigeria, has a thriving music scene encompassing both native African and foreign-influenced genres. It plays host to numerous radio stations, prominent recording studios, such as the Street Rhymes Studios and other music institutions. As a state capital, Port Harcourt has one of the liveliest club scenes in the country as well as music venues, bars and restaurants. As of 2015, hip hop, pop, highlife and reggae are most popular music styles among young people in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tink (musician)</span> American rapper and singer

Trinity Laure'Ale Home , better known by her stage name Tink, is an American rapper and R&B singer from the Chicago area in Illinois. She is best known for the single "Treat Me Like Somebody" and for the collaboration with singer and producer Jeremih on "Don't Tell Nobody". Since 2012, she has released seven mixtapes and has gone independent due to label issues regarding the release of her debut album. Her 2014 mixtape, Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours, was featured as a top 10 R&B album in both Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines.

The lack of respect that black women received in the music industry gave rise to hip hop feminism, as singers such as Monie Love brought attention to the differences in acknowledgment that existed even for equal talent. The movement tackles problems arising from deindustrialization, racial wealth disparities, and conservative backlash. It was molded by the social environment of the 1980s and 1990s. Meshell Ndegeocello, an American rapper, singer and bassist and Angie Stone, a singer, are two artists that have shaped the conversation. Hip-hop feminism goes beyond gender issues to support the rights of women, African Americans, and LGBTQ+ people. Queen Latifah, a prominent figure in the genre, used "the politics of respectability" to promote women's rights and racial empowerment. Ndegeocello is one of the rising queer feminists of color who brings a nuanced viewpoint to problems like abortion and unjust beauty standards. Changes in perspectives are reflected in the transition from male-dominated hip hop music to women-centered hip hop soul, which allows for a diversity of narratives within black communities. The Grammy-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah was a historic moment that validated the powerful voice of black women in a male-dominated field and sparked discussions about domestic abuse and the commodification of black women's sexuality. In the United States, the introduction of new styles of music came during the Transatlantic Slave Trade era. The genres of music include, but are not limited to, blues, rock, gospel music, jazz, bluegrass, and Hip-hop. African American women in the music industry have made significant contributions over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tems</span> Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer (born 1995)

Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song "Fountains" by Canadian rapper Drake.

Elsy Wameyo, also known as ELSY, is a Kenyan Australian singer-songwriter and rapper, whose style ranges from hip hop to the fusion of traditional African music with contemporary rap and R&B. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Wameyo was awarded Young Kenyan of the Year in 2018, and won People's Choice Best Hip Hop Award at the annual South Australian Music Awards in 2019. Her first studio album, Saints Sinner, was released in July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roshelle</span> Italian singer-songwriter

Rossella Discolo, best known as Roshelle, is an Italian singer-songwriter.

References

  1. "Perkasie News Herald".
  2. "Ugandan singer Sarah Tshila to perform at North America's Musikfest". June 14, 2019.
  3. "Tshila, Buddy Guy, Southside Johnny to highlight busy week of summer entertainment in Greater Morristown | Morristown Green".
  4. "This Ugandan rapper was 'miseducated,' Lauryn Hill-style | The World from PRX".
  5. "The World's favorite albums of 2019 | The World from PRX".
  6. "5 female artists redefining the Ugandan music scene | Music In Africa". May 17, 2016.
  7. "The World's favorite albums of 2019 | The World from PRX".