Chano8
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VOL.1 ISSUE NO. 009 MARCH 2015
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KEKO l JULIANA l JULIE ERUSA l
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Contents 108
STUDIO DIARY: BRENDA BIRUNGI
08 72 74 86 94
Parties and events What happened where, who was there? We bring to you all the action! Ask Rwamiti Our columnist shares his views on the issue of sexuality and celebrates the women achievers. SEXUALITY IN THE INDUSTRY The discussion on the sensive issue of sexuality in the music industry continues. FASHION SHOOT TV personality and events MC Sheila Gashumba showcases her style. SPECIAL FEATURE Many awards ceremonies have been organised in Uganda, but are they genuine? What is the future?
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LYRICS CORNER Juliana Kanyomozi is back with a bang with 'Woman'. Here we sing along to an inspirational song STUDIO DIARY New kid on the block Brenda Birungi shares the story of her new song CAREER CORNER Julie Erusa is a business woman, music promoter and agent. Just how does she pull it off? GADGETS AND STYLE Hip-hop star Keko shares her taste of style and love for gadgets. STAR PROFILE DJ Karo is taking the night clubs by storm. She tells her story of a career that started as a hobby.
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DIGITAL MAGAZINE
INFORM. ENTERTAIN. EXCITE
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ALL THE HIP EVENTS COVERED
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SONG: so nice by fille
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RISING STAR We introduce to you inpirational singer Solome who is ready to take on the world as a solo artiste. COUNT DOWN As usual, we count down the top hits rocking the country on the air waves REVIEWS Special song, video, movie and band reviews for you to checkout including Sheebah's 'By The Way'" WHAT'S ON All the major upcoming events and parties in the entertainment scene
Chano8. March 2015
FASHION SHOOT: SHEILA GASHUMBA
FORWARD
PUBLISHER’S CREDITS
Chano8
DIGITAL MAGAZINE
CREATIVE EDITOR
FOREWORD Welcome yet to another exciting issue of the most entertaining digital magazine in Uganda. We are celebrating women this month and have dedicated this special edition to the women who have contributed massively to the growth of the entertainment industry. As usual, we have interesting issues to discuss and share with you. This month, we look at the controversial subject of sexuality and how it has shaped the industry with Miles Rwamiti our columnist giving his take. We have also profiled some important personalities whose contributions in the industry usually go un noticed. A case in point being Julie Erusa an unsung hero whose contributions as a scribe, music promoter and agent have not received any words of praise from main stream and other media platforms. Our music, movie and band reviews are also focused on women as we celebrate some of the recent superb works done by our female artistes who have been working tirelessly to find their footing in a male dominated industry. Did you miss any events in the recent past? well worry not for we have covered all the major events and we bring you the colorful pictures and many more interesting stories and features. God bless and Enjoy your reading!
The Chano8 Team
Ruva Roy Collins ruva@chano8.com
staff writer
Gloria Batuta
staff writer
Kahuma Walter
managING DIRECTOR
David Mushabe
DIRECTOR FINANCE BUSINESS DEVelopment
gloria@chano8.com
walter@chano8.com
david@chano8.com
Elizabeth K. Mushabe
elizabeth@chano8.com
Noreen Munabi
noreen@chano8.com
Chano8 Magazine is a brand of Speeda Mobile Ltd All rights reserved. Plot 1-3 Coral Crescent Lower Kololo Terrace P. O. Box 25780 Kampala Uganda, E. AFRICA
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Chano8 BEBE COOL AT VENOM
BEBE
THRILLS FANS
Bebe Cool was recently hosted at Club Venom for the Amplified night and although it started at a low, patrons came in a few minutes past midnight for the highly anticipated “Bebe Cool Amplified� theme night. The show kicked off with Gagamel crew artistes Ronnie Mutabazi, Rama P, Edith K, Ragga Bounty and Shortcut among others warming the audiences. The audience of adoring fans was kept on its toes as the man of the night stepped on stage moments later clad in white
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Chano8. March 2015
BEBE COOL AT VENOM Chano8
COOL
AT CLUB VENOM
shirt, red pants and shoes plus a black cap and started off his performances with songs like ‘Big size’, ‘Nkola Byafayo’, ‘coccidiosis’, new hit ‘everywhere I go’ before climaxing with the fan's favourite ‘Love you every day’ which he repeated twice on request from the crowd. It was a night filled with fun as most of the audience was putting on Gagamel shirts to support their own. Among the notables in the crowd included Zuena, Bebe Cool’s wife, NTV and Radio city’s Dave Dash and former Tusker project fame winner Davis Ntare.
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Chano8 AIRTEL TRACE STARS FINALE
AIRTEL .......GRAND
Sandra Suubi
A
irtel Trace Stars climaxed at Kampala Serena Hotel on 7th March and there were tears of joy as well as those of pain for contestants.
The program that kicked off months back, saw millions of eligible Airtel subscribers take part in the Interactive Voice Response-based music contest and compete to represent Uganda at the Pan-African music competition set for 28th March in Nairobi and a chance to become the next big music star from Uganda. The competition had been well received by the public with thousands of contest-
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Bruno Kiggundu
ants trying out their luck though a few were selected to make the preliminary stages and then the finals. The grand finale that took place in the Kampala Serena's Victoria Hall, was packed to capacity with excited fans of the established artistes Toniks and Dan Flavor making a lot of noice. The fans mostly females, kept cheering their favourite contestants throughout the evening. The other three regular finalists Sandra Suubi, Brenda Nantongo and Bruno Kiggundu also had massive support with some turning up with family members and friends as well as church members to cheer them on.
AIRTEL TRACE STARS FINALE Chano8
TRACE FINALE.......
Brenda Nantongo
Most of the contestants did cover songs with Allan Toniks doing Sean Paul and Daville’s 'Always On My Mind', Nantongo received a standing ovation from the judges after doing Rihanna’s ’Diamond.' Bruno K did an emotional performance of his namesake Bruno Mars' ’Grenade’ while Suubi, the eventual winner of the night was on top of the game after she belted thehigh notes in Katy Perry’s ‘Fireworks’. Dan Flavor took his stage experience to the next level with his rendition of 'Sina Makosa', which allowed him the freedom to entertain the guests with some lingala
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dance moves that got the audience on their feet to shake it off. The Judges of the night Sanyu FM's James Onen aka Fatboy, Singer Angella Katatumba and Producer Washington Ebangit first eliminated Dan Flavor and Nantongo. This was followed by Toniks which left Suubi and Kiggundu in the finals. Suubi was then finally announced the eventual winner after a mix-up from the judges and the MC which involved explaining method of selecting the winner and percentages in voting. She walked away with 100 million in prize money and a chance to meet Akon.
Chano8 AIRTEL TRACE STARS FINALE
Fash
AT THE AIRTEL TR
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AIRTEL TRACE STARS FINALE Chano8
ion ACE STARS FINALE!!
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Chano8. March 2015
Chano8 AIRTEL TRACE STARS
THE STARS GRACED T
Angella Katatumba
Sheila Gashumba
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Sandra Suubi
Don Flavor
James Onen "Fat Boy"
Sylvia Owori
Bruno K
AIRTEL TRACE STARS Chano8
HE RED CARPET TOO!!
Robin Kisti with a friend
JK Kazora with a friend
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Airtel C.O.O Diego Javier
This is My swag
Allan Toniks posing with ushers
Brenda Nantongo
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Producer Washington shows some of the moves of the veterans
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SMOOTH: Angella Katatumba still flows like ice
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Chano8 AIRTEL TRACE STARS
TOUGH: Bruno K. and Allan Toniks belt out ballads
Bruno K. sings out his heart at the finale
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Dan Flavor dances with guiterist Charmant during the show
AIRTEL TRACE STARS Chano8
Sandra Suubi and Bruno K. were the top 2 contestants
DANCE: Brenda Nantongo displays smooth moves
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PRESSURE: The contestants await the final decition
Chano8 AIRTEL TRACE STARS
Angella Katatumba put up a memorable performance
Dan Flavor pulling some lingala strokes alongside queen dancers
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AIRTEL TRACE STARS Chano8
Maurice Kirya strums the guitar at the event
Dr. Jose Chameleone was there to show the youngsters how it is done
The cultural dancers pulled off acrobatic moves at Serena
WINNER: Sandra Suubi walked away with 100 Million shillings from Airtel
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The dancers and backup singers were on top form too
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ELEGANT: finalist Brenda Nantongo was smart and confident during her performance
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JUDGES: Producer Washington Ebangit, Angela Katatumba and Sanyu FM presenter James Onen aka Fatboy follow the performances
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Chano8 airtel trace stars
Producer Washington serenades a guest Parents and fans of the contestants were over come by excitement
SMILE: Ladies enjoying themselves at Serena
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AIRTEL TRACE STARS Chano8
Go down low: The excited fans take to the floor
WE WON: Excited fans celebrate after Subbi won
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Chano8 THE HOSTEL RETURNS
The
HOSTEL
As NTV Launches
The long-awaited return of The Hostel series on NTV finally happened with a brief official premier and launch at Kampala Serena Hotel. The drama series mostly targeting the youth is produced to strengthen the local programming on the channel. The local drama series now in Season 4, shows at 7:30pm after the Luganda bulletin Akawungezi. After a year and a half of being off-air, the Hostel came back on the screens, this time round as The Hostel Serenity. The show returns with a fresh-
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THE HOSTEL RETURNS Chano8
RETURNS series with new cast
look, new faces in production and cast, as well as a different location and storyline. Although the same issues of corruption, cross generational sex, drug and alcohol abuse are addressed, none of the new actors has previous acting experience unlike the past seasons with established stars like Richard Tuwangye, Disckon Zizinga, Matthew Nabwiso, Hellen Lukoma, Michael Wawuyo, comedian Daniel Omara and others. We now present to you the new faces behind season 4.
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Chano8 SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
SOCIAL
T
AWARDS BACK,
he social media awards organised to reward those individuals or companies that embraced social media in furthering their prospects as well as notably engaging with their audiences and customers returned this year after the maiden ceremony last year. This was amidst criticisms of questionable nominations and eventual ‘predetermined’ winners. With critics claiming the awards are organised to appease clients and those seen as potential partners of Blue Flamingo; the company behind the awards. Only 3 individuals walked away with awards out of the 14. With virtually the same winners as last year, the awards ceremony had little to write about except for the entertainment and virtuoso appearance of Nigerian superstar singer Tiwa Savage who graced the occasion with her talented dancers from Nigeria.
The guests were looking hot at the awards.
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SOCIAL MEDIA AWRDS Chano8
MEDIA
SAME OLD FACES The event which kicked off at 8p.m, in earnest, an hour later after the scheduled time, was in full gear as the lighting and stage setting at the Golf Course Hotel created an ambience of celebration with dimly lit lights. The hall filled to capacity shortly with smartly dressed guests. 14 winners from various categories walked away with shiny glass awards curved like the Facebook 'Like' button except for the categories of best YouTube video/channel and best Photography which were curved out of wood with matte finishing. The highlight of the night was Tiwa Savage who had such an energetic and electric performance of her major hits such as ‘Eminado’ and ‘Dorobucci’ with the tech savvy audience spending most of the time engrossed in their gadgets and occasionally taking selfies and updating thier statuses on facebook.
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Chano8 SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
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Chano8. March 2015
SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS Chano8
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Chano8. March 2015
Chano8 SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
THE BEL The guests were tech savvy
ATTENTIVE: She kept her eyes on the prize
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Cool as Ice, the ladies rocked
Color ruled the night as the ladies say cheers
SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS Chano8 Chano8
LES @SMA Cross legged belles enjoy the moments
SMILE: We were there too
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Chano8 SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
....WHo
NTV's Malcolm Musiime with a friend
Selfie moment for the winners
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SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS Chano8
attended?
Richard Zulu (R) with other judges share a light moment
Awkward moment as Urban TVs Bush Baby hands over an award to NTV team
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Producer David Washington Ebangit(L) was in the crowd
Ellah and Denzel have become inseperable of late
Chano8 SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
Strumming to the rythm
Excited guests take to the floor
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Seanice with her Blue Flamingo team
SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS Chano8
Ruyonga pours the words
We can do it the Michael Jackson style
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Yay! The moment they announced Tiwa was next
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DOWN
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Tiwa Savage still rocked despite the pregnancy
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Chano8 THE LOCK DOWN
THE LO With Kenyan Rigga from Kenya works the crowd
T
he Mavuno Church organized Lock Down was popularized last year with theme nights but was put on halt. When it was therefore revealed a week to the event that the church was organizing another of the Lock Down events, it met very receptive ears. Known for the live music with various performers, it was no surprise that the event totally sold out. This should also be attributed to the fact that eclectic Kenyan Gospel rapper/singer Rigga was set to perform.
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Nasaro tells the story
The opening acts included Winston and Lujang Timothy who gave an acoustic performance, then Canaan Gents stole the hearts of the Christians who flocked Gatto Matto. The Acapella group of gentlemen also performed a yet to be released love song called 'Nkwagala' with Benezeri. It was a surprisingly perfect blend. Thereafter, the 'Band Aroma' guys came on to perform a very soulful “Ichitemwiko” rendition of Abel Chungu's popular song “Beautiful” by Mali Music plus their own composition. Their performance was well received by the crowd that sat and watched in total amazement.
THE LOCK DOWN Chano8
CK DOWN Artiste Rigga Noel gives the testimony
When Rigga came onto the stage, he was received by shouts and screams since he was the major act of the night. He started off with Hip Hop music rapping in English, French and Kiswahili, and took off time to communicate to the audience. "I was raised by a single mother," he said before telling us how he is alive by God's grace. He says that his mother had diffIculty during child birth and was informed by the doctor that she had to choose between saving her own life or the life of the unborn baby. She prayed to God and both survived death. Rigga was joined by Nasara a poet who did both
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beat boxing and spoken word, he was excellent. The second artist, an RnB singer Noel Nderitu was great one on the guitar, keys and delivered very powerful vocal performances. The night was also filled with laughter as the two major artists both tried to comically sing oldies as well as some of our local love songs. It was a great night out and Rigga performed songs such as “Sina Corus”, “Ring Finger” and a newly released Reggae song called “Fruit” and other songs. At about 10:30, Rigga introduced the band he had traveled with and we all called it a night.
Chano8 THE LOCK DOWN
Band Aroma showcasing thier skills
The excited crowd follows the show
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THE LOCK DOWN Chano8
The Canaan Gents do thier thing
Benezeri joins the Canaan Gents Rigga raises his hand to God
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OKUZAALA KUJAGAANA
DANCE: Namatovu's song has become a favourite of
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OKUZAALA KUJAGAANA Chano8
IRENE NAMATOVU LAUNCHES OKUZAALA KUJAGAANA IN STYLE
Irene Namatovu from Da Nu Eagles recently released arguably her best song ever "Okuzaala Kujagaana". She then decided to have an official launch at hotel Africa as her fans turned in big numbers to support her. Chano8 was there and we now present what trasnspired at Hotel Africana.
W
h e n she released h e r single Okuzaala Kujagaana, Irene Namatovu did not expect it to receive the massive reviews and love from the fans. However, she knew she had put in a lot of work in this project and was expecting a positive response. The song has now become an instant hit and she decided to have an official launch at Hotel Africa people’s space. The house was fully packed and the show was fully entertaining with electric performances from the Lady of the moment herself. Irene Namatovu whose Okuzaala Kujagaana song has become some sort of anthem in the city was all smiles. Silk events were the organisers and made sure there were no glitches as everything was set on point early enough ready for the performances. By 7:00PM, the Africana parking was already almost full with fans streaming in long queues. The VIP section was also bustling with activity and
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which was a clear sign things were not going to flop and that Da Nu Eagles production members were right on top of their game. Two big projectors were switched on to keep the excited fans at bay as they struggled to get clearer views by moving towards the stage to catch the proceedings. The new members of Da New Eagles were given a chance to shine in the first session of the concert which was dedicated to showcase their talents. They did not disappoint as they put up a good performance to signal a bright future for the band. They were cheered every time they ended a song with fans rewarding them with cash. Geoffrey Lutaaya the band leader and director was there to support his lovely wife as he got to the stage with ‘Olweza’ and the ladies were on their feet too dancing and shouting with joy. Lutaaya was grateful to the fans. “Thank you for supporting my baby Irene and turning up in large numbers”
The lady of the night dressed in black glittering dress with a silver lining around her waist, emerged on stage at around quarter past ten from below the stage with what looked like a lift elevating her up to the top platform of the stage. Flanked by eight male acrobats, the crowd went wild as she smiled, sang and waved endlessly at her fans. She kicked off the night with some of her old songs such as ‘Okoze Binene’, ‘Obugumiikiriza’, ‘Ekiwuubaalo’, and ‘Best Friend’, among others. The stage was then re-set to announce the arrival of her new song with traditional singers and dancers from Kika troupe taking to stage to accompany her. Namatovu then danced and sang to the excitement of the crowd and they screamed and danced along. She continued her performance in the third session as her husband joined her on stage for ‘Aliba ani’and ‘choice yange’ Stabua Natooro and Chris Evans also helped keep the crowd warm during the breaks and the concert closed at around midnight as the fans celebrated Namatovu’s biggest song ever.
Chano8 Okuzaala kujagaAna
the
Action AT Namatovu put up a solid performance with all her big hits
LOVE IN THE AIR: Geofrey Lutaya joins his wife on stage The Okuzaala Kujagaana dance
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Okuzaala kujagAana Chano8
the Lau nch The show was a big success with a big turn up
SMART: Backup singers
This is how we do it
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COLORFUL: The dance troupe
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Chano8 OKUZAALA KUJAGANA
The fans have a feel of their star as they try out the dance
Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago was the chief guest
Guests in the VIP section Gen.Katumba Wamala(in grey jacket) enjoys the performances
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OKUZAALA KUJAGANA Chano8
the action
Irene Namatovu moves the crowd
Full support from fellow ladies
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Chano8 INSPIRING women
Tiwa
SAVAGE ROCKS KAMPALA As Uganda Joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day
There was excitement at Kati Kati as the crowd was eager to party with international super star, Tiwa Savage
M
any people doubted the reports that Tiwa Savage would come for the women’s day do and perform because of the condition she’s in. However at 6 months pregnant, the Nigerian star turned up and shut down Lugogo with her palpable performance. She didn’t cook with electricity, it was gas thrown out as she showed off impressive dance moves. Performing most of her super hit songs like ‘Kele Kele’, ‘Dorobucci’, 'Girlie O' and ‘wanted’ among others. The crowd couldn’t help but dance and sing along. One of the highlights was when Tiwa walked off stage to get a closer interaction with the fans/crowd. The wave of madness that followed was truly undeniable and if not for the bodygaurds could have easily turned tragic.
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Camera men from media houses stalked her while some fans with selfie sticks tried to get a up close with her to get a shot amidst all the competition of rising phones. Showing her love to the Ugandan fans, Tiwa Savage said that she was supposed to perform a few songs because of the condition she’s in but just because of the love she has for Uganda, she performed a few more songs. In all, she performed for about 40 minutes nonstop; every moment was really worth it as fans cheered her on. She was accompanied by her equally electric queen dancers who flew in with her all the way from Nigeria and were a joy to watch as they wiggled and gyrated away. There were also other performances from Uganda’s top divas like Irene Ntale, Sheebah, Cindy, Lillian Mbabazi, Helen Lukoma and from rising stars like Carol and Ivory Namara. To further celebrate Women’s day, Uganda’s self proclaimed music doctor Jose Chameleone was the
surprise act of the night who performed his hit song ‘Wale Wale’ among others. The crowd left with smiles a few minutes to midnight with some still yearning for more action as the impressive MC of the night Flavia Tumusiime bid them farewell.
One of the highlights was when Tiwa walked off stage to get a closer interaction with the fans/ crowd. The wave of madness that followed was truly undeniable and if not for the bodygaurds could have easily turned tragic.
BLANKETS AND WINE
Fans enjoy Tiwa Savage rocked the audience in style
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Chano8 INSPIRING WOMEN
Th e stars ins p i r
Dan Flavor
Allan Toniks
Bruno K from Airtel Trace stars
Keko (R) performs her duet with Charmant
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Chano8. March 2015
DJ Karo doing her thing with colleagues
INSPIRING WOMEN Chano8
ed th e wom e n
Dr.Chameleone Ray Signature belts alongside Big Trill
Lydia Jazmine leads in the safety campaign
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IMPRESSIVE: Airtel Trace stars winner Sandra Suubi(C) showing her talent
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Chano8 INSPIRING WOMEN
Capital FM's Flavia Tumusiime was the MC
Th e y Wen t
Cindy getting jiggy with it Lilian Mbabazi was all in black
The cultural dancers were not leftout
Pallaso joins Sheebah on stage Sheebah with Bruno
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Al l Ou t!
Irene Ntale strumming her
INSPIRING WOMEN Chano8
Its a woman's thing NBS' s Agatha Loswash
GNL Zamba with big trill doing the stay safe song Lydia Jasmine doing her thing
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Cindy doing a creative dance with her queen dancers
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Th girls showd flexiblity to the delight of the crowd
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HOT: Tiwa Savage with her dancers entertain the guests at Kati Kati
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Chano8 INSPIRING WOMEN
Th e Crowd ... Toniks gets up close with the fans
The party just got started
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ATTENTIVE: Representing the sponsors with a smile
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INSPIRING WOMEN Chano8
The crowd was dominated by women who enjoyed every bit
Some got up to dance
Hey have you seen Tiwa? she is looking good
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Chano8 ASK RWAMITI
Q& A
SEXUALITY and Miles Rwamiti is a presenter on NTV’s program ‘Kona ne NTV’. He is an authority on music and Ugandan celebrity lifestyles. Every month we select questions from the public about the music industry for him to answer.
T
he issue of sexuality is a sensitive subject in Uganda. However, I will give my opinion based on what i have observed in the music industry here.
First of all yes, I think women use their sexuality to their advantage. They do this in order to achieve certain targets that they have set for themselves like improving on their careers (music) and some personal gains or material acquisitions. This trend is not new in Uganda or in the music scene. It started way back when Congolese music dominated the air waves in Uganda. For example Tshala Mwana used to dress skimpily in her music videos and during live concerts with half naked queen dancers to attract a bigger audience. This was especially for men who were willing and eager to see what was on display. The trend continued for a long time until some Ugandan female artistes copied it and started using it to their advantage. Singers like Iryn Namubiru for example on regular basis argue that, being 'sexy' adds something to their music career and that the fans like and appreciate it when they ooze it. She has on many occasions taken the idea of sexiness to a whole new level.
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Some young and upcoming artistes have also followed suit with the likes of Desire Luzinda, Sheebah and Cindy releasing nude photos of themselves to the public to attract attention or ‘sell’ their music
ASK RWAMITI Chano8
women achievers
Afrigo's Joanita Kawalya and concerts. The sad thing about all this is that, some of the artistes actually trade their bodies in different ways in exchange of material gains and fame with some going to the levels of sleeping with men they think can help boost their career or achieve their personal goals in life. Although I cannot name them for obvius reasons, I know quite many. Although I also think to a smaller extent some people take advantage of women because of their sexuality to exploit them. The bottom line is that most of the artistes expose themselves out there in ways men find difficult to resist and then please themselves. CELEBRATING ACHIEVERS However, there are some few clean,
Although I also think to a smaller extent some people take advantage of women because of their sexuality and exploit them. The bottom line is that most of the artistes expose themselves out there in ways men find difficult to resist. hardworking women who have genuinely made it and prospered in the music industry and contributed massively to the growth of the industry and society at large who deserve to be celebrated. They include;
Mariam Ndagire: She is always thorough in what she does and takes time to work on her projects until they succeed. She has also stood the test of time in music, movies and acting. Joanita Kawalya: Has been in the industry for about 47 years and is still going strong with Afrigo band. Despite being married, she has never been involved in any scandals and only makes news for the right reasons. Annet Nandujja: She is also one of those who have been in the industry for long. She has contributed massively in revolutionalizing the Buganda cultural music and dance scene. Judith Babirye: Has been the face of gospel music for close to 2 decades. Producing music consistently to inspire and change the lives of many people in Uganda and East Africa.
You can also join the debate on facebook/chano8 Please send your entertainment and gossip inquiries to askrwamiti@ chano8.com and I will respond to them in the next issue twitter: @mrwamiti
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Chano8 SPECIAL FEATURE
SEXUAL Are Female artistes using their sexuality to succeed in the music industry?
“The debate on women taking advantage and using their sexuality to attract attention and make it big in the entertainment industry has been raging on especially in this era of technology and nude photos
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he timing of Desire’s Kitone song was so on point, no wonder she is now the most sought after female musician.
Desire exploited her sexuality in the song laden with innuendo. Her ‘look at my bum’ walk and ‘come to bed’ eyes did it for her. The rest have been frequent trips to the bank to feed off besotted male fans. World over, sex has been used to sell everything and music is not an exception. Musicians are flaunting their sexy attributes first and then talent and personality later. The Beatles attracted fans because of their sex appeal with musicians like Elvis Presley swinging their hips to swooning fans. They were no exception. Moving to recent times, artistes like Madonna, Lady Gaga and the twerking Miley Cyrus have received success with raunchy shows and music
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videos. In a generation where audiences have learnt to only celebrate and reward sex appeal not intelligence, it is inevitable that it is the new driving force for the success for female artists even here in Uganda. Not even Ethics Minister Fr. Lokodo, who is ready to ban everything sex can prevail on this trend. It is the way to go. Singer Iryn Namubiru sees no wrong in booty shaking and hip thrusting if that is what the fans want. She says that it is okay to market their sexiness but not in a trashy way. “Of course the cute
female charm is the biggest asset a female musician can muster before even thinking of the voice. Sexiness in the industry is now a market plan, which if applied never goes wrong,” she explains. Namubiru, whose video for the song Birowoozo was redone after the first one was branded ‘soft porn’, admits that they are now exposed to a more raunchy culture than before so they have to flow with the times. “Personally, I think it is okay for female musicians to express their sexuality with confidence, bask in their femininity and sell music successfully,” she
Namubiru, whose video for the song Birowoozo was redone after the first one was branded ‘soft porn’, admits that they are now exposed to a more raunchy culture than before so they have to flow with the times.
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ITY..
! EKITONE: Desire Luzinda
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SEXY? Iryn Namubiru
Dancehal queen Margla
However, Namubiru, like dancehall queens, Margla and Anita of the zero distance fame, have suffered hostile treatment from crowds when they flaunted their sexuality. Namubiru was groped while Margla and Anita were almost undressed at a Club Silk street jam. vows. However, Namubiru, like dancehall queens, Margla and Anita of the zero distance fame, have suffered hostile treatment from crowds when they flaunted their sexuality. Namubiru was groped while Margla and Anita were almost undressed at a Club Silk street jam. Too much is too bad. Gospel musician, Julie Muteesasira admits that flaunting sexy attributes is all the rage but as gospel musicians there is a limit to how much they can go.
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She admits that she has come under attack from the Born Again fraternity for dressing in military camouflage outfit, boots and oversize baseball t-shirts. On her part, popular singer Judith Babirye known for dressing long dresses the born agains vouch for was attacked for wearing makeup! Although Muteesasira is unapologetic about her style, she says it is wrong to be embarrassingly flirty in next to nothing outfits. Even though some tend to like it, she is against singers wiggling their butts
on stage in an exaggerated manner. “One can be successful without being petty. As women in the music industry, we are capable of so much more. I find it demeaning when women struggle to look sexy on stage but end up giving the wrong signals. It is so rife that most musicians desperate to break into the industry first peddle their sexuality before working on their voice. I’m afraid but in my experience, no one takes them seriously from intended fans to journalists,� she opines.
SPECIAL FEATURE Chano8
Julie Mutesasira, a gospel artiste, still had issues with some sections of chrsitians beacause of the baseball shirts and jeans she likes.
It is a world-wide trend. It isn’t only in Uganda that there are so many talentless girls trying to get attention. It is a world-wide trend. Even in the developed world, female artistes are exploited by an innately sexist industry. Alicia Keys, the American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress in an interview confessed that as a young girl coming into music there was huge pressure. She notably says: “You don’t know how to navigate it because everyone’s going ‘oh that’s beautiful, that’s nice, why you don’t unbutton the shirt a little lower, pull the skirt
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a little higher.’ I trusted people and then I would see things back and feel embarrassed and uncomfortable,” She now doesn’t let anyone tell her anything in that regard. “There is a certain sexuality or sensuality to [my] performance but I’ve been fortunate not to have to depend on my physical attributes. All I can do is make sure that what I choose to be a part of has a certain standard to it, and if I am uncomfortable with it, I would choose not to be part of it. We have a lot of power and we should consider how we use that power.” Pressure is on the whole industry. Joseph Batte, a music and social critic says the pressure is on the whole indus-
try as it is so sexualised now. He explains that to make a living, musicians have to be a brand, look and present themselves in a certain way. “Fans demand sexy. Issues like weight, hairstyle and everything that points to sexy come to play. It is a sad reality but female musicians are not going to earn much money in the modern music business if they don’t flaunt their sexuality,” he says. He explains that the era of musicians thinking they would like to be listened to without anybody looking and judging them on their appearance is long gone.
In Entertainm BLANKETS AND WINE
...The wrangles and fights continue
Look at them claiming it is thier house. Don‛t they know the boss owns everything?
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ent...
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CelCARTOON Minoeb To Abdu ons Az Chano8
iz
We are going to sell you on OLX!
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Chano8 JULIANA KANYOMOZI
JUILIANA KANYOMOZI INTERVIEW
Juliana Kanyomozi is an award winning Ugandan female musician, actress, and entertainer. She has been in the industry since the late 90’s in a girl duo with Iryn Namubiru called I-Jay. She has also worked on radio and as a judge for Tusker Project Fame an East African talent search show. She is also an Oriflame East African brand Family and growing up: I was born in a small middle class family. Both my parents come from Fort Portal so that makes me a Mutooro. I'm the second last born. We were born and raised in Kampala.
Childhood memories: I miss the Sundays when our parents took us to church and then after that we'd visit uncles and aunties and play with our cousins. Or vice versa when they'd come home. That was fun because we were young and had no care in the world.
Musical journey: I started singing professionally in 2000. I have released so many songs both solos and collaborations all through. I have won so many awards. My latest song is called WOMAN.
I'm inspired by things that happen around me. That's where I get what I sing about.
Women having it easier in the music industry: Not at all.. If anything I think it's tougher on the women for obvious reasons.
Career highs: I've been blessed with a successful career and as I mentioned I've won so many awards. I've met so many influential people from so many parts of the world. I've travelled the world. But most of all I'm blessed with the best and most amazing fans ever.
Most outrageous tabloid story:
JULI Inspiration:
For me it was just the love for music. The love to sing. But
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also there are many musicians I looked up to and just wanted to be like them.
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They are so many I can't even pick one.
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ANA
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JULIANA KANYOMOZI Chano8
Negative press: I try not to let it distract me from what I'm focused on. But sometimes I see how these negative stories hurt the people who love me and they end up hurting me too.
My favourite song: I get asked this question alot. I love all my songs.
Life after a tragedy: As any parent would understand, my son was my life. Everything I did, every decision I made revolved around him. So when I lost my son I lost myself. I'm feeling stronger now. But the pain doesn't go away, it will stay with us forever. All I pray to God is to help me come to terms.
About acting in Deception: The deception thing was just a rumour. At least we have never got any official communication from deception so I can't say much about that. However, acting is something I'd like to do. I love it. So hopefully in the near future.
WOMAN: The song.... It's a celebration of the woman. It's the story about a woman's struggles but also her triumphs. It celebrates the strong warrior women that we are.
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It was written by a lady called Caroline and produced by D King at Neutriq Town.
Female artists rising to the top in Uganda. on the African and international: I think women are doing very well. We forget to give women the credit that they deserve. But it is true that the percentage of women on top in the music industry compared to the men is smaller.
My look: Simple, sexy but classy.
To my fans: My fans should know that I have alot of music for them which I'm sure they are going to fall in love with. They should look out for it and I appreciate their love and support and love them back!
FASHION SHOOT
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SHEILA GASHUMA is co pre-
senter of the program 'The Beat' on NTV. She is also an events MC and a budding model. She came to the lime light at an early stage as a presenter of a childrens program and since then has never looked back. She shares some of her fashion moments with Chano8.
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Chano8 SPECIAL FEATURE
Controversi Do Ugandan music awards reward mediocrity?
Uganda's music industry has grown in the last decade or so according to many observers and critics. This usully calls for the natural justice of reward for those who every year work hard to improve the industry, but controversy is cropping in as concerns the transparency involved in the awards organised to reward the players in Uganda
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hen it comes to the Music Awards in Uganda, nobody knows quite what to expect and this year was no different. The recently concluded Hipipo awards, which saw singer Bebe Cool scoop six accolades and his nemesis Eddie Kenzo only one, were described by sections of the public as controversial. As the Gagamel boss swept the Artist of the year, Best male artist of the year, best reggae song, Video of the year, Best stage performer and Best fans crew (Gagamel), he was mocked and some people even suggested they should be named the Bebe Cool awards! However, it should also be noted that Bebe Cool has gone to great lengths to "upgrade" the Ugandan music industry. “The Hipipo awards are just as unfair as the Pearl of Africa (PAM) awards whose organizers just made decisions without following the right procedure and consulting people,” says an anguished musician who bagged one nomination. The artiste, who never bothered attending the awards, claims that it is never a fair race in Uganda as far as music awards are concerned. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the artiste says that the flaws start right from the nomination committees. The artiste maintains that the corrupt preferential treatment and discrimination has seen same old artistes win same categories and others getting nominated in wrong cat-
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egories. “The prestige, honour and respect for music awards in Uganda is long gone. I don’t know what really goes on behind closed doors but to be very frank, there is a corrupt criteria used to nominate and reward artistes for the various awards,” The artiste says. “I don’t know how Eddie Kenzo, for all his acclaim failed to win any award. Who can you convince about a glaring mistake like that?” “Why do our decorated artistes here fail to win on the continent? Is it a coin-
SPECIAL FEATURE Chano8
al AWARDS !
Bebe Cool and his Gagamel Phamily dominated the Hipipo awards
cidence? We award mediocrity and it will return to haunt us in the long run.” PAM Award curse. We vividly remember the excitement that surrounded the first edition of the Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards in 2003. However by the time the PAM Awards failed almost five years later, there were several lessons brought to the fore. Many winners fell into oblivion while others stayed on the fringes of stardom.
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“The prestige, honour and respect for music awards in Uganda is long gone. I don’t know what really goes on behind closed doors but to be very frank, there is a corrupt criteria used to nominate and reward artistes for the various awards,” In 2004, East World won four awards at a single gala (Afrobeat Single, Afrobeat Artist, Eastern Artist and Video of the Year). However, the Fodda Group nearly failed to stand
afterwards and left music. We are not biased- Hipipo CEO. However Innocent Kawooya, the
Chano8 SPECIAL FEATURE
TV presenter Sheila Gashumba shows off her awards
Chief Executive Officer of Hipipo Awards insists that there are no flaws and it is the online audience that decides the winners. He maintains that they follow clear procedures and aren’t responsible for the grumbling artistes. “For those who did not make it to the nominees list, it was way beyond our control since it was not us to decide who makes it,” he starts. He maintains that they used conventionally accepted methods of getting nominees from media, artistes, music consumers and fans who voted through the official awards site. Kawooya says that they derive their inspiration from the primary objective of promoting Ugandan music online, which is why most of the artistes who won had a big presence in the cyber arena-including Facebook,
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“We have no reason personal or otherwise, to be biased against any Ugandan musician. We respect all of them and wish them well,” YouTube, twitter and the weekly and monthly HiPipo.com online music charts. “We have no reason personal or otherwise, to be biased against any Ugandan musician. We respect all of them and wish them well,” he vows.
rate sponsors is proof of credibility. Huawei joined them as a major partner for this year’s edition of the awards.
Kawooya maintains they are going stronger. “When we started in 2013, many speculated that we would not last but we are going stronger now boast a huge online audience,” He starts.
Prince Nicholas Nyombi the CEO of the Victoria Gospel Awards (VIGA) has heard about the rumours of bias in other awards.
He maintains that attracting corpo-
Not about popularity but quality
He says that credibility is the overriding factor in organizing awards and as soon as the grumbles begin,
SPECIAL FEATURE Chano8
Singer Exodus (L) receives an award at the VIGAs
one could as well write an epitaph on the awards. He says one should maintain quality rather than look for cheap popularity when nominating and awarding. He insists that most of the failed awards in Uganda and throughout the region, have failed due to a combination of factors, some being the lack of corporate sponsorship and waning credibility. He says the KISIMA awards in Kenya, the Kilimanjaro awards in Tanzania, the Buzz awards in Uganda which made the showbiz industry vibrant with every artiste working hard to grab one lost it when musicians no longer looked forward to them. Club Video Music Awards, the benchmark. Why the Club Music Video Awards (CMVA) Uganda’s premier annual
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music awards never happened after inception is lost on me. To their credit, they set the benchmark for the real essence of awards should be. That Navio and the little known Amaru led CMVA nominations told the whole story. Big artistes were left out and these left as soon as they realized the awards were not about appeasement but rather looked out for quality. That the awards were judged by foreign and experienced judges Mathew Stonier, Jasmine Dotiwala, Leslie Kasumba and Phil Nwankwo who awarded marks for the various categories but left the tallying and verification to Alexander Forbes was credible enough. Most Ugandans have little faith in awards and hope that they can become more transparent so that are believable.
Juliana Kanyomozi(Above) and Iryn Namubiru dominated PAM Awards for a long time
Chano8 THE LYRICS
WOMAN Juliana Kanyomozi
"Award winning Ugandan songstress Juliana Kanyomozi is back with a bag with this hit single that will surely take her places. Woman is a song dedicated to her struggle for women emancipation and emperwerment. She affectionately points out the strengths and contribution of the female species and praises them for thier bravery like that of a worrior and the magic touch that saves humanity. The song was rpoduced by D-King and brings out Julian's vocal strengh.
Juliana Kanyomozi has made a powerful come back in music with this single
Verse 1 We all know she always finds a way The mystery of a woman A saviour in the time of need The bravery of a warrior In your time of need She does the deed The magic of a woman
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Chorus X2 Woman woman A warrior is a woman Woman woman A saviour is a woman Verse 2 When a man will cry A woman smile Her shoes have walked a 1000 miles The steeps of stone can’t break her bones
THE LYRICS Chano8
THE LYRICS She welcomes all her friends and foes When her spirit stands, she has no time to frown A warrior is a woman
Chorus X2 Woman woman A warrior is a woman Woman woman A saviour is a woman Click here to Watch Video
Verse 3 Bountiful, wonderful, easy frame of mind Beautiful, colourful, style is one of a kind A woman who, with her motherhood are strength of pride Her warmth and grace, she cannot hide the wonders of a woman Chorus X2 Woman woman A warrior is a woman Woman woman A saviour is a woman
NEW LOOK Juliana Kanyomozi is back to her best after releasing 'Woman'
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Chano8 STUDIO BLANKETS AND WINE DIARY
Studio Diary
Steady wine Brenda Birungi & Bakri WHO IS BRENDA?
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Brenda Birungi is a promising young singer with a new collabo with Bakri called 'Steady Wine'. She has been featured on the airwaves and talked to Chano8 about her budding career as well as the new song.
renda Birungi is a young beautiful upcoming artiste who just started out in the music industry and is known for her collaboration with Bakri called ‘Steady wine’. She was born and raised in Makarere which was also the birthplace for her love for music. She recalls her grandmother telling tales of her singing from an early childhood. She once appeared on UBC television leading her choir in a song when she was 6. If that isn't every hair brush singing girl’s dream, I don’t know what is. She sang all through school with her church, but waited until she completed her Bachelors in business administration to follow her career in music. She has sang with Janzi Band, Drumx band, The United band and even moved to Rwanda to work with The Red girls’ band. MUSIC CAREER Before Rwanda, she made it for Tusker Project fame but her progress was hindered due to illness, and she decided to concentrate on
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a solo career. When asked why she left the bands, she says it’s always about money and conflict within members. Whatever money they received in payment had to be shared among over 8 or so members. Her solo career kick-started under Hasz Media who are managing her and she credits her success so far to the team. She has so far released 3 videos, ‘Ninze’ which is a personal favourite that she calls ‘more of me’. It was written by Ray Singnture, ‘Teli amusinga’ was the second and the most recent being ‘Steady wine’ where she featured Bakri who is also the writer of the song. She is proud of her work and the fact that people recognize it, is encouraging. Brenda has been married for 3 years now. When asked about the challenges of being a young couple starting out in the music industry, she laughed it off sayng they are handling it well considering her husband encourages her and supports her all the way. ‘He actually told me I should be a solo artist’ she says. He has always been aware of her passion for music and kept pushing her to nurture it.
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The concept in the music video that was shot at Abryanz boutique was from Hasz media and according to Birungi, she has left most of the technical work to the professionals especially when asked about the ‘school girl’ dress code in the black and white video. Her future plans include working with various artists in and out of Uganda. She will be releasing a song with Kenyan singer Wyre. She hopes one day to make a song with Bebe Cool, Burna Boy and Kidum. She says she is inspired by some female artists such as Juliana and enjoys music from Rema and Irene Ntale. She confirms that she and Bakri do not have a duet arrangement they are both individual artists that did one song together. ABOUT ‘STEADY WINE’ The song which is receving a lot of
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airplay on TV and radio, was written by her friend and colleague Bakri and produced under Hasz media production with D- King doing the magic on the audio. Birungi says her friends supported her music career and liked the song as soon as she posted it on social media and since then it has spread like wild fire. Birungi says the idea of the RnB/ dancehall love song was conceived by Bakri and she liked it and soon they built on it together with their new management team Wajeed Management.
STUDIO DIARY Chano8
Bakri who left Team No Sleep last year after a tumultuous brief spell, is now planning a serious comeback this year and has penned many songs and is also planning many new projects with Birungi. The concept in the music video that was shot at Abryanz boutique was from Hasz media and according to Birungi, she has left most of the technical work to the professionals especially when asked about the ‘school girl’ dress code in the black and white video. She says the dress code deisgned by Cravis, had to be appealing to the urban youth because the video concept's target audience is the youth.
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Chano8 CAREER CORNER
Julie
ERUSA
Julie Erusa has been into many things and describes herself as a business woman, promoter, talent manager and business coordinator. She has worked with Music Uganda which provides news and reviews. She has also worked with Titan services as well as Talent 256 among others.
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ho is Julie Erusa, where did you grow up?
I am a business woman, promoter, talent manager and business coordinator an so on and so on. I have worked with a lot of artists in the industry such as Chameleon, Bebe cool, Juliana,Iryn Namubiru and Jackie Chandiru in different capacities. I was born in Kampala, studied at Kampala Parents, then Makerere College then just crossed over to makerere University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in arts. Qn: When did you start working? I started working while I was at university in my 2nd year. I worked for an online website called musicuganda.com. I did write and do interviews if you can believe that. I later started working with Titan services, I was in charge of designing IDs I did that while still working with Music Uganda. When my contract ended with Taitan services I had started working with a gentleman named Eddie Sendikadiwa. Then we used Chano8. March 2015
to organize music shows upcountry did was to be compared with her Mufor airtel which was Celtel then Zain sic from Blu3. by then I guess. That is how I got into events organizing. Identity was also an issue seeing as she was associated with a band and I then joined Talent 256 with Ali did never really had the micro scope on some work with them. It later became her as an individual or solo artist so in a part time job as I was still working the begining it was hard and we had to with Music Uganda. I was most likely explain who she was. We then took a the longest serving employee they step back and started rebranding her had. Hehe from scratch. It worked!! Qn: When did you start managing art- Qn: And now you manage a band too? ists? Yes, I now manage the mighty Janzi I started that when blu3 had just bro- Band. That is different from managing ken up. I think that was in 2010. Jacki a solo artist where you're dealing with Chandiru was the only artist by then. We did Agassi together and I remem- Continues to Next Page ber promoting it was a challenge, people believed her career was over beI started working fore it began. There was ‘gwo yagala’ while I was at uniwith rabadaba and the Gold digger versity in my 2nd which did amazingly well. So far she has done 2 full albums, her first being year. I worked for an ‘to live and to die’ and ‘chapter 3’. online website called Qn: What were the challenges managing an artist from a popular girl band? The first challenge that came up was that her song Agassi was in her local language which most people had trouble understanding. They had hoped for an English song. Later on it got her respect in the north and here too. When she started out the audience expected more blu 3 like music. Everysong she
musicuganda.com. I did write and do interviews if you can believe that. I later started working with Titan services, I was in charge of designing IDs I did that while still working with Music Uganda.
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HAIR STYLES
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OWN WORDS I am a business woman, promoter, talent manager and business coordinator and so on so on. I have worked with a lot of artists in the industry such as Chameleon, Bebe cool, Juliana, Iryn Namubiru etc Chano8. March 2015
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CONTINUED one person, but a band you have to deal with 8 or more. The ideas require a meeting where there are 8 minds to convince. It’s a learning experience, we have a lot of fun, conflict and end up making a lot of music. Qn: You are now working with Iryn Namubiru right? Yes, I am. She is now signed with the UK based Johnson Mzungu as the tabloids write it, but I coordinate her business locally here. I work with Johnson and communicate when she is needed to be here and which business needs her attention that way there is no conflict in her scheduling. Qn: So do you have a company, or team you work with? Well that is complicated. I have a number of people I work with. Usually the artist will handle studio, and I promote where I have anumber of people handling distribution. With the band, well there is a lot to be done. There is someone in charge of everything. I mainly find gigs and venues then hand out payments. So I don’t have
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a permanent team hired to me but I do work with a lot of people in the industry. Qn: It seems you travel a lot, you were in Nairobi what work are you doing there? Hehe. Some times companies call on me to handle some coordination work with artists. I am contracted by other firms which I won’t name to help get artists and negotiate and ensure they perform. So in Kenya I was doing that. Am sorry I can’t discuss who the client was or who the artist is either. Qn: OK. What is your view about talent Management in Uganda so far? Well I believe we are still grasping as to what a good manager is to do. Its 50/50 percent gig. If you and artist aren’t on the same page and don't respect each other then you fail. A manager will look out for the artist and the artist needs to allow to be managed. If one of the parties is poorly treated it will reflect in their work. When it comes to music promotion, I believe a good song doesn’t need a lot of pushing and will be appreciated by the public so I don’t believe in people paying for a song’s popularity.
105 SNAP OR SHARE AND WIN Have you come across something funny? Take a picture or a screenshot and share it with us on our facebook page @chano8 to stand a chance to win prizes
GRAFFITTI Chano8
we salute the ladies in entertainment...
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Favourite Gadgets
Keko is a top female hip-hop artiste in Uganda. she describes herself as 'simple and complicated, loves music pets family friends good music and wine.'
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GADGETS AND STYLE Chano8
Instruments
No I don't play any instrument but I can handle a shaker well :). No, but I think I'd like to play the drums just to make people dance better.
Phones used I'm trying out a Samsung soon as I loose my Lumia. I change phones out of necessity.
Top 5 Cars Samsung, HTC or Apple?
Range Rover Vogue, Lamborghini, Bentley Coupe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy SS Impala.
I am for HTC
Old School Gadget? My Sony VHS tape player
Vintage Cars? The Yellow Coupe in The great Gatsby movie, why? Because it was a custom job driven by a great man.
Can’t Live House Without Scarlett Headphones
Dream Car That would be the Alpha Romeo Bat 7
Brand or performace? For shoes performance is preferable. Yes, I own a pair 2013 Adidas and Nikes that I adore
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Chano8 GADGETS AND STYLE
Note 4 or I Phone? No comment, never used either
Can't live house without Lipstick
Hanging out Pass time hang out place has to have a nice view so hilltop hotels or the beach with pals.
PS or Phone Games? PS. I love Pro Evolution Soccer, Halo, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat
Fans should lookout for 2015 for Kekonians will feel like safaris and Polaroid pics. Fun times...
Top Apps I have three; Entrance by AOL, Twitter, Shazam.
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Chano8 STAR PROFILE
DJ KARO One of the top celebrated female DJs came into the limelight in 2012
DJ Karo is one of the top female DJs in Uganda. She has worked her way to the top in a male dominated industry and won a big fan base in the process. She has has been in the industry since 2012 and has featured on the turntables in some of the biggest social events in the country like The Radio Shake Down, The FNL finals, The Samsung twitter party and last year's Airtel Women's day concert among others . We had a chat with her about it. Qn: Who is Dj Karo? Dj Karo is a responsible, God fearing & enterprising lady with a great disposition to work. I am currently the CEO of a digital marketing company called Midea that creates and maintains a dynamic digital presence for brands/organisations. DJ Karo is also an accomplished part time Ugandan DJ known for her regular #FridayPlaylists and a deep passion for music. I am managed by Kinetic Management Group that links me to corporate gigs. Qn: Tell us about your family and educational back ground.. I am the Last born of four, Only girl in the family, 3 boys. I did my primary school at Agakhan Primary School then went to Kabojja Secondary School (2001 - 2006) for O and A level and finally University in Limkokwing University
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in Malaysia (2007-2010) where i attained a degree in Business I.T Qn: How did you get into music? I have always been a music lover and appreciator from an early age and my family and friends always came to me for music. As a way to share my playlists, I started the now very popular Twitter #Friday Playlist just for the fun of it, and it grew into a huge following with people hitting me up to post my playlist every Friday morning. Noticing that I had many people for a following who backed me up without me being a full deejay, I started to develop a strong interest in being more active and taking deejaying seriously. I came out to launch my deejay career at the Annual Samsung Twitter Party (2012) pulling in large crowds. It was my first ever public and successful gig and it spurred me on to keep deejaying. Qn: Personally what is your favorite
genre of music? Old school does it for me. Nothing like old school. Qn: Which moment would you say was your big break in your career? My biggest break was playing for a crowd of over 5,000 people last year at the Airtel Women's day concert Ft Nyanda (Brick & Lace). Fortunately I was at it again this year alongside Tiwa Savage at katiKati. Qn: What is the best part of your job? Getting paid for something i enjoy ;-) Qn: What would you describe as the most humiliating/hilarious thing to happen to you while you were spinning?
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STAR PROFILE
Keko was one of the first people Just Jose managed before the rapper signed for Sony Record
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Chano8 STAR PROFILE
Just Jose relaxes in studio
I remember spinning at a Miss Uganda gig, and this one guy dropped an envelope on the turn tables with 100,000shs and a business card enclosed and a note saying "Call me for more, you deserve it" Qn: What was it like starting out as a woman in a male dominated industry? There is no woman in the industry who hasn't experienced sexism in some kind or form, but there are also a lot of supportive male dj's. I always try to do my best, but some people's opinion won't change as they have prejudices. I've been around the social and entertainment /events industry for quite some time to know that if you are good enough , it doesn't matter if you are a woman or a man. I've been fortunate to earn the respect of my Chano8. March 2015
fellow deejays, musicians and other industry players.
1 .Airtel Inspiring Women's day Concert.
Qn: Who makes up the larger part of your fan base, women or men? Why that gender?
2. Miss Uganda
60% men 40% women Why the gender? No idea (winks ;-)
4. MTN Social media party
3. Samsung Twitter Party
5. Friday Night Lights Qn: What do you think it takes to make a great hit? I think it takes a good production and a touch of creativity. A poor production can mess up an otherwise great song and mean that people never get to enjoy it the way you intended. Where as a GREAT production can take that song to a whole new level and really bring out the BEST in it.
Qn: Which are the best artists or events you have worked with?
6. Uganda Independence Celebrations in Kigali 7. The Mith Album release party Among others... Qn: Why is it that we don't have many female Djs in Uganda?
Females are unequal generally, it goes beyond DJing. Generally females are just scared of the com-
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STAR PROFILE Chano8
Just Jose receives an award
petition, they underestimate their own talents and abilities. I believe the secret lies in your ability to prove yourself wrong. We need determination "You can't be what you can't see" Props to the female dj's: Dj Rachel, Dj Ruby, Dj Sheila that have worked just as hard as the men and are dedicated to their craft.. I applaud and respect what they have accomplished while dealing with negative comments that disregard our work and devalue it with stereotypes and assumptions. On the other hand, the females in a male dominant industry are some times disrespected. An example in case is a female dj who who is starting out. She wants to learn how to dj. Whoever is going to take her under his wings is at the end of the day going to want something in return, i am sure Chano8. March 2015
you know what i mean. And because she is not comfortable with that, she turns it down and BOOM, no mentor to teach her because Men don't like rejection. Qn: Most Dj end up recording and
producing music, is this something we should expect from you? I can't really tell as yet because it's not my core business. Lets see what the future holds.
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BLANKETS AND WINE
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RISING STAR Chano8
Rising Star
SOLOME
Voice of hope and love
Solome is a new kid on the music scene or rather more of a rising star because she has been in the music industry for long yet most of her work has been done underground. After a journey that started a while back while growing up in Makerere, Solome moved into band music and also backed up some established artists like Maurice Kirya in their projects. Now she feels she is ready to face the world on her own as a solo artist. She talked to Chano8.
Chano8: Tell us, who is solome?
events here and there. I then realized I can do this and decided to go solo. Though I still formed anI am a musician who is just coming out as a solo other band named ‘The dog ate my homework’. It artist in this business. I am here to be used as a was just a bunch of friends having fun. vessel to change lives through the gift of music.
Chano8: What pushed you to leave the comChano8: Where have you been all this time, fort of a band to be solo?
tell us about your back ground?
In 2012 I left Pragmore I felt I had grown and my time in bands was over, like it was time to try something new. I went on to do some soul searching, to see who Solome was and what it is I wanted to do. I gained enough experience on stage and singing so I knew I could do it on my own. I started writing music in 2014 and later on my own I went to Kintante Primary School, Gayaza High started recording, now am almost done with the school, Makerere College then Makerere University first album. for my degree in computer science. Now here we are Well from the beginning I am born to a professor and artist, the last of 5 children totally pampered, kinda spoilt but all in a good way. I was raised in a well-structured family residing in Makerere, actually spent all my childhood in Makerere.
Chano8: What is the difference between the Chano8: Tell us about your musical journey, music you did in a band and the music you’re
how did you get started?
doing as Solome?
Music has always been a part of my family. My father is in 'Kampala Singers' and my Mum did some singing too. I joined music in high school at Gayaza and was trained classically. I did my time in the Gayaza high school choir then moved on to the Makerere College choir where I took on some more responsibilities such as head of the choir and some production roles too.
In a band you mainly do etagems, Shaka khan, you sing all kinds of cover songs. You usually sing someone else’s music. It depends on what your audience is requesting. Now the songs I sing are about my life, my journey and my love for God.
Chano8: So you write your music, tell us about that?
I Joined a group called Talitha Kumi on campus which was fun but later I was introduced to Maurice Kirya in 2009, so I started doing Back up singing for him.
That came as a shock to me too. I was sure I would be like Whitney who never wrote her music so I started by getting people to write my music but that didn’t work out. I figured it doesn’t hurt to
That gave me some confidence in performing. I later moved to another band called Pragmore Jazz Band in 2010 and within no time I was the lead singer for the band, I was with them till 2012. I gave bands a break and concentrated on church maybe a few
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CONTINUES
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Chano8 RISING STAR
Rising Star SOLOME try. When I got to it, things happened, lyrics came to me. The first song was ‘Dance’ which I took to a producer named Al shizzo, who totally loved it. I worked with him on yet another song which was great named ‘Disney’. I worked with Allan Waswa of Genra who helped with the new song ‘Nze Anni’ he did the melody and a friend Chris Nsubuga did a lot to help with the lyrics, moved to Sam Bisasa of black roots who helped with a song named ‘Adonai’ which was simply about who God is to me, both of us worked on another song called ‘story’ which was about my story. Pragmore did a jazzy song with me, which is more of his style and he completely adored it. It was a lovey dovey song called ‘I love you’. Lastly Nelson Muhirwe worked on a bunch of songs such as ‘I met a man’ which is about a Bible story about a woman with many men and God’s unconditional love, we did ‘Instrument’ too. Working with different producers teaches u different ways of doing music.
Chano8: Tell us about your latest hit ‘Nze
Anni’?
I love love ‘Nze Anni’ because I wrote it while I was lying on my bed. The only thing on my mind was ‘Nze Anni’ wondering why me out of the billions of people, why he loves me and dots on me. It’s a lovey song. That is who I am such a romantic, at least all my friends say so. It’s about how he makes me feel. Am sure the listeners will relate to it too. I released it on 14th Feb 2015, so far its doing much better than I expected. On sound cloud after 3 days we had 700 hits and currently we have 2,324 hits. Am proud of the progress.
Chano8: How would you describe your audience? Which people are you targeting? I am looking at cooperate people, young and old too. God loving people. I would say people between the ages of 16 to 40years old. I sing to the sad, happy and generally those in need of hope. That is my message. My message is hope and love.
Chano8: What challenges have you encountered transitioning from a band to a solo artist? Hmm... the biggest challenge is that am used to having people around me. I was used to being on Chano8. March 2015
stage with a group but now I am up there alone. I am responsible for the music and how it comes out. It is really scary. The dress code used to be decided as a group but now I have to pick my clothes out carefully. I never used not to put in so much effort until someone pulled me aside to tell me the relevance of my image. Then there is the critiquing, as a group it doesn’t hit you as hard because each member has a role to play but for a solo artist, the pressure and responsibility is on you.
Chano8: Back to your personal life, what do you do in your free time?
I love to chill. Most times I sleep, watch a few mushy or lovey dovey movies, the rest of the time, I catch up with my friends. We just hang out.
Chano8: So what is in Solome’s wardrobe, what is your style?
I love colors, my wardrobe is colorful. Very!! Hehe... I love African prints but I have my favorites like my leggings that I can wear anywhere and a pair of black boots that I hate to take off. I have a couple of sweaters and those new trendy long skirts, I have them in 3 different colors.
Chano8: What are Solome’s plans for 2015? Am releasing my album this year in May. Am excited about it. Am sure my fans will enjoy it just as I have enjoyed the journey of making it. It will be on the 1st of May at Golf Course Hotel at 7pm, entrance will be 50k. We will be giving out C.Ds. After that I want to perform in Uganda and beyond as I work on my second album. Am super grateful to God most all for allowing me to carry on his message, my friends and family for pushing me on and everyone who ever listened to my track and appreciated it. Can’t wait to see where we go from here.
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RISING STAR
K!MERA Chano8. March 2015
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Chano8 RELATIONSHIPS
Her View
Relationship
I’m a forty year old guy who seems to always fall for campus girls. My current girlfriend is in her third year and she is quite a stress factor. She likes hanging out a lot and drinks herself silly. I also suspect that she is seeing one of the younger guys in her class.
Gloria Batuta
L
et me this get this straight your girlfriend is half your age and your worried that she might have a boyfriend her age with the same interests? Hmmm...you might need to see a professional pyscologist get a diagnosis for what ails you. They say age is just a number until you see such cases where that theory jumps out the window. First of all its weird that you're 40 and dating a girl that young. You are being selfish. Quick question what were you doing at her age? How do you blame her for doing the things people her age do, most likely the stuff you did too? Yes including dating someone her age. Is it possible you're going through a midlife crisis? Because why would a man that seems to want to settle down find a child as the suitable mate. Are you sure you love her? Why did you find her attractive other than her looks that you have indicated are a major factor for you. I don’t think she is the first of her kind, I think there have been others and its their youth and beauty that attracts you but you don’t love her. You simply enjoy that she is young and after you frustrate her, you will move on to pick the next young girl that crosses your path.
The other thing is some of these girls will take on a Sugar daddy (that is you) for simple reasons such Chano8. March 2015
I cannot imagine leaving her coz she is a beautiful girl and I love her but the ka chic gives me sleepless nights. Any advice would be of help. Is it possible you're going through a midlife crisis? Because why would a man that seems to want to settle down find a child as the suitable mate. Are you sure you love her? Why did you find her attractive other than her looks that you have indicated are a major factor for you. as facilitating a lifestyle they want to maintain and have someone pamper them with gifts and treats. There is never any love involved. She is young and still going through the motions of life, partying and surely will find boys her age who understand her better. Don’t be surprised that she needs your money to keep such boys interested. You need to work out your creepy and weird attraction to young girls and find someone who will relate and understand your needs. Who will do the crossword with you over tea in the evenings not someone you're looking for in the clubs. You're not her father or brother and obviously can’t be the boyfriend beside her in the club. Give it up. True happiness isn’t found in the shiniest toys, but rather the ones you hold dear for ages. It is time to grow up AGAIN!
Dilema
RELATIONSHIPS Chano8
His Take
D
ear grandpa, you need to stop chasing campus girls if you want to have a meaningful relationship in the future. These girls firstly are below your age so for you to think that you will be at par with them in this kind of arrangement is simply preposterous. You need to wake up, grow up and start over a new leaf. Firstly understand that you cannot keep up with the excitement and energy levels of a girl that is barely legal. She will want to go clubbing everyday of the week and leave the club at 6.00am. She is still discovering things like booze and will take every opportunity to drink her self silly. Many campus girls have a multitude of men who cater to their financial needs so for you to complain that she is likely to be seeing one of her peers is madness. Probably he is the only guy within her age mates that she has her eyes on. As for the rest of you greying sugar daddies, you are merely money making machines coz lets face it, a girl has needs. I do not want you to for a second think that she sees anything-long term with you. You are merely a convenient passing mirage that will fizzle out the second she gets a stable guy who she probably will care about enough to marry. You are forty for heavens sake. You need to be focusing on settling down which by the way is pretty late for you but that would be a good place for you to start. Get a mature understanding woman that you can make wife and hopefully your life will start heading in the right direction. But if you think that chasing campus girls is going to lead you anywhere then you my friend should be prepared to be a campus skirt chaser for the rest of your life. I’m shocked that you said you cannot fathom leaving her because she is beautiful. This is the most immature statement I have heard any forty year old ever mention. Do you think beauty counts for a lot in a working relationship? Would you rather stay with a beautiful witch than with an honest woman who may not necessarily look like Miss world, but has a good character? Judging from these sentiments I gather that you have not yet fully matured. That’s probably why you are still chasing campus girls. Well you my friend need to get your act together. Look around you and see what your peers are doing. They most likely are settled and probably have kids in senior primary school. You need to wake up mate otherwise you will look back at your life and simply say, “ How did I mess up so bad?”
Mark Kawalya You are forty for heavens sake. You need to be focusing on settling down which by the way is pretty late for you but that would be a good place for you to start. Get a mature understanding woman that you can make a wife and hopefully your life will start heading in the right direction. It is not too late, so you better ditch this campus girl and hopefully in the future you will meet someone. I probably have been hard on you, but what do you do with a forty-year-old man who has clearly failed to do away with boyish ways. Wish you the best and remember, the journey of 1000 miles starts with two steps. Its time for your journey to start Bon voyage. May 2014
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Chano8 BEST OF THE MONTH
THE BEST OF Hottest Songs &
Artistes
#1 Love You Everyday BEBE COOL This year surely has been a good year for the Gamel boss. Big size as he prefers to call himslef is full of surprises and has the ability to change style and genre of music to give something unique. This block buster song has a blend of Rock, Reggae and Soul. It’s very diffenert from the Bebe Cool we know!
#2 Neera - Tukikole Radio and Weasel The song was written by Radio during the turmoil that embroiled the Gudlyfe and consequent seperation from their manager. The song was a plea to Weasel to stay put and stick together and now the fans across East Africa have warmed up to it full swing
To comment on stories and countdowns please visit our facebook page chano8 or send an email to info@chano8.com
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BEST OF THE MONTH Chano8
FEBRUARY We present the hottest songs and artists that dominated air waves
#3 Wale Wale DR. JOSE CHAMELEONE Like we have said here before, the musical doctor has never been one to stay idle. After Tubonge dominated the airwaves for a long time last year, he has done it again. This time with a new tune ‘Wale Wale’ which is a simple prayer for prosperity. The song is already doing well across East Africa
#4 Nkoleki MELODY FT JOSE CHAMELEONE Melody has a sweet voice that perfectly matches the choice of stage name. The concept in the song and music video is perfeclty executed. Its about a young man trying hard to impress a difficult date who prefers the finer items life can offer. Jose Chameleone brings in all his experience to balance the flow.
To comment on stories and countdowns please visit our facebook page chano8 or send an email to info@chano8.com
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Chano8 BEST OF THE MONTH
Hottest Songs &
Artistes
#5 Go Down Low SHEEBAH AND PALLASO Team No Sleep members Sheebah and Pallaso have had a relatively good 2014 in their music career. They crown it all with this club banger hit song 'Go down Low' which has taken the airwaves by storm ever since its release. We love to dance and this song surely makes us go down low
#6 Everywhere I go BEBE COOL Bebe Cool’s much anticipated latest song generated a lot of debate and eventually even became controversial after its delayed release and recently the song was aired on MTV Base and Bebe Cool says many other stations will follow suit and we can't dispute as it is slowly picking up on local scene too.
#Be Happy EDDIE KENZO When Eddie Kenzo took the whole world by storm with his monster hit 'Sitya Loss', so many people wondered what Kenzo would do next to stay on top of his game. Well, the answer is 'be happy' that is slowly but surely picking up especially on TV music shows.
To comment on stories and countdowns please visit our facebook page chano8 or send an email to info@chano8.com Chano8. March 2015
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BEST OF THE MONTH Chano8
We present the hottest songs and artists that dominated Ugandan air waves in the month
#8 Gundeeze KING SAHA King Saha had a successful year 2014 with the mega hit 'Mulirwana'. He did not want to be called a one-hit wonder and therefore followed it up with a series of singles. One of them is this love song 'Gundeeze 'which is doing well on radio, TV and clubs
#9 Don't Cry WIz Kid ft radio and weasel This song has been rocking the airwaves ever since its release about two months ago. This year it is among the top songs dominating club bangers and charts across the country. It is a Raggae love song which combines the rich talents of Nigerian superstar wizkid and Uganda's dynamic duo Radio and Weasel as well as the crafty hand of Prod. Washington
#10 Kujaagana IRENE NAMATOVU This traditional kadongo Kamu style of music has done Irene wonders as Okuzaala Kujaagana has already scooped an award as well as featured on many count downs on local FMs and TV music programs. The song carries a heavy meassage as well as a cultural danceable beat liked by many.
To comment on stories and countdowns please visit our facebook page chano8 or send an email to info@chano8.com Chano8. March 2015
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Chano8 COUNT DOWN
International Every month we compile the top international hits dominating Ugandan airwaves in our international countdown. Checkout who’s in and who’s not..
Count
Ariana Grande,Jessie J & Nicki Minaj
1. 1. All about that bass – Megan Trainer
3. 12. Chandelier - Sia
2. 2. Black Widow – Iggy Azelea ft Rita Ora
1. 13. Tchelete- Davido feat Mafikizolo
1. 3. Shake it off - Taylor swift
1. 14. Maps - Maroon 5
2. 4. Bang bang - Ariana Grande,Jessie J & Nicki Minaj
1. 15. Rude- magic
3. 5. Anaconda - Nicki Minaj 1. 6. Habit(stay high) - Tove Lo 2. 7. Don’t tell ‘em - Jeremih feat YG 3. 8. Animal - Maroon 5 1. 9. Stay with me -Sam Smith 1. 10. Break free - Ariana Grande feat Zedd 2. 11. Boom clap - Chalie xcx Chano8. March 2015
1. 16. Hot boy - Bobby Shmuda 1. 17. Steal My girl - One republic 1. 18. Don’t - Ed sheeran 1. 19. Cool kids - Echosmith 2. 20. Burning it down – Jason Aldean 3. 21. WREKING BALL - MILEY CYRUS 1. 22. TOUCHING MA BODY - J.MARTINS
Down
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1. 23. ALL OF ME- JOHN LEGEND 1. 24. DARK HORSE –KATY PERRY FT.JUICY J 1. 25. JAMBO – ICE PRINCE 1. 26. WAKE ME UP- AVICII 1. 27. DEMONS – IMAGINE DRAGONS 1. 28. NOT A BAD THING- JUSTINE TIMBERLAKE 1. 29. TALK DIRTY TO ME-JASON DERULO FT 1.
2 CHAINS
1. 30. CAN’T REMEMBER TO FORGET YOU1. SHAKIRA FT RIHANA
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COUNT DOWN Chano8
Ugandan Feted Love Songs. 1. Twali Twagalana by Moses Matovu (Afrigo band 1992) 2. Namagembe by Maddox Sematimba (2008) 3. Bamuleete by Frank Mbalire (1962) 4. Kimuli Kya Roza by Fred Maiso (2003) 5. Nakudata by Radio, Weasel and Omulangira Ssuna (2008) 6. Jim wange by Joanita kawalya (Afrigo band 1994) 7. Emitima egilwadde okwagala by Jimmy Katumba (1987) 8. Nkuweeki by Iryn Namubiru (2006) 9. Omukwano gunyuma by Samalie Matovu (2011) 10. Amazima Ononsonyiwa by Jamal Wasswa (2009) 11. Kabirinage by Bebe Cool (2012) 12. Neera by Radio and Weasel (2014) 13. Gyobera by Iryn Ntale (2014) 14. Katiki tiki by Angela kalule (2012) 15 Alululu by Fred Masagazi (1963) 16. Kantambule naawe by Juliana Kanyomozi (2010) 17. Lowoza Kunze by Elly Wamala(1969) 18. One and only by Geoffrey Lutaaya (2014) 19. Olibera nange by Juliana Kanyomozi (2014) 20. Kezia Nambi by Omulenzi Omutooro (1994)
To comment on the countdown, please send an email to info@chano8.com or go to our facebook page @chano8
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Chano8 MUSIC VIDEO
BY THE WAY
Sheebah
S
heebah started her music career as a Karaoke dancer and established herself as one of the best dancers from the group The Obsessions headed then by Ronnie Mulindwa.
Although she struggled for a very long time to sing, things even got tougher as she tried to establish herself as a solo artiste in a competitive crowd. However her never-say-die attitude kept her in the game and she hung on and kept trying till her hard work and persistence paid off after her hit single ‘Ice Cream' became a big hit across East Africa. As the saying goes, the rest is history. Now an established singer under Team No Sleep and a force to reckon with, Sheebah has not let in laxity to derail her career she tirelessly worked for after having arguably her best year last year by unleashing hit after hit, she has now started 2015 with yet another club banger to take her back memory lane where she started it all from as a dancer. Sheebah in an interview with a local television admits she loves dancing and therefore wanted to do something just for shaking what her mama gave her hence this Mega Dancehall/ragga tune which has also now taken the night clubs by storm. The video directed by Sasha Vybz under his Savy Filmz productions, is the reason we are discussing this song. Sasha who has quickly established himself as one of the best video directors in the country, this time takes his craft to a new level by use of lighting both in the background and in the twinkle effects to enhance motion illusion. This is basically a stage production/performance with little or no storyline at all. Any way who cares if the song is supposed to tell no story but for just shaking what your mamma gave you. This is a dance, dance and more dance all through affair. The choice of ‘school girl’ costumes just creates the party atmosphere and the dancers do not disappoint either with the wriggling sexy moves that characterise brand Sheebah. The cheer leading antics are working well with the theme of the song where Sheebah is asking how she(Nabukenya) does her thing (dancing).
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Music Video
MUSIC VIDEO Chano8
Sheebah Karungi is known for her dance skills and this video is basically to show it all.
This is basically a stage production/performance with little or no storyline at all. Any way who cares if the song is supposed to tell no story but for just shaking what your mamma gave you. Its dance, dance and more dance all through.
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Sheebah in the 'princess' scene in the music video
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Chano8 MOVIE REVIEW
Enjoy Cinema Life
Movie Review
The love story is based on British author E. L. James' bestselling novel of the same name, the film stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, a college graduate who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with young business magnate Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan).
Movie To Look out for?
50 Shades Of Grey
I
s a 2015 American erotic romantic drama film that features episodes of kinky sexual engagements where partners derive sexual satisfaction from using cuffs, whips, blindfolds during sex. directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel.
The controversial movie has generated a lot of debate ever since its release and premiere mid last month with the Uganda Media Council and Ethics and Integrity minister Fr. Simon Lokodo banning the movie and hence its official premiere on grounds that, it propagates immorality and glorifies domestic violence. Although the official release and premiere in Uganda has since been held up, movie lovers have accessed it in one way or another. Although the anticipation and hype created so much excitement, the movie is not the most violent or elicit compared to many other movies in the stores out there. The love story is based on British author E. L. James' best selling novel of the same name, the film stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, a college graduate who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with young business magnate Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). The two eventually fall in love but things take a different direction when Grey tries his weired sex antics on the new girlfriend who is entirely not as submissive as Grey wants.
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SONG REVIEW Chano8
Song Review
SO NICE Fille Mutoni
Fille feeling so nice in the music video
“Fille made sure she released a few promising songs before going for her marternity leave. And one of them is 'so Nice' which is already receiving some good air play on Radio,Clubs and TV. Her manager cum boyfriend MC Kats is also working tirelessly to make sure she stays relevant
S
o Nice is a typical love song with Fille singing about how she is deeply in love and how the true love she is experiencing actually feels so nice. She goes all praises for her love that she feels she cannot do without.
few lines dropping in Kiswahili and Luganda. Her choice of words is simple and direct making it easy to sing along especially for the crazy fans.
She is basically expressing her inner most feelings for the person she is in love with.
The combination brings in some maturity and enhances the sweet melodious flow which lacks in some of her previous songs like 'Cherry booboo' and 'My husband'.
Produced by Andy Music in Buddies studios, the song explodes straight away to life in a Zouk rhythm that is actually a danceable tune with the heavy baseline putting it all together. She sings mainly in English with a
Chano8. March 2015
The best thing about the song is actually the magic created by the backup vocals that blend perfectly with Fille’s fresh youthful voice in the choruses.
Just like with most Zouk songs, the instrumentation is simple with the Key-
board taking centre stage although the lead guitar at the beginning of the song would have made it even more powerful if carefully spread in the flow of the song or at the climax which seems to be missing. And how could Andy forget to put the magic sound of the trumpet or the African percussion drums in between the choruses and bridges just to create that ‘African touch to a beautiful African song?
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Chano8 SANDY SOUL
Live Music Scene
Band Review
Sandy Soul & Band “Sandy is a Ugandan Soul and R&B singer who has been doing her thing in live bands for a long time. She has strong ambitions of taking over the music scene with her young band that is already rocking Kampala�,
W
ith her deep smooth flowing voice, she bellows into the microphone. Eyes closed and head leaning forward. Her dark smooth skin glistening in the dimmed light in the background that cuts across the stage like a full moon in the mountains of the Kigezi. She is fully soulful and at times tendering to-
Chano8. March 2015
wards sorrowful, but still she maintains her composure gracefully like a gazelle. Her reassuring voice keeping the audience recollected, calm and awe struck at the same time. She is Nankuma Sandra doing what she does best; Jazz funk and Soul music. This was at the Diaspora Uganda gala held in Kampala Serena Hotel where she left guests paralysed and yearning for more. There is the chemistry she has with her young band that
easily blends her rhythms and tunes with the instruments that got our attention. Sandy Soul as she is known by her fans describes herself as funky, friendly, outgoing, curious and God fearing. She says, she is proud to be African and is proud of her heritage. Her love for music started in early childhood and matured at Fraha Band in 2011 where
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SANDY SOUL Chano8
Sandy Soul started as a dancer at Miracle Centre church before her talent was identified by Albert Kwesigwa who recommended her Farah Band in 2011 where she started as a back singer and dancer before taking on the lead vocalist role. she cut her teeth as the lead vocalist before falling out with management over performing cover songs and ‘too much’ piled on her shoulder to carry the bands burdens. She finally got the freedom she had yearned for after she broke off in 2013 to start her own band Sandy Soul Africa where she would operate in a conducive environment that allowed her to fully utilise her creative juices and sing what she liked and enjoyed to sing the way she preferred to do it. “I had challenges with my bosses at Fraha because we disagreed on many things to do with performances where they wanted me to do covers yet I preferred to do my own creations and I Chano8. March 2015
decided to leave when the pressure was too much, I am not a rebellious person though’. Sandy explained to Chano8. Her six member band is made of Joshua Magwa on the Saxophone, Timothy on Base guitar, Olara David on the Key board(Or Pragmo), Davis Kayongo on Lead guitar and now performs in many corporate events on special invitations and also hired for weddings, Birthdays and other parties. She has also travelled in many places across the country to perform In various functions with other artistes. Now working on a debut album expected to drop out in June, Sandy is
looking beyond the sky as the limit and says she draws her inspiration in music and life from Joyce Scot and also looks up to Juliana Kanyomozi. Her dream is to represent all the women of Africa in the struggle for recognition creatively, lyrically, musically and wants to be the voice for all. HOW IT ALL STARTED Sandy Soul started as a dancer at Miracle Centre church before her talent was identified by Albert Kwesigwa who recommended her to Farah Band in 2011 where she started as a backup singer and dancer before taking on the lead vocalist role. Although she found the road very rough in a male dominated industry after starting her own band, her mother who has been her main source of strength and inspiration encouraged her to push on and advised her never to give up while pursuing a dream. “I was always taught to be independent and understand who I am and define myself.” She concluded.
TOPAND HANGOUTS BLANKETS WINE
HANG OUTS Chano8
Hangout Uganda
SKY LOUNGE
Cafe, Dining, Lounge, Rooftop
S
ky Lounge and Cafe located at the heart of Kampala in the serene environs of the upscale Kisementi Kamwokya, is one of the most happening right now.
The lounge is comfortably settled in a classy neighbourhood on plot 11 Cooper road in Kisementi that also boasts of the mighty Acacia Mall on the opposite side as well as Fat Boys and Checkers Supermarket adjustcent a few meters away and Capital FM radio behind it. From the lounge, one can see a beautiful view of the horizon past Kamwokya centre and the neighbouring Mulago settlements up to Kybando and the magnificent Bahai Temple that seats gracefully at the eye level. The lounge at the roof top is cool with a relaxed ambience where guests are welcomed by beautifully woven (African) chairs and comfortable
sofas. The crippling plants and flowers give it a more natural feel that compliments the art and wall hangings . The smartly dressed waitresses that can easily pass for fashion models, give a warm welcome with smiles to take orders where there’s a variety of drinks and eats that go with promotional offers like the 'Pitchers and Buckets'. Soft music is played during day and lunch hours to wash down the food but gets more livelier in the night as the patronage increases with professional DJs taking to turn tables to entertain the guests who may choose to dance away the night. Loungers have the luxury of catching the latest sports and news on large flat screens mounted onto the dark (or black if you want) walls. You need to check out this place!
Do you want your favourite hangout to be featured on this page? Please tell us about it on our facebook page @chano8 so that we can check it out and share it with the world.
What’s On! K'ANGIE BAND Angella Kalule and the K'Angie performs every Saturday at Jazzville Bugolobi on Bandali close. The veteran singer presents some top cover songs as well as her original compositions like 'Katikiti live on stage with last Band standing winner 'kangie Band in full support.
WALE WALE Jose Chameleone's Wale Wale double trouble concert will take place on May 1st at the Cricket Oval. The Ugandan music doctor is expected to feature some top artistes from across the East African region.
Gagamel Bebe Cool (Big size) together with the Gagamel Band performs live every Tuesday at Club Amnesia starting at 7:00pm A Night of Live music and fresh Vibes FREE ENTRY Nile Gold @ 3,500/=
LAFTAZ Comedy LAFTAZ Comedy night every Wednesday at the Laftas Lounge in Centenary Park. Show starts at 8:00pm with a collection of high profile comedians ENTRANCE is 10,000/=
What’s On! Campus Night Angenoir presents the “The original” Campus Night every Thursday! Ladies with University ID’s get in free before mid-night and gents, only 6k! Buy Club beer at only 2k all night long!!! FEE6,000/=
Cooper - Gway The Cooper and Gway Big Godoo concert charity is on 5th April 2015 on Easter Sunday featuring Anthony Faulker (USA) The concert to take place at Kampala Serena Hotel will feature Fille, Daizy Ejang, Naava Grey, Exodus among many. ENTRANCE: 50K and 100K
Spicy Divas Every Wednesday is Spicy divas at Club Amnesia Music By DJ POFIA FREE ENTRY Happy Hour All Beers @ 3,000/= Till 9:05PM
Fun factory Fun factory comedy show at National Theatre every Thursday. Lots of fun and guest performances from artistes.Rib cracking jokes and skits. ENTRANCE: 15,000/=