Halima and son do it again

When the US-based Ugandan pop singer Halima Namakula performed her farewell show last year in August, she told her fans that she was returning to America to cook her third album. Halima and son, Hemdee Kiwanuka, has indeed emerged with Kyama kyange. Kyama kyange (my secret) is an eight-track album, which was produced and recorded by No End Entertainment in Los Angeles, California. The album, which is now featuring on FM radios, hit Kampala’s local music scene last Monday, and NIK Studios is marketing it on Kizito Towers on Luwum Street. Unlike her first album Ekimbeewo which, according to her, was for everybody and her second album Tonkutulakutula which was for herself, Kyama kyange is for the public to judge. Three of the tracks are in Luganda and they were composed by Halima while the others in English are by her son, a rap maestro also based in America. In Kyama kyange which is the selling track, Halima reveals her secret — why people talk about her — others calling her names while others are praising her. She says that it is partly because she is uncompromising and frightfully self-possessed. Tuzine (let us dance) is mainly for nightclubs. The third track, Musajja wa taxi (the taxi driver), is a tribute to the taxi drivers. The English tracks include Sad Cry, which is about children who are abused and neglected by their parents, and society, Love Thing, Do not try to be me and The kid who burst the lyrics. All the songs are danceable and are a mixture of Zouk, South African and American touch, a hint of reggae, rap and R & B flavour. Halima has performed in California and Miami to Ugandan audiences and next month, she will perform in London for Ugandans who will be commemorating Uganda’s independence anniversary.