Munyengas: Music is the blood their veins
Winnie, Barbara, Lydia, Irene and Martin are grateful to their father for many things
By Elvis Basudde
Winnie, Barbara, Lydia, Irene and Martin are grateful to their father for many things. The old man, veteran musician Martin Munyenga, struggled to give them an education and also taught them to be proud of their culture and identity.
But what the children treasure most is the gift of song their father passed on to them, enabling them to excel in life.
From the old Munyenga down through his last born, Bob Munyenga, (not in picture) flows a trait of music you cannot easily ignore. Those who know the Munyenga family say it is not blood but lyrics that flow in their veins.
And all the musical Munyengas have had a church stint. Most of the children are born-again. But you are wrong to assume the same for the old man and Winnie.
However, the old man is quick to say he is a staunch Catholic and “although I am not saved I appreciate my children’s salvation.†Salvation has given them a sense of direction. They are all happily married with children,†he says.The children do not only sing. they play most musical instruments because they grew up seeing them at home.
Martin James Munyenga Jr, 30, the first born in a family of six, is a pianist, a keyboard player and a vocalist at Pastor Kayiwa’s Namirembe Christian Fellowship Church, where he has been singing in the choir since 1990.
Barbara Munyenga, 26, is a lead singer in Bulenga Church Choir while Lydia Munyenga, 23, is the choir leader in Jesus
Commissioned Ministries in Zana. Irene Munyenga, 28, is an actress with Bakayimbira Dramactors.
Winnie Munyenga, the beautiful light-skinned songbird with glorious eyes, needs no introduction. The MUK graduate of MDD has already established herself as a musical star following the soothing ballad, Ssasiraa, which made her scoop the Pearl of Africa Music award best New Artist for this year.
The children’s lives were an array of watching their parents on stage, singing their way into the hearts of thousands across Uganda and beyond.
“Our parents reared all of us to be artists. We grew up seeing and admiring the way our father and mother would sit together in the sitting room singing and humming lullabies to us,†says Martin James Munyenga Jr, a teacher by profession.
Lydia, who is pursuing a degree in Business administration at Makerere University Business School, says their schoolmates used to say the Munyenga children were spoilt, because “our parents pampered us and gave us everything we wanted,†Lydia says.
Martin Jr. recalls he started charming audiences at a very early age when he went with his parents to stage shows. He used a guitar as his pillow on many occasions because he never wanted to part with it.
But who is this Martin Munyenga, the old man whose music used to make others envious? If you remember the music of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, then you are familiar with some of the bands and musicians who reigned supreme in the region. Martin Munyenga is one of them. He, together with his long time friend, Swizman, founded the Super Rocket Band, one of the top bands in Uganda then.
The band enjoyed success with popular songs like Omusujja, Sembera, Baana Rocket bazze, among others. It also had a line up of some musicians including Carol Nakimera, Sarah Birungi (both dead), Fred Maiso and others.
Munyenga hails from Shaba Lubumbasi, the second largest town in Congo, where he was born on August 14, 1945.
He was a minor singing with the Vunus band when he narrowly escaped death during civil war when modern day DRC was on the brink of disintegration. Munyenga seems not to have overcome the trauma. He remembers what happened over 40 years ago as if he is back in that town where he nearly lost his life.
Congo had just got independence in 1960 when his rival Moiser Thombe, leader of the Katanga province, arrested Patrick Lumumba, who headed the Movement National Congo (MNC).
Being a supporter of Lumumba and also a member of the Venus band, which officially used to campaign for him (Lumumba), the young Munyenga was tortured and nearly killed.
To save his life, he fled the country in 1961 with some members of the band and sought refugee in neighbouring countries, which included zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania before he came to settle in Uganda in 1966.
He first landed a contract with Richard Majora, who was a musician and a proprietor of Suzana Night club and played in Suzana band for some time.
But his dream did not come true until 1983 when he formed his own band, the Supper Rocket band which ranked top in Uganda’s band music. The band was a great influence on the music scene here.
But the band faded into oblivion when the lorry transporting the band’s instruments was involved in a fatal accident, destroying all of them.
Munyenga’s vast talent was most conspicuous in Eclas Kawalya and Serukenya’s scores, which feature in the popular play, Amakula gakulabako, where Munyenga played base guitar in all the songs.
Today, Munyenga’s daughter, Winnie, has taken his mantle and is now a formidable singer. She says her late mother, Monica Mbabazi Munyenga, had brought her up to believe in herself.
“She used to say, have faith, ask for strength when you need it. The funny thing is I did not realise the value of these words then,†she says.
Her mother was a musician and by the time of her death five years ago, she had over 40 songs to her name, which she had not recorded. “My plan is to adopt my mother’s songs and put them on CDs,’ says Winnie Munyenga.
Winnie, Barbara, Lydia, Irene and Martin are grateful to their father for many things. The old man, veteran musician Martin Munyenga, struggled to give them an education and also taught them to be proud of their culture and identity.
But what the children treasure most is the gift of song their father passed on to them, enabling them to excel in life.
From the old Munyenga down through his last born, Bob Munyenga, (not in picture) flows a trait of music you cannot easily ignore. Those who know the Munyenga family say it is not blood but lyrics that flow in their veins.
And all the musical Munyengas have had a church stint. Most of the children are born-again. But you are wrong to assume the same for the old man and Winnie.
However, the old man is quick to say he is a staunch Catholic and “although I am not saved I appreciate my children’s salvation.†Salvation has given them a sense of direction. They are all happily married with children,†he says.The children do not only sing. they play most musical instruments because they grew up seeing them at home.
Martin James Munyenga Jr, 30, the first born in a family of six, is a pianist, a keyboard player and a vocalist at Pastor Kayiwa’s Namirembe Christian Fellowship Church, where he has been singing in the choir since 1990.
Barbara Munyenga, 26, is a lead singer in Bulenga Church Choir while Lydia Munyenga, 23, is the choir leader in Jesus
Commissioned Ministries in Zana. Irene Munyenga, 28, is an actress with Bakayimbira Dramactors.
Winnie Munyenga, the beautiful light-skinned songbird with glorious eyes, needs no introduction. The MUK graduate of MDD has already established herself as a musical star following the soothing ballad, Ssasiraa, which made her scoop the Pearl of Africa Music award best New Artist for this year.
The children’s lives were an array of watching their parents on stage, singing their way into the hearts of thousands across Uganda and beyond.
“Our parents reared all of us to be artists. We grew up seeing and admiring the way our father and mother would sit together in the sitting room singing and humming lullabies to us,†says Martin James Munyenga Jr, a teacher by profession.
Lydia, who is pursuing a degree in Business administration at Makerere University Business School, says their schoolmates used to say the Munyenga children were spoilt, because “our parents pampered us and gave us everything we wanted,†Lydia says.
Martin Jr. recalls he started charming audiences at a very early age when he went with his parents to stage shows. He used a guitar as his pillow on many occasions because he never wanted to part with it.
But who is this Martin Munyenga, the old man whose music used to make others envious? If you remember the music of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, then you are familiar with some of the bands and musicians who reigned supreme in the region. Martin Munyenga is one of them. He, together with his long time friend, Swizman, founded the Super Rocket Band, one of the top bands in Uganda then.
The band enjoyed success with popular songs like Omusujja, Sembera, Baana Rocket bazze, among others. It also had a line up of some musicians including Carol Nakimera, Sarah Birungi (both dead), Fred Maiso and others.
Munyenga hails from Shaba Lubumbasi, the second largest town in Congo, where he was born on August 14, 1945.
He was a minor singing with the Vunus band when he narrowly escaped death during civil war when modern day DRC was on the brink of disintegration. Munyenga seems not to have overcome the trauma. He remembers what happened over 40 years ago as if he is back in that town where he nearly lost his life.
Congo had just got independence in 1960 when his rival Moiser Thombe, leader of the Katanga province, arrested Patrick Lumumba, who headed the Movement National Congo (MNC).
Being a supporter of Lumumba and also a member of the Venus band, which officially used to campaign for him (Lumumba), the young Munyenga was tortured and nearly killed.
To save his life, he fled the country in 1961 with some members of the band and sought refugee in neighbouring countries, which included zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania before he came to settle in Uganda in 1966.
He first landed a contract with Richard Majora, who was a musician and a proprietor of Suzana Night club and played in Suzana band for some time.
But his dream did not come true until 1983 when he formed his own band, the Supper Rocket band which ranked top in Uganda’s band music. The band was a great influence on the music scene here.
But the band faded into oblivion when the lorry transporting the band’s instruments was involved in a fatal accident, destroying all of them.
Munyenga’s vast talent was most conspicuous in Eclas Kawalya and Serukenya’s scores, which feature in the popular play, Amakula gakulabako, where Munyenga played base guitar in all the songs.
Today, Munyenga’s daughter, Winnie, has taken his mantle and is now a formidable singer. She says her late mother, Monica Mbabazi Munyenga, had brought her up to believe in herself.
“She used to say, have faith, ask for strength when you need it. The funny thing is I did not realise the value of these words then,†she says.
Her mother was a musician and by the time of her death five years ago, she had over 40 songs to her name, which she had not recorded. “My plan is to adopt my mother’s songs and put them on CDs,’ says Winnie Munyenga.