Uganda’s Somi to release new album in America
She hit the big time last year when, after she appeared on The Ananda Lewis Show as “one of the most talented up-coming (soul/jazz)artistes in America, then 27-year-old progressive soul vocalist released her independent debut album, Eternal Motive with a live performance at the prestigious Blue Note in New York City. Now, US-based nouveau Soul-Jazz Vocalist Somi (real names Laura Audrey Kabasomi Akiiki Kakoma) who has her roots in Uganda and Rwanda is set for another album. Having toured the US jazz festival circuit and some parts of Europe last year to promote Eternal Motive, Somi is currently working on a new recording project entitled Red Soil In My Eyes, which celebrates her East African heritage while staying true to soul and jazz.

Chameleone gets sh3m
Property Masters have honoured their pledge of sh3m, which company MD Patrick Kasulu made at Chamel-eone’s Mambo Bado launch. On Tuesday. in front of the press at their office at International Conference Centre, Kasulu made good on his promise. He also promised undisclosed size of land to the singer. Meanwhile, Kasulu gave comic group Armarula Family’s Paddy Bitama up to 50 acres in Luweero district. “I thought about helping artistes because they deal in marketing our culture. And we at Property Masters believe in culture. I chose to give Chameleone because he is the best. I want others to emulate him,” Kasulu said.

Touch FM hits airwaves
Ugandans with a taste for oldies music dating as far back as the 1950s can now smile big. Franco Baitwa (pictured), a Ugandan who has lived in the UK for the past 10 years has established 95.9 Touch FM, a new radio station on Plot 115 Owen Road in Kamwokya, Kampala. “We have got a show called Bite Your Granny on Saturdays and Sundays between 4:00pm and 6:00pm on which we play music that goes back to ‘60s and before. “We are talking Motown soul, funk, boggie and disco. You will also get rock n’ roll from the 1950s,” he said. The station is also introducing new music genres to Ugandans –– two-step, UK garage, Latin house and salsa (both Latin Ameri-can).” “As far as African music is concerned, we play High Life (Ghana).

Walusimbi bounces back
His last claim to fame was about two years ago, when he released Music Ne Stage, a production of Robert Segawa in the defunct Tagy Studio. It got just enough airplay for a few people to know he existed but never really pushed. Mischievous aka Frank Walusimbi, a student at Christian University, Mukono, is now determined to make it work. He has released yet another oddly titled one, Rubaga Oba Ekimuli, which features a female upstart Prisla Kalibala. This too was produced in Taggy Studio before it closed down. Walusimbi explained what his song is all about: “Imagine a situation where a Muslim man is in love with a Catholic woman and the conflict of interest that prevails.”

Stories by Sebidde Kiryowa