Sami-K steps out to make impact
Mar 11, 2004
Twenty-six year-old Sami-K (real names Samuel Kiggundu) is what you might call a typical showbiz kid. He has talked the talk and seen it all, or so you would think. He grew up as part of the globetrotting infant orphan choir Watoto Child Ministries.
By Sebidde Kiryowa
Twenty-six year-old Sami-K (real names Samuel Kiggundu) is what you might call a typical showbiz kid. He has talked the talk and seen it all, or so you would think. He grew up as part of the globetrotting infant orphan choir Watoto Child Ministries.
As a teenager, he performed as part of the now UK-based gospel quintet First Love, before he joined a Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC)-based gospel R&B quartet Sanctuary.
Yet, Sami-K has made few strides by way of development as an individual artiste. Following the dissolution of Sanctuary (the other members went off to pursue different careers), Sami-K, left on his own, decided to pursue a solo career.
But the musical scene is so competitive in Uganda today that not even the gospel circuit will endure mediocrity.
Sami’s easy way out has been to team up with recognised and or secular guns. His single, The Next Alright, a wily blend of dancehall and hip-hop beats, features the production talents of acclaimed gospel hip-hop beatmaster Doug E of Alpha 1 Studios in Bunga.
Doug E has worked with Klear Kut and Bebe Cool together with a host of local gospel hip-hop heads like The WOGS, THUG Squad and Pure Souls. The track will be released to Power FM tomorrow and later to Kampala FM and Sanyu FM.
The song features dancehall rapper, Vamposs (of the PAM Award-nominated Benon and Vamposs duo), whose middle-of-the-road charm does little, if anything, to salvage this song. Although the production is superb and the track danceable, even with a vocoder, Sami-K’s low and flat voice needs a lot of work before he can claim his own. That notwithstanding, the inspirational message behind the song cuts it some slack.
“The message is simple. I’m saying no matter what you are going through, as long as Jesus is on your side, everything is going to be all right.â€And the same could be said of Sami-K’s career. What with plans to record a full album?
Not to mention, he has a good reason to look forward to it. For an upstart, trying to break into the mainstream with Gospel music he could not have been luckier.
“Most of the songs on that album will be collaborations with other artistes. I hope to do a song with Michael Ross (who, Sami-K claims is now saved). My old colleagues from Sanctuary and First Love will also feature on my album. I have an offer to record one of the songs on the album in Chameleone’s studio (Leone Island Studios),†he says.
For now, let us watch and see how the public receives Sami-K’s music and what happens to his career.
Twenty-six year-old Sami-K (real names Samuel Kiggundu) is what you might call a typical showbiz kid. He has talked the talk and seen it all, or so you would think. He grew up as part of the globetrotting infant orphan choir Watoto Child Ministries.
As a teenager, he performed as part of the now UK-based gospel quintet First Love, before he joined a Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC)-based gospel R&B quartet Sanctuary.
Yet, Sami-K has made few strides by way of development as an individual artiste. Following the dissolution of Sanctuary (the other members went off to pursue different careers), Sami-K, left on his own, decided to pursue a solo career.
But the musical scene is so competitive in Uganda today that not even the gospel circuit will endure mediocrity.
Sami’s easy way out has been to team up with recognised and or secular guns. His single, The Next Alright, a wily blend of dancehall and hip-hop beats, features the production talents of acclaimed gospel hip-hop beatmaster Doug E of Alpha 1 Studios in Bunga.
Doug E has worked with Klear Kut and Bebe Cool together with a host of local gospel hip-hop heads like The WOGS, THUG Squad and Pure Souls. The track will be released to Power FM tomorrow and later to Kampala FM and Sanyu FM.
The song features dancehall rapper, Vamposs (of the PAM Award-nominated Benon and Vamposs duo), whose middle-of-the-road charm does little, if anything, to salvage this song. Although the production is superb and the track danceable, even with a vocoder, Sami-K’s low and flat voice needs a lot of work before he can claim his own. That notwithstanding, the inspirational message behind the song cuts it some slack.
“The message is simple. I’m saying no matter what you are going through, as long as Jesus is on your side, everything is going to be all right.â€And the same could be said of Sami-K’s career. What with plans to record a full album?
Not to mention, he has a good reason to look forward to it. For an upstart, trying to break into the mainstream with Gospel music he could not have been luckier.
“Most of the songs on that album will be collaborations with other artistes. I hope to do a song with Michael Ross (who, Sami-K claims is now saved). My old colleagues from Sanctuary and First Love will also feature on my album. I have an offer to record one of the songs on the album in Chameleone’s studio (Leone Island Studios),†he says.
For now, let us watch and see how the public receives Sami-K’s music and what happens to his career.