The power of Maddox music

Feb 12, 2004

Today, no body can refute this. Sweden-based reggae singer Maddox Sematimba is one of the Ugandan mavericks under the sun whose heart-on-the-sleeve style of singing has won him a devoted following, both in and out of the country.

By Joseph Batte

Today, no body can refute this. Sweden-based reggae singer Maddox Sematimba is one of the Ugandan mavericks under the sun whose heart-on-the-sleeve style of singing has won him a devoted following, both in and out of the country.

This explains why Hope Mukasa brought him in 2001 for the Kabaka’s birthday celebrations and he filled up Nile Hotel Gardens and Nakivubo stadium. Kakande, the general manager of Umoja Productions, is hauling him back for the Valentine’s Day for similar reasons. He is a hot-selling ticket, which in monetary terms means millions of shillings.

But there is more to Maddox’s popularity in the country than just having a good voice. It is the style of music he chose to pursue – reggae. When he breezed on the local scene in 1998, with the single Tukolagane, unfortunately dancehall reggae, or ragga had taken its toll on the locals.

The entire country was listening to fast-paced Congolese Soukous, new age cross-fertilised Kadongokamu, Ugandan and western pop. We were also listening (and still listen) to a new brand of Ugandan ragga, where the young heathens don’t praise Jah, all they want is sex and vanity.

Thus, when Kasiwukira Studios released his album in 2000, it was hardly noticed as a jewel. It stayed on the shop shelves for almost a year, yet it was moulded in the classic roots of the Bob Marleys and Gregory Isaacs (his idol).

However, the beautiful and optimistic sound of reggae, and the fact he had pushed its boundaries a bit far by infusing it with a local flavour, was a winning formula that proved very hard to resist.

After spawning a mega hit in Namagembe, thousands of copies were sold, it became the most popular album of year 2001.

But who is this Maddox who will be delivering intoxicating, cooing ballads wrapped in bouncy roots reggae music that has made him fabulously popular in the country and the Ugandan

community abroad?
Living abroad for over a decade often makes many people very pompous. They also tend to acquire a velvety English accent. Sorry. No fanciful airs with Maddox Sematimba.

He is a down-to-earth dude who loves to beat lwali (chat) and make every one around him happy. Asked how it feels to be a star, he shoots back almost angrily: “I don’t know what to be a star means. Yes, it might feel good to show off as star, but who am I to show off?”

All the humility has to do with his strict upbringing. He was born David Sematimba in 1972, to late Ananias Sematimba and Ephrance Nalwanga. “My father passed away when I was only three years old. So, we were brought up under the watchful eye of our mother.”

Sematimba reveals that he was one of the pioneer students of Makonzi Boarding Primary School when its doors were thrown open. After his PLE, he joined Busoga College Mwiri.

“From college, I got a teaching job with a small primary school in Kabuusu that was one of those funded by Christian Children’s Fund. From 1989 to 90, I taught science, mathematics and music to P2 and P3 pupils.”

Maddox says it is not surprising that he chose to take the music path. “Music flows in our family. My sister was playing drums with Jesus Worship Centre. A brother called Semanda leads a Gospel band. I used to startle Lungujja residents, where I used to stay, by moving around playing my accordion.”

He flew to Sweden in 1991, it was a journey that would change his life forever. On arrival, he picked his guitar and started performing in night-clubs to earn an extra Swedish kroner and pay for his computer studies.

He also played rhythm guitar with a Swedish-based reggae band for some time until he went to a studio to record his sole album Tukolagane. Since then, the world has never been the same for Maddox and his peerless band members. Last month they were in London rocking the big crowds at the famous Stratford Rex theatre.

Reggae fans and born romantics music in Uganda also are advised to make a date with him tomorrow at Didi’s World and Nakivubo stadium on Sunday.

You will witness true musicians like Sammy Kasule(bass guitar/ backup vocals), Gerald Naddibanga (percussion/back up vocals),Eric Bodin, the hottest drummer in Sweden, Hakal Wirensternb and Emile Karlsson(keyboards) at work.

If not, at least don’t miss out listening to the sheer joy of a CD being transferred live on stage.

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