Juliana’s winding music journey
Nov 06, 2008
JULIANA Kanyomozi certainly knows how to satisfy her fans. She sings about love, companionship and devotion with frankness and humour. The 29-year-old singer of sultry local love ballads began her music career in 1999 with I-Jay, (comprising her and Iryn Namubiru).
By Gilbert Mwijuke
JULIANA Kanyomozi certainly knows how to satisfy her fans. She sings about love, companionship and devotion with frankness and humour. The 29-year-old singer of sultry local love ballads began her music career in 1999 with I-Jay, (comprising her and Iryn Namubiru).
The duo, then teenagers and naïve R&B singers, successfully sang their way into the hearts of many high school students with their debut album, Wait, which spawned hits like the Kiswahili tune, Vila Vivi.
A collaboration with hiphop outfit, Klear Kut, followed in 2001 and the result was the KORA Awards nomination for All I Wana Know. Juliana did her first solo, Say It, followed by another R&B track, Yo Ma Centre.
Around that time, she got a job at Capital FM, where she worked as a presenter on the mid-morning show until 2006. While at Capital, Juliana released a few more novelty R&B tracks.
Unfortunately, caught up in industrial limbo, there was not much these songs could do for the budding singer because they were done in the less popular R&B genre and, to make matters worse, in English.
But the birth of her son, Keron, put things into perspective for the post-adolescent and Juliana began to pursue music more seriously. In 2005, she teamed up with Bobi Wine, and the result was Taata Wa’baana and Maama Mbiire.
Buoyed by the success of the two songs, Juliana recorded and released her debut solo album, Nabikoowa, which fared well. That year, Juliana took home the PAM Award for Best Female Artiste, along with the Best R&B Song title for Nabikoowa.
But as it often happens in the music industry, the heat cooled quickly. Namubiru ruled the airwaves in 2006 with her monster hit, Nkuweeki, the Bebe Cool double act, Simbalala and later the remake of Philly Lutaaya’s Empisa Zo.
Juliana slipped away deep into the shadows and detractors wrote her off. How wrong they were! She did not fold. The year 2007 saw the songbird re-entering the music game with Kibaluma, thrusting her back to the top.
Juliana went on a journey of love and self-examination. Each of these songs, she says, tells a part of her life’s story. This year, she recorded more songs, only that she decided to showcase her hit by revisiting Philly’s music.
And her midas touch instantly turned Diana into a mega hit, garnering nods in the PAM Awards and Kenya’s Kisima Awards for Song of The Year.
She then did a few collaborations with Bushoke (Usiende Mbaali) and Sweet Kid (Sirina Mulala), which became instant hits. And that is when the history of Ugandan music was written.
On the night of the PAM Awards gala on November 1, Juliana became the first female artiste to win the Artiste of The Year title, along with Best Female Artiste and Best R&B Artiste accolades.
But through her enormous musical success, Juliana has had her fair share of life’s challenges. She became every gossip columnist’s story, as she veered from a seemingly stable relationship with Amon Lukwago, the father of her five-year-old son, Keron, to another stormy affair with a US-based Ugandan pugilist, Kasim Ouma, before making a stun declaration in Nkyanoonya (I am still searching.)
But she says: “I am contented with what life has afforded me.†She is in control of her career and life.
Juliana Kanyomozi’s hits
Nkyanoonya
Mundeke
Ondage Omukwano
Usiende Mbaali, featuring
Tanzanian star
Bushoke
Wait
Vila Vivi
All I Wana Know
Say It
Yo Ma Centre
Taata W’abaana, featuring
Bobi Wine
Maama Mbiire, featuring
Bobi Wine
Nabikoowa
Kibaluma
Mundeke
Sirina Mulala
featuring Sweet Kid
Kanyimbe
Diana
JULIANA Kanyomozi certainly knows how to satisfy her fans. She sings about love, companionship and devotion with frankness and humour. The 29-year-old singer of sultry local love ballads began her music career in 1999 with I-Jay, (comprising her and Iryn Namubiru).
The duo, then teenagers and naïve R&B singers, successfully sang their way into the hearts of many high school students with their debut album, Wait, which spawned hits like the Kiswahili tune, Vila Vivi.
A collaboration with hiphop outfit, Klear Kut, followed in 2001 and the result was the KORA Awards nomination for All I Wana Know. Juliana did her first solo, Say It, followed by another R&B track, Yo Ma Centre.
Around that time, she got a job at Capital FM, where she worked as a presenter on the mid-morning show until 2006. While at Capital, Juliana released a few more novelty R&B tracks.
Unfortunately, caught up in industrial limbo, there was not much these songs could do for the budding singer because they were done in the less popular R&B genre and, to make matters worse, in English.
But the birth of her son, Keron, put things into perspective for the post-adolescent and Juliana began to pursue music more seriously. In 2005, she teamed up with Bobi Wine, and the result was Taata Wa’baana and Maama Mbiire.
Buoyed by the success of the two songs, Juliana recorded and released her debut solo album, Nabikoowa, which fared well. That year, Juliana took home the PAM Award for Best Female Artiste, along with the Best R&B Song title for Nabikoowa.
But as it often happens in the music industry, the heat cooled quickly. Namubiru ruled the airwaves in 2006 with her monster hit, Nkuweeki, the Bebe Cool double act, Simbalala and later the remake of Philly Lutaaya’s Empisa Zo.
Juliana slipped away deep into the shadows and detractors wrote her off. How wrong they were! She did not fold. The year 2007 saw the songbird re-entering the music game with Kibaluma, thrusting her back to the top.
Juliana went on a journey of love and self-examination. Each of these songs, she says, tells a part of her life’s story. This year, she recorded more songs, only that she decided to showcase her hit by revisiting Philly’s music.
And her midas touch instantly turned Diana into a mega hit, garnering nods in the PAM Awards and Kenya’s Kisima Awards for Song of The Year.
She then did a few collaborations with Bushoke (Usiende Mbaali) and Sweet Kid (Sirina Mulala), which became instant hits. And that is when the history of Ugandan music was written.
On the night of the PAM Awards gala on November 1, Juliana became the first female artiste to win the Artiste of The Year title, along with Best Female Artiste and Best R&B Artiste accolades.
But through her enormous musical success, Juliana has had her fair share of life’s challenges. She became every gossip columnist’s story, as she veered from a seemingly stable relationship with Amon Lukwago, the father of her five-year-old son, Keron, to another stormy affair with a US-based Ugandan pugilist, Kasim Ouma, before making a stun declaration in Nkyanoonya (I am still searching.)
But she says: “I am contented with what life has afforded me.†She is in control of her career and life.
Juliana Kanyomozi’s hits
Nkyanoonya
Mundeke
Ondage Omukwano
Usiende Mbaali, featuring
Tanzanian star
Bushoke
Wait
Vila Vivi
All I Wana Know
Say It
Yo Ma Centre
Taata W’abaana, featuring
Bobi Wine
Maama Mbiire, featuring
Bobi Wine
Nabikoowa
Kibaluma
Mundeke
Sirina Mulala
featuring Sweet Kid
Kanyimbe
Diana