Luzinda releases debut album
Apr 03, 2008
YOU can say what you like about Desire Luzinda, but the TV presenter-turned singer has surely come of age. This is the girl who, a few months ago only had one single, Nkomyewo, to her name.<br>But everything has changed now.
By Gilbert Mwijuke
YOU can say what you like about Desire Luzinda, but the TV presenter-turned singer has surely come of age. This is the girl who, a few months ago only had one single, Nkomyewo, to her name.
But everything has changed now.
Luzinda has scored another huge hit in Mubiite, which is currently one of the biggest songs on local radio. Yet that is not all. She has just put the last hand off her debut eight-track album, which is expected to arrive in Kampala music stores anytime.
Titled Baswaze, Luzinda’s project reveals itself to be a superior local pop album—tipped to be one of the more enjoyable listens of the year.
Luzinda’s voice has been much discussed, and it is quite true to say that she sounds a tad distinctive. Her vocals sound best with sparse instrumentation, like on the mid-paced, slightly plodding Baswaze, which opens the album.
Relying on a tried and tested formula is not a bad thing, but it means that there is very little for anyone who is yet to be convinced by Luzinda’s knack for a killer hook. This song sounds more like Mubiite and, quite shockingly, has some banal lyrics.
It is a similar story with Kankutwale, a gently sparse ballad where she commits herself to her lover. But what lacks in rhythm here is made up for in the genuinely sorrowful lyrics, which provide good listening.
The Bebe Cool-written Bingi is an enjoyable stomp, which boasts of catchy hooks that kids can sing. It is especially that refrain, ‘ooh ooh eh oh’, that grips the listener from beginning to end.
The album also features Mubiite and Nkomyewo, most people’s initial introduction to Luzinda. Even though this RnB-tinged track was released a couple of months ago, it remains my favourite song on the album.
But not everything works so well for Luzinda. If you have listened to tracks like Weekend Party and Nakoowa Emikwano, then you know what I am talking about.
Yet still, as a beginner, it is perhaps churlish to expect her to give us an album that is “all killer, no fillerâ€. All the same, this is a decent debut album that will more than likely propel Luzinda to the inevitable success she has been widely tipped for.
The local female sound of 2008? Well, judging from this album, the future looks bright for Luzinda.
YOU can say what you like about Desire Luzinda, but the TV presenter-turned singer has surely come of age. This is the girl who, a few months ago only had one single, Nkomyewo, to her name.
But everything has changed now.
Luzinda has scored another huge hit in Mubiite, which is currently one of the biggest songs on local radio. Yet that is not all. She has just put the last hand off her debut eight-track album, which is expected to arrive in Kampala music stores anytime.
Titled Baswaze, Luzinda’s project reveals itself to be a superior local pop album—tipped to be one of the more enjoyable listens of the year.
Luzinda’s voice has been much discussed, and it is quite true to say that she sounds a tad distinctive. Her vocals sound best with sparse instrumentation, like on the mid-paced, slightly plodding Baswaze, which opens the album.
Relying on a tried and tested formula is not a bad thing, but it means that there is very little for anyone who is yet to be convinced by Luzinda’s knack for a killer hook. This song sounds more like Mubiite and, quite shockingly, has some banal lyrics.
It is a similar story with Kankutwale, a gently sparse ballad where she commits herself to her lover. But what lacks in rhythm here is made up for in the genuinely sorrowful lyrics, which provide good listening.
The Bebe Cool-written Bingi is an enjoyable stomp, which boasts of catchy hooks that kids can sing. It is especially that refrain, ‘ooh ooh eh oh’, that grips the listener from beginning to end.
The album also features Mubiite and Nkomyewo, most people’s initial introduction to Luzinda. Even though this RnB-tinged track was released a couple of months ago, it remains my favourite song on the album.
But not everything works so well for Luzinda. If you have listened to tracks like Weekend Party and Nakoowa Emikwano, then you know what I am talking about.
Yet still, as a beginner, it is perhaps churlish to expect her to give us an album that is “all killer, no fillerâ€. All the same, this is a decent debut album that will more than likely propel Luzinda to the inevitable success she has been widely tipped for.
The local female sound of 2008? Well, judging from this album, the future looks bright for Luzinda.