Katende Hits Gospel Scene With His Debut

Jun 12, 2003

Katende is a young contemporary local gospel artist, virtually as fair as they come. Except that this 26-year-old’s vocal output is unique.

By Sebidde Kiryowa
Katende is a young contemporary local gospel artist, virtually as fair as they come. Except that this 26-year-old’s vocal output is unique.
If you did not know for a fact that the person behind the microphone was a man, you would swear Katende (pictured) was a girl. “I have a high solfa and falsetto voice. Because of this, people tend to mistake me for a woman,” he says.
Well, if he were a woman, he would have been not just a delightfully soulful vocalist with his smooth and saccharine voice but a highly trained one at that. His sophomore eight-track debut Yesu Lwazi Lwange (Jesus is my rock) which was launched over Easter weekend this year at Cine Afrique Cinema, is proof of this. The work itself comes highly recommended. Notable producer Robert Segawa produced all the material, which Katende penned himself, in his Tagy Studios on Kampala Road.
The impressive vocal skill he exhibits on Yesu Lwazi Lwange is dipped in a well of relative experience for a man his age. Katende worked with the Ebonies as a vocalist in his senior six vacation.
He was also back-up vocalist for Rev. Fr. Musaala, the chaplain of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, on his album Katonda Tata. He has sung with The Praise Christian Centre worship team for long and was a part of their debut album Ntenda.
Katende has also sung in the Adventist Church, an influence that is present in his sound. The album opens with Meme Yange (my soul), a ragga/reggae-influenced with a mainstream pop appeal that presents a sharp contrast between his high-pitched sound and the guttural flavour of rapper Tick-Tah, whom he features on the track.
Meme Yange is a rendition of a Pentecostal hymn with a creative zouk twist, lending a mainstream pop appeal to the blunt song. Segawa does a super job in bringing an uptempo and danceable feel to the track.
But Katende redeems himself on Everything, a mellow English track that testifies to his versatility.
The tempo soon mounts with the upbeat Natupenda Mungu, a Swahili offering that applauds God’s love for us. You will catch yourself bobbing your head to Segawa’s delicious sharp keyboard stabs.
All in all, for his femininity, Katende is still undoubtedly a great vocalist. Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});