There’s something so unique about the Joka & CDAVE HONCHO duo sound; every time you listen to one of their tracks, you’re instantly transported to a calm, comfortable place – even if the song’s quite energetic. There’s a sense of peace that emulates through their melodies and it’s a massive highlight on the duo’s MUSANGO on the VWOO BUSY (1).
Joka is very relentless in his pursuit for stardom
This particular new release takes you on an emotional journey, as we start off in a warmer place, before we head into darker terrain, and end up somewhere vibrant. The track also flows so well into one another’s verse like a wave slowly building, reaching its arc, and then crashing into the sand with effortless power. It feels easy, nothing is forced and the song vibrates with a signature smoothness making ‘SIP’ so delicious to listen to.
‘SIP’ is originally produced by Kaylis T, one of the producers at Racktide records and it offers a sweet soundscape blending warped synths, light vocals, spacious percussion and lively samples to create the image of life bustling around you as the sun sets. There’s something whimsical about ‘SIP’ that’s carried over from verse to verse, seamlessly transitioning us into a warmer, welcoming and yet energetic atmosphere.
Joka’s is a promising relentless act in Uganda
The energy and diverse prowess exhibited on this new release seems to be unleashed on ‘either way’, Joka comes first with a rather more comfortable tone backed with aggressive response and CDAVE HONCHO wraps up the project with an energetic club banger aura. This track is extremely groovy, It just has a good vibe that’s so infectious and a little intoxicating.
Almost every Ugandan has sung out the phrase ‘Oh nana baby’ which are lyrics from Joshua Baraka’s hit single ‘Nana’. The Ugandan audience is in utterly delighted and happy about the unique talent that the pearl of Africa has to offer to the world.
Joshua Baraka is a Ugandan music artist whose unique blend of musical genres has set him apart in the new generation of artists in Uganda. His rich musical background exposed him to different forms and variations of rhythm and melody. He writes, sings, produces music, and plays piano as well as guitar which he picked up at an early stage. Baraka refuses to be associated with a particular genre and continues to assert that his music style depends on what he wants to say at that moment. With his debut single titled ‘Tomorrow’, he won the hearts of many and continues to do so with his music.
The road to success of Nana
Nana by Joshua is a hit in East Africa playing across various radio stations in the region.
Nana was released on the 20th of January, 2023. A month after, the official video of it was posted on Joshua Baraka’s YouTube channel and that was the same day the video was premiered on NBS after 5, a TV program in Uganda that hosts established and upcoming artists to talk about music related topics as well as share their projects to the public on one of the biggest TVs in the country. The song immediately shot to the top 10 trending music videos in Uganda on that particular day. Interestingly, it was the beginning of the stardom for Joshua Baraka as many got to know about his music.
A few days after he was already trending on twitter in Uganda and also became the most shazamed artist in Uganda which he was for a couple of weeks where he retained the number one spot. He was then also placed onto various editorial playlists on both Spotify and apple music which helped drive up his monthly listeners particularly on Spotify where he moved on to exceed 300,000 monthly listeners down from under 20,000. One can say he became Uganda’s most streamed artist on the internet and set a record as well.
Joshua Baraka refuses to be defined by genres and continues to create simply beautiful music.
He is a big inspiration to the other upcoming new generation of artists doing various genres just like him and are also aiming for international success. Simply put, he has opened the way for others to get noticed and discovered. I could attribute a lot to Joshua Baraka’s success but what sticks out more is his humility and calmness besides his talent and hard work which are all collectively essential for opening doors to success. Ugandans are now generally impressed with the direction in which Ugandan music is headed, as many never thought that the type of music which they yearned for, was made by their own fellow citizens.
I would love to call upon the other underground and upcoming Ugandan new generation of artists to follow the footsteps of Joshua Baraka so as to create their own unique path to global success right from character to work ethics and attitude. God bless all their efforts!
Nana’s music video crosses One Million YouTube streams after 8 weeks!
Baraka is inspired by Bob Marley, Maurice Kirya, Cory Henry and many more artists that have shaped his approach to music. He wishes to make this world a better place one song at a time with intentional lyrics and catchy melodies.
Found Us is a combination that is both original and dependable enough to hold your interest. Like in real life, sometimes the most unlikely alliances result in the best music. A person’s new strengths are revealed and their comfort zone is pushed by the odd couple, the unpredictable pairing.
I wouldn’t have shipped Joka and Elkay the Jaguar as a tag team because they find strength in their individual quirks rather than functioning as a seamless unit. Their collaboration’s brand-new song, FOUND US, strikes a balance between being both intriguing and dependable.
Joka & Elkay teamed up for found us
Both Joka and Elkay are from places with distinctive flows and rich scenes. The thickest English accent belongs to Joka, who also has a strong drawl on the vowels that gives his frequently used singing style a syrupy texture that seeps out slowly like molasses. Elkay’s delivery exemplifies the distinctive relentlessness of New wave hardcore rap, just as it did on his previous single “CONFIDENCE,” and on FOUND US, he hardly lets up to deliver a vivacious yet infused lingual verse and chorus.
I’ m lucky they found us. We running the game like ford cars.
Joka
The title FOUND US is surprisingly literal, as a project that splits the difference between Underground new wave rap and the ongoing illusion for rap music. Despite their varied delivery styles, the artists share a similar sense of hunger and growth. When Joka and Elkay are at their most symbiotic, it’s simple to understand why they are drawn to one another. Found Us achieves an uncommon balance, a fusion of styles without losing any of the distinctive regional flavor that makes Joka and Elkay each so alluring.
Artwork for Found Us
Even though there is room for reflection, the unlikely pair, two rappers who are constantly working to advance their careers, find much to celebrate through their alliance. The most triumphant parts of Found Us shows both artists looking over their respective kingdoms with a hunger still present because neither man takes what he has created for granted.
There are so many people really working hard each day to get out of hardships, pain and various miserable situations. But there’s come a point where we feel like quitting , tired of that life and all you can think of is killing oneself – hoping it will make one free from all the burdens. Waade and DJ KosGabby just want to remind you that you’re not alone, it’s not your fault – take it Easy.
DJ KosGabby
Trust God and continue to ask him “akyusa embeera ” – for he knows what comes before and after us , there’s no need to stress nor fuss over worldly things. Do not think of taking your life for that alone will only bring more problems to you, and those you leave behind.
#MentalHealth #Strongwill #conqueror
Waade
Waade continues to sharpen his pen and mind with thoughtful lyrics and emotional stories to inspire younger artists in the rap game.
Starting with a loud thump, signifying the burden of the perils around you, Waade makes his entrance with a wailing battle cry, calling on KosGabby to come and tackle these demon of depression. KosGabby lays heavy and depressed bouncy Diva pluck single key notes in E minor. Waade‘s vocals continue to ride up on top describing the perils as they lead to a succulent Moombahton cocktail of kick and snare drums with some reggaeton bias, symbolizing the several obstacles that keep hitting you from every side, every now n then.
Waade glides the chorus with deeply inciting vocals hoping you listen to the advice before it comes to the next verse, filled with ethereal vocal chops insinuating all the voices In your head that are pushing you to do away with your life. Waade is observed wailing together with thee “No, no, no” just to restrain you from going forward. He then shuts them out with a strong symbolic cry of “Do not kill yourself” just before KosGabby lays down heavenly airy piano keys that lead down to the outro. The drums die down and the diva pluck continues to play over surrounded by the keyscape piano before Waade seals of the track.
‘Easy’ is one of a kind
They say they made this AfroMoombahton stylicized simply because depressed people do not need to listen to depressing related music, so it’s why we put the message in a bouncy track.
Gabriel Herniel Kitutu popularly known as DJ KosGabby is a Gospel Trapper, Record Producer and DJ specialising in Trap, EDM, Gospel, and Afro-Beat Dancehall. His debut album BlackThunder , a Trap Gospel album, hit the waves in 2017 when he was only 16 years old. He did the majority of the production for the tracks and coursing the lyrics through most of them. The album features rappers Metrican , Malcolm De Urban, Saint Ella and various other producers.
The new DJ KosGabby Logo
Waade “formerly known as Brian Wade IP ” is a Ugandan rapper,Singer ,Producer touted to have a rap flow as slick as Lecrae (American hip hop artist) or Trip Lee (American hip hop artist).With a unique style and a smooth flexible flow. Waade cuts across the complexity of genres and eras with his music. On the journey to become one of the world’s best Artists and Africa’s finest . WAADE , is prolific and has worked on numerous music projects. He has collaborated with artists from Zambia,Nigeria, Malawi and South Africa. When it comes to music production, Waade has played a big part in his music production by producing, mixing and mastering most of his music
This EP is yet another testament to Joka’s brave artistry.
After over a month of anticipation, and a deliberate teasing of an EP release via infrequent social media posts, Ntale Joram released his third studio EP, Louder Actions Vol. 2 (stylised as LXXDXR XCTXXNS Vol. 2. Ntale “Joka” Joram, the Ugandan singer, music producer, and most importantly “FOCUS” crooner, has been a trailblazer in his own right. Finally, he emerges with LXXDXR XCTXXNS Vol. 2, his most anticipated body of work yet.
LXXDXR XCTXXNS Vol. 2 is an experimental five-track genre-blending project which has three features, and shows Joka exercising his sonic range and superb pen game. Joka has always been an outlier in the Ugandan music industry. On the EP, he sticks to being neutral as he embraces genres like Soul, Afrobeats and others to preach his message.
The melancholic track, “WXMXN,” opens the play. It is a hushed Afrobeat song which has a prominent kick, with rising and falling backups. On this track, Joka lets his guard down, becoming vulnerable when he talks about how an undisclosed woman makes him feel. This song was heavily inspired by Soundlykbb’s JOANITA and a careful listener can’t miss the muse once he listens to it.
The EP was released exclusively on Mwonya Stream App early in 2023.
In an industry where artistes follow the trend to crack up hit songs, Joka doesn’t follow suit. It shows a firm believer in his sound despite the noise of the industry or fans. This spirit is splashed on the remaining four tracks. Who is on his mind on track 2? According to Joka, initially the song idea was a clear definition of how Katumba Baker felt an undisclosed girl. Although some parts like the name of the girl didn’t make the cut, Joka and Baker shoulder the bulk of the song and deliver deliciously. Their vocals swim beautifully over the instrumentals, disguising clever, naughty wordplay with romantic, sugary melodies.
“XN MY MXND” is a soft and sweet offering that enlists the silky vocals of Katumba Baker. Wailing strings and a simple afrobeat drum pattern serve as the backdrop for a tale of enchantment to be spun. “On my mind, on my mind” Katumba Baker admits on the catchy chorus.
“XGXSLX” is a fantastic mix of emotions, feelings, and vibes. It is produced by Rack tide Executive producer, GEOX the producer. He bestows Joka with an instrumental in his signature style; a minimalist Afrobeats bop with energetic percussion-driven drums, thick bass runs, and sparse melodic phrases. On this song, Joka displays his mastery of melodies by once again adopting the sonic versatility heard in the first track WXMXN.
Joka is ready to stand alone.
He employs an array of rhythms and tones that keep the listener engrossed and engaged. His singing is surprisingly strong, with smooth vocals and rich supporting harmonies. The lyricism on this track is simple yet witty.
“XGXSLX” embraces lust and remorse at the same time. Joka sings the first verse as he talks about a woman’s beauty and body features not forgetting her chokehold on the creator’s craft. He further expresses desire to be the only choice of this female figure but is slow to act due to an undisclosed reason. Joka seems to be more expressive and appreciative on this particular afrobeat track. This song is mid-tempo, perhaps because of the theme.
On “PXXSXNXXS,” Geoxwill basks on his prowess: his innate ability to rap at the same time creates timeless melodies in a rather alpha male vocal tone. The chorus is delivered as smoothly as the verses and features heavenly choral supporting vocals that lend the song an outer space sensibility which Joka heavily deployed in the execution of this project. The song sees Joka and GEOXwill reminiscing on the folly, infidelity, and toxicity of an undisclosed girl at the same time exhibiting lusty ambitions regardless.
A screenshot of a fan’s favourite on the EP.
The kicker is that the song isn’t approached through the lens of regret, but more along the lines of a cautionary tale that espouses the way of the world. As such, the instrumental is rather upbeat and lively, featuring fast-paced Amapiano drums, pounding basses, and bright chords. He had his hands full on this particular song, and it’s difficult for him to fully articulate his points. He swirls from praising the girl to asking her if she is interested in him or not. “Woba gwe tonfuna ngamba toyagala ngende,” he says. In the next line, he expressed utter admiration for her beauty “ Coz your body is very very, very very good for me”. This song is chaotic, and this EP wouldn’t have been all the better without it.
The EP closes out with “BXNXNX’S XNTXRLXDX” which gets its name from the creative that executed it i.e. Meya Banana. This track is built on smooth chords, and clacking percussions. The original song was performed by Zulitums and this track in particular is a karaoke cover version. This particular track made the cut on this EP as a matter of faith. Joka met Meya Banana in the earlier days of their high school and their creative chemistry has been developing since. Although Joka is unheard on this track and it’s purely Banana from start to end, Joka has faith that the world needed to hear Banana for the soulful singer she can be.
On LXXDXR XCTXXNS Vol. 2, Joka breathes a fresh air to slow-rolling sounds, with his pen game meandering into a deeper state of mind. It’s a moving EP spiced with fresh music, different from what is obtainable in the Ugandan music industry right now. This EP shows Joka is not afraid to stand alone. It is another testament to his brave artistry as said earlier.
In Uganda, we have had a couple of female rappers take up the rap music scene that is widely dominated by their male counterparts. Keko seems to have pioneered this movement and now it is time to hand over the mantle to other talented ladies.
This time round, I present to you Marthabella who has just dropped something for you. Yes, a new project of hers titled Goosebumps. She is part of the urban music scene in Uganda which is a collective of young talented creative artists doing various styles and genres of music.
Marthabella wrote this song at a point in life when she was feeling so low
My name is Marthabella, I am a female rapper l started rapping back then when l was 17. l have got so many inspirations from hardworking women that l look up to. l rap about my life and what l feel so as to inspire myself in all that l do. l wrote Goosebumps at a time when l was feeling low and really needed inspiration so l wrote down something that motivates me and what people can relate to so I hope you enjoy as you listen to it.
DJ Arta born Arthur Okuta is a Ugandan Independent EDM Artist, Producer & DJ. His music is characterized under the genres of Afro Dancehall, Moombahton & House. Having been inspired by Progressive House music, he finds a way to make happy dance music that is slowed down which he calls Afro EDM.
For starters, the other side of DJ Arta is that he is a normal Ugandan citizen who deeply loves music and has just graduated from University with a bachelor’s degree in an engineering course. This is the point where he decides what career path to take as there are two options. At the moment, he still chooses both Music and Engineering but hopes to solely pursue music with love and have it as the chosen career path in the near future. All plans and efforts lead to music eventually and may the stars & universe align so that he can make it in his dream career.
DJ Arta
DJ Arta born Arthur Okuta is a Ugandan based Instrumental Artist, Producer & DJ. Though born in 1998, he started making music in 2017 following inspiration from progressive House DJs Avicii and Martin Garrix due to love for that genre and style of music which always made him happy. His style of music which he calls Afro EDM is largely influenced by Major Lazer and DJ Snake to which he has a similar sound that is characterized by a blend of electronic sounds and native culture-diverse instruments and accompanied by rhythmic percussion. His main goal for making music is to make people happy, feel good, and make them dance as they enjoy the music and have songs on repeat.
DJ Arta brand & Logo
His Afro EDM is characterized under the genres of Afro Dancehall, Moombahton & House. The music appeals to African, Latin and Arabic cultures as this speaks to the diversity of his sound as he is also inspired by unique sounds from those cultures and communities. One can distinctively classify his music by the genres of Afro EDM and Afro House.
He released his first track Dance With Me in 2020, an Afro Dancehall song and has gone on subsequently releasing tracks. Most recently he released a Moombahton song titled Mumbah and another single titled FAV will be released soon. FAV is a house song that will drop at the end of the year 2022. DJ Arta’s style and twist of music is similar to the sounds of artists like Sico Vox, Ikson, Qoee & Kygo to which he is a big fan to all.
“Grateful for being a top fan of five people” – DJ Arta
For now, I believe that I am my biggest fan and hopefully someday others will join me and topple me as regards that position. I will keep pushing out my style of music to Ugandans and the rest of the world in a bid to capture the attention of new listeners who could possibly turn into super fans. Thanks to everyone that listens to my music and I hope that the DJ Arta community grows bigger as we listen and share my music to make people feel good and better.
Tera Nitric, a budding electronic music artist from East Africa is set to release yet another track titled ‘Bujagali’ which is a cultural and heritage site in the pearl of Africa.
The creative process for Bujagali was actually a thought I had for weeks. The title kept ringing in my head and I felt there was need to have a project depicting a short story/ tale or whatever it is I had heard about Bujagali during my years in Primary schools from various people. The deep male vocal in the second breakdown is actually an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated vocal from texts he typed giving a brief story about Bujagali and it gave me good results. Instinctively, He convinced that this is his best Bigroom Track this year regarding the versatility and the dynamics within the track and that is all he can tell us.
Tera Nitric
Bujagali was believed to be a vessel of the spiritual and physical realm. A man that protected that walked on the Waters of the Nile. Bujagali died in 2019 at approximate age of 100 years old. He is believed to be the last of his lineage to have lived as a protector of the Bujagali Falls that form Part of River Nile. Bujagali Falls has been from the past years till present times a Tourist Attraction in Uganda.
Tera Nitric in his performance armour
Ideally, Tera Nitric made the track following a line of having gothic sounds as well as dark chords slapped within the track. So that is why people will listen to some goroovy breakdowns as well as the drop. The drop is heavy and filled with various elements that give the track a dark tone to portray the symbolism he wanted to achieve with this record. Additionally, he like to have a certain progression with my music so the first break down will be more of an intro with soft elements while gradually moving into the build up and drop and then the rest is really history.
Bujagali is dropping off Shift Axis Records which is to be his second single dropping off the label this year after the release of another Bigroom Track titled “Better Than You” Shift Axis Records has categorised the track as a Mainstage Bigroom track because of the unique sounds developed with in the project. I totally agree because I love Bigroom house as a sub-genre under EDM.
Bujagali draws its title from a cultural and heritage site in Uganda
As an EDM Artist, he follows a certain procedure while making his tracks especially when creating the drop. From time to time, he follows a “Call & Response” kind of melodic pattern so as to keep the listeners interested in the various sounds communicate with each other as though the instruments are holding a conversation. Since he cannot sing, making instrumental music is the way he communicates. Meanwhile, he believes he can sing and is waiting for the time to do so which may be soon. I hope you all like this song.
In the heart of Kampala and other urban areas in Uganda, there is an uprising of local musical talent with foreign influence as most of the music they consumed was international standard. Prolific young artists are seeking to recreate the same great music in their own styles.
Urban music is the music usually consumed by urban dwellers and tends to be of western influence say hiphop/rap, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Raggaeton, Raggae and Pop. Literally, the artists do what the stars do but in their own blend and vibe coupled with their originality and background. These new styles of music include Afro pop, Afro Soul, Afro EDM, Afro House, Afrobeats and Amapiano.
Lucas Blacc performing at the Vibu Event
Vibu is an event scheduled quarterly at various locations in the capital where these creative artists vocal out their musical creations to an audience that is most welcoming to their style as they seek to attract more and more people. One of the ways this is achieved is by inviting friends and family and asking a friend to tell a friend that the international styles of music you like are made also in the pearl of Africa and you can give it a listen. In turn, this makes people more aware of the urban music scene since people spare time to give the music a try as the artists pick up fans and an audience right here in their home country.
Leone Okello and Mwine Ngabo are the chief organizers and founders of this event as they believe the urban music scene has great potential and talent to make it big and reach international coverage. Nobody knows how and why they picked up interest but it is clear they love the music and the artists as well. To my surprise, they are not artists but rather entrepreneurs seeking to promote urban music in Uganda and internationally. Leone and Henry maintain fruitful relations with these many artists and provide them with various opportunities and avenues to expose their crafts and obtain local audiences.
People enjoying the urban music at the Vibu event
The most recent Vibu event happened in August this month as we so a variety of urban artists perform and some alongside each other. Held at Panamera bar & Lounge in Naguru, the venue was filled with guests that were in excitement and appreciation of the young urban artists and they believe the next global star will be from the urban music group of creatives. Another way to put it is that the next Azawi will be from the urban music scene.
A couple of artists lined up for the event and I will gladly list them for you: Tai Dai, Elle B, Tera Nitric, Joshua Baraka, Akeine, Lucas Blacc, Wander Jr, Drillz, Joka. Other artists that attended include, Fleak Type DJ KosGabby and DJ Arta. Genres such as reggae, soul, rap, EDM, R&B and Afrobeat filled the waves on that Friday night. Most importantly, the artists were able to link up and associate with each other since they are one family as the artist communinity is the artist’s first audience and fan base.
Vibu III Artist Line Up
One of the guests at the event said they are impressed with sounds of the urban music group and appreciate the direction that Ugandan music is taking as there is so much diversity, creativity and quality in the music. Uganda could very well compete with other African countries in the global music industry with this immense talent and rival states like Nigeria and South Africa which dominate the Africa music industry.
I would like call upon anybody out there that is a fan of western music to listen and give these young talents just a little bit of attention because they may surely love with what they have to offer. Most times, fellow Ugandans find it unbelievable that urban music is made by Ugandans and this shows that urban music group has a long way to go as regards to making locals aware of the good quality music they create. Certainly, they will reach global dominance as they promote their underground music styles into the mainstream music scene.
The audience at the Vibu part III urban music event
The Prologue is a separate introductory section of a literary, dramatic, or musical work. This record illuminates the vignettes of a 15-20-year-old Nyende grappling with transition, growth, confusion, and loss. It marks the beginning of a new chapter and revitalization of my faith in God. So much thought, meditation, and prayer went into this song. Creatively directing it from scratch to the final product is surreal.
Nyende has faith in God. Give glory to His name
“The Prologue Is all about my transformation since I last put out music. Realizing that everything you experience contributes to your learning process. At times I found myself thinking maybe I knew it all, but I didn’t. A very humbling epiphany that led me to a point where I felt more confident to ask for help when needed, know my place and make the right use of my curiosity. Learning not to take my low points personally, not to take them as end points, not to attach my ungraceful moments as every thing that defines me. Learning that there are still many pages I am yet to write, yet to see, not to let one bad chapter ruin what could be a beautiful book for myself.”
Nyende
The prologue album cover
“Learning that the presence of my struggles is not an indication of the absence of God and leaning to the truth that some of God’s greatest works are manifested amidst trouble & turmoil. It’s days like this where I’m reminded of God’s grace, all the times I almost quit making music, and all the times I wanted to settle for less. Life has a beautiful way of sorting things out and I’m so thankful to God for Drillz The Rapper, Meerster Rgm, Michelle, and S.I.L who have encouraged me through this process and have worked with me on the record. Realizing now this whole trip was all about a healthy closure. I’ve had peace while grieving and creating this track. Definitely the first of many.”
Sound engineer and producer, Fleak Type releases his first single titled ‘chop life,’ featuring the amazing rapper and singer ‘Shado.’ The amazing song is currently available on YouTube, only as a cover video. He is unwilling to keep you waiting for so long and intends to have it commercially released on all streaming platforms on 16th September, 2022. The track serves as the new anthem to one of the most remarkable raves in the night scene of kampala known as ‘chop life’ that occurs every Sunday evening and night in Kampala. Needless to say, the chop life event is hosted by the impressive ‘Sheilah Gashumba,’ a public figure in Uganda.
Fleak Type is an afrobeats music producer
Chop Life is a simple slogan that means enjoy life. Literally, this translates to spending money on the things you love as a way on enjoying this God given precious life we have here on planet earth. Instinctively, chopping life is associated with consuming good music, food, and alcohol but not limited to clubbing, partying, drinking, as well as chilling around friends and happy people who are sharing the same great experience. As people counting down their years on earth, they are living it away in good style and fashion to make it worthwhile.
Chop Life Cover Art
Waving at 105bpm, the track is a perfect and nicely done touch of afrobeats with underlying chill melodies that send a rush energy of excitement on the first listen leaving you wanting more and more with the afrobeats drum sounds that knock your excitement up to a whole new level. Chop life features Shado as the lead vocalist who punches through with genius lyrics that carry a melodic feel that is quite easy to sing along to, waves you to your feet and lyrics sticks easy in your heart. The song was written by Shado and produced by Fleak Type, who are the primary artists of this track.
Born 1995, Fleak Type is a sound engineer and producer known commonly for his cohesive and vibrant sound and melodies in both his songs and beats. Previously, he has worked with multiple Ugandan urban creatives in the music scene. These budding artists include: Mio, Kavali King, JWatts, Eli litman, Leo Kezi, DJ Arta, and is yet to work with many more of these young and talented creatives who are busy shaping the Ugandan music scene with diverse styles of music. Fleak Type is glad to be a part of the Ugandan urban music scene and community as he works to shape the new wave of Ugandan music.
“Hello, I would really love to appreciate you for the amazing work you do to fire up the music canons in the industry and keeping the energy in the music scene alive. I really hope you get the opportunity to check this out, I appreciate your time”
Joka’s second studio Forest Green EP is not just a rising pop star immaculate dance record but a rich celebration and appreciation of the new wave of Ugandan Music as it brings a variety of musical aspects with such a hungry spirit.
Over the last two years, every Joka (born Ntale Joram) project has become an integral part of the growth of the rising popstar. Though he hasn’t released a proper studio album since BLACK/WHITE in 2020, he has consistently dropped a number of singles and four studio EPs. All these projects have been dedicated to make it clear the he is intensely focused on celebrating the long legacy of Ugandan Urban Music and the afrobeat genre, of which he intends to be a part and a beacon.
Recall 2022’s Louder Actions, the first studio EP of Joka since signing for RackTide Records, in which he indelibly framed his afrobeat element remotely working with Nigerian producers Callie Majik and Oddz Youre a Bad Boy to deliver a massive 5-track project titled Forest Green EP that has kept the heads of fans on a swivel with tracks like Ntale and Banda freestyle still on rotation.
The Talented Joka
Joka is hooked on the feeling of self-expression since he looks at his music as a safe place, a place without judgment, a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. In turn, he pays homage to the true inspirations of the craft that he is now grooming and also celebrates the art of his peers with all due respect.
Forest Green is a feat of imagination, day dreaming about what could have been, capturing the feeling of thinking about all the places you wish you could have gone to, the people you could have been with while stuck at the unending passion of music creation. Unlike Joka’s previous projects, Forest green sticks to the dance floor exhibiting pure energy, propulsive BPMs and fuck-em-all strut. The love songs are almost entirely aimed at a real life persona and the lyrics are underpinned with a libidinous frankness.
Forest Green is a five track EP
CHRISTINA – The first track off the project was inspired by Parvin Makula who has been a fan of Joka’s craft since 2020. TULAGE(ft. GEOXwill) – Is the second track and only collaboration on the project and it features GEOXwill (born Muiri George) executive producer at RackTide Records who has a wide range of music production skills. MURDA ME – the third record was inspired by the South African amapiano groove. Producer Pingting (born Odongping Siraje) brings the flavor of log drums and grimy bases into Afrobeat shakers and kicks to produce an unheard vibe of alte music that you can all call Afro EDM.
MUNAKAMPALA – is the last track off the EP and was purely inspired by the beautiful girls that light up the nights of the capital city. Joka addresses the struggles of the rising popstar and how he is perceived by his peers of the opposite sex ever since his music went mainstream in digital stores as he quoted “Or she likes me for the stores with no figures my ngga but she donno my ngga”. To add salt to the sauce, he released his 2021 single MUWALA as a bonus track to the project. The entire project was produced by Pingting and mixed & mastered by Timothy Dylan.
Joka is an Ugandan urban music artist
Maybe Joka and his extensive array of producers and co-writers, which includes mainstream names like GEOXwill and Timothy Dylan as well as more underground producers like Pingting spent a couple of months digging for an unheard type of Afro music. It is hard to imagine that Joka has been able to go through the situations tackled in the EP.
Forest Green is inherently about feelings bottled in the dark, under strobes, sexual urges and most importantly the state of mind of the creator. Ultimately, it is an exciting execution of a command to be perceived again, without judgement as you can feel synapses coming back together one by one basking in the unfamiliar sensation of feeling good, if only for its 30 minute long duration.
Early in the month of August 2020, Spotify editors made a reckoning in the urban music scene in East Africa through creation of the ‘Oontz’ playlist that encompasses the best blends of Electronic music across East Africa. Artists from all over the world feature in this playlist including but not limited to Europe and America, though majority are African EDM artists. East African countries feature the most artists and these are Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Other noticeable countries with acts on the playlists are South Africa and Morocco.
Spotify introduces playlist for East African Electronic music
Given that Africa is the mother of Afro House music which is a subgenre of house music which is classified under EDM. In a way, it is nice to notice that the genre has spread and diversified all around the globe with creators sprouting from South America and European countries such as Netherlands where a DJ known as Adrian Noble is known and recognized for playing and promoting Afro EDM. Other deejays are DJ Ayane from France, DJ Arta from Uganda, to mention but a few. Afro EDM is still a bit underground but with time as all the stakeholders work tirelessly towards the promotion of the sound, it will find its way up to the mainstream just like Amapiano.
The mood of the playlist
Just like any other Spotify editorial playlist, there is a particular mood presented by the tracks placed onto this playlist. Descriptively, the vibe from the tracks can be termed as chill, relaxing, uplifting. Afro EDM makes your soul want to dance and the music certainly is good for a drive as well as other events and this is just the way electronic music is described in accordance to mood or emotion. Furthermore, the music is rich in Afro percussion styles as well as rhythms which are all infused with modern electronic sounds to give it the unique nature and feel.
Best blends of Electronic music across East Africa
In terms of the tempo (speed) of the music, Afro EDM is moderately fast with the range of BPM between 100 and 125. Some styles of Afro EDM may have a slower or faster BMP number depending on the particular style of the songs. Nevertheless, this beauty of African music sounds amazing and very nice as well therefore, the fans would love to hear more of it and new listeners should not miss out on tapping the amazing masterpieces created by these ingenious Afro EDM producers and deejays. Notably, female deejays support and play Afro EDM and they are at the center of the promotion of the music.
About East Afro EDM
Not long ago the movement of electronic music started in east Africa, events such as Nyege nyege festival in Uganda started giving Afro EDM artists a platform to present and showcase the electronic music made in east Africa with headlining acts from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The event pulls crowds from all the east African countries and happens annually in the pearl of Africa (Uganda) just at the source of the Nile River. MTN Uganda is the main sponsor of the event who should be applauded for the efforts in promotion of Afro EDM in the East African region. Other Afro EDM events are held periodically in Kampala and Nairobi such as Urban Flow Vibu event and Underground Kampala events. All I can say, the music is slowly by slowly gaining traction across the region and all over the world.
Like all large beings were once mere embryos, all living elements have a defined growth pattern that they follow to yield into a purposeful composite. Being inspired by the power of how a small sacrifice into someone’s life can grow into a titanic load of good in the most unexpected way, Kyosiga by DJ KosGabby was created. Using melodies, she describes the nature of growth of those particular elements presented into the life of any being.
Kyosiga Album Art
Starting off with a simple coursing ambient melody complemented with euphoric vocals, the pre-hook entry is layered with filtered trombones made of heavenly synths that transcends one into a cheerful array of carefully plastered purity piano key notes that symbolize the planting of seed whilst watering the same – the act of giving. There is an immediate bridge buildup of upbeat UG-X Bounce drum percussions leading into the hook to showcase the excitement of the seed undergoing germination with all the inner components rushing and gushing and bringing life to the recipient. The chorus hits with a mad Stub followed by a dexterous aromatic mixture of House based effects and dance plugin sounds. One can’t fail to skip and jump to the arousing relay of the UG-X kadoodi, hi hats, congas, claps and heart lifting kicks. It totally takes one to a whole new level of embracement for Dance music. The second verse comes in with a somewhat vibrant energy showcasing the youth stage of growth tailored with the anxious desire for diversity from the kin. The simple gliding organ notes accompanied by a resounding Reese Bass symbolizes the friends and the elements that the key subject picks up along the way, moulding its definition as a whole. “Thinking about those days,” a statement that will live to be remembered in that, there was a genesis from where this all begun, oathing to always remember those days. Chaperoned with harmonious keyscape notes, the second verse transitions into the chorus with a lightrous drum build up followed by a short preview of the chorus for about 4 bars. There then, she drops into a trap sensation symbolizing the agile near adult life of the element. Filled with atmospheric mars sounds, its late transition into actual maturity is followed by an artfully saturated chord progression demonstrating the now true aging adult life of the element ready to give back, yielding to thee that sowed. That’s the power of Kyosiga.
DJ KosGabby
Gabriel Herniel Kitutu popularly known as DJ KosGabby is a Gospel Trapper, Record Producer and DJ specialising in Trap, EDM, Gospel, and Afro-Beat Dancehall. His debut album BlackThunder , a Trap Gospel album, hit the waves in 2017 when he was only 16 years. He did majority of the production for the tracks and coursing the lyrics through most of them. The album features rappers Metrican , Malcolm De Urban, Saint Ella and various other producers.
DJ KosGabby
He grew up in Jinja-Uganda alongside two siblings learning piano, drums and guitar from Church. It’s from where he began his journey as a DJ in 2012 for a gospel dance crew where he also was a crew dancer. His unprecedented creative mixing skills got him noticed by club and events managers, careering as an amateur DJ doing gigs and parties.
He continued up with the skill through to College from where he started his production career in 2015 during his Ordinary Level Education. He released his first track, a Remix of Million Stylez’s Miss Fatty which remains unpublished to date. He continued to become the shadow Entertainment minister (KosGabby) and college DJ, upping both his mixing and production skills through to the birth of BlackThunder. In 2019, he retired from turntabling to focus more on Production being inspired by gated synth producers like Timbaland, Alesso, Marshmello, John De Sohn and Nicky Romero causing him to develop a unique emotional dance music style showcased in his tracks Burnt Water, You or Me, False Awakening and most of his latest releases.
Tera Nitric
An EDM Producer/DJ from Uganda, with a couple of releases on underground EDM international labels. Not only is he talented but also hardworking. One cannot talk about Electronic Dance Music in Uganda and fail to hear his name surface or mentioned by someone in the crowd or crew. He has worked his way up and successfully released music with various underground EDM record labels in the US and Europe. Versatility is also one of his strengths as he can make various genres of music ranging from Bigroom house to Afro EDM, to even anything like Amapiano and UGX-bounce.
Tera Nitric Logo
The Story behind Kyosiga
Starting as a soundtrack intended for a feature film by the same name – that never made it out of the production house, DJ KosGabby conjured Kyosiga to fit the pleasure of giving. Intending to sound different from all other sound tracks created before, he intended to give it an African taste of production by building up the percussions being inspired by the kadoodi music artistry. Having cancelled release of the film, he cast the project upon the shelves to be long forgotten or so he thought. On one of his endeavors working with DJ Arta, KosGabby crossed paths with EDM Guru Tera Nitric, Epaphroditus Kerim – and after sharing a lot amongst each other, Tera revealed that he was working on developing a new sound in the EDM vicinity that would change and bridge a lot of music ethnicities world over. But little did DJ KosGabby know that what he had put away long gone on the shelves was exactly what Tera was talking about. Still unaware, the two planned to work together on several projects and after sharing production files including the Kyosiga project, Tera was so surprised to find a producer who understood exactly what he wanted to bring out to the world. Thus after some short excitement and a few late night activities, Kyosiga was born. The song will be released on 12th August, 2022.
In this music era today, Tera Nitric born Clyde Epaphroditus is taking the music waves in Uganda by storm. Not only is he talented but also hardworking. One cannot talk about EDM (Electronic Dance Music) in Uganda and fail to hear his name surface or mentioned by someone in the crowd or crew. He has worked his way up and successfully released music with various underground EDM record labels in the US and Europe. Versatility is also one of his strengths as he can make various genres of music ranging from Bigroom house to Afro EDM, to even anything like Amapiano and UGX-bounce.
Tera Nitric Logo
This budding artist actually started making music in 2015 in his senior five class while at Macos. The artist name Tera Nitric, initially was his rap name. Writing rhymes and raps is what he used to do but still had a hidden love for EDM music. And neither did he have any idea about deejaying and making EDM music back then. All he recalls is that he had a lot of that music on his laptop. Thereafter, he then promised himself to learn an instrument when band guys in school were actually having short breaks. After that, he got to know the basics in Keyboard from band buddies “Glenn & Kulo” and that is when he actually decided to switch from rapping to making music(producing) because there were honestly many rappers and aspiring rappers in Macos. By then it was Mainests, EyezClosed, Drillz and many more. But there were fewer producers so he asked himself, “why not start with basics in Piano”. So by the time his form six vacation started he was already out and pretty sure that all he wanted was to make music. Initially, he felt the urge to make Hiphop and trap music.
Hearing from Tera Nitric
“2016, which was my vacation was a year of making a choice, so nothing big happened. Until fast-forward to 2018 which was like First Year 2nd Semester of campus when got this roommate ‘Canaan’ aka ‘Crums’ who had LMMS and FL Studio which are production software brands. So I joined a room and he was my roommate. I discovered Crums made music on his laptop by then we both were into Hip-Hop and trap so I used to make trap beats and he made some trap and EDM. So later while making trap, we all decided why not switch it up to EDM mostly. Maybe because we just felt that trap beat makers were also too many in Uganda. There was that urge to be unique, even when we were new to making music, which was actually hilarious now that I think about it. Oh, by the way Crums really disliked me the first time I was his roommate because I used to stay up later than him and he liked his lights off by like 9pm. Honestly I found it weird that he slept at 9pm. So I used to stay up either making short notes for law school or trying to learn how to make EDM music.”
“So after being so affiliated with the EDM genre, Crums introduced me to DJ Arta his OB who is also an EDM Producer and DJ. The link up was immediately strong because somehow by that time we all made Progressive House music actually in 2020 me and DJ Arta had progressive House Tracks released on the same label Wolfrage Records based in Netherlands. Crums made more tropical house because of Kygo’s influence on him. But one thing in common is that I, DJ Arta and Crums were all inspired by Avicii (RIP). So DJ Arta is the founder of Electronic Wave and he took me up to be part of it. Electronic Wave is a Group of Ugandan EDM Producers and DJ’s. From then I never looked back. I became more indulged with this music. It has been a good journey from 2018 to date. Actually four years since I started Producing Music.”
“In 2020, I got more inspiration from a Kenyan friend and Talented Producer and DJ ‘Moses Gitua’ aka ‘KeyRai’. To me, he is the African ‘Nicki Romero’. His music and DJ sets inspired me to keep growing my craft. His hard work and work ethics is just high up there. You can realize that in 2020, my soundcloud and YouTube pages had alot of Progressive House tracks because of some of my inspirations, “Moses Gitua ” and “Avicii”. In 2021, I decided to diversify my creativity to other different subgenres like Bigroom House, Future Bass, Afro EDM, Trap EDM and more. Last year honestly was a good year. I got to make music that was signed by labels I never thought would sign my music. I had music released on labels based in the US which are Shift Axis Records, NoFace Records by Max Vangeli who was an associate to Swedish House Mafia. The tracks I released last year off labels were majorly Bigroom House tracks that I made with my Colleague and good friend in Kenya named ‘DRUE’. His a real bigroom fan just like me so we decided to make tracks together. We had 3 releases and had one this year off Seal Network and many more in the kitchen. This year I have already released tracks off labels like Seal Network based in Germany and Mafia Family Crew based in Sri Lanka. More music with diversity is yet to drop off.”
Tera Nitric Brand
UG-X Bounce. What is UG-X Bounce? This is an EdM genre that was first thought of by DJ Mericorn, a fuse of EDM with african elements like percussions, and instruments. In 2020 she asked that we should dive into the sound design of the genre and we alluded from the kadodi music, ‘Bagisu Music’ of Eastern Ugandan. The genre has been in the works for nearly two years now and finally one can testify that it is ready and many tracks are going to be released under the genre by Tera Nitric and Afriki Wave. You will soon know what Afriki Wave is all about in no time. The genre was first started with the 3rd step pattern and the rest was histroy. We just felt the need to come back to the African routes and own our sound as EDM creatives from Uganda. The sound so far has received personal support and good feedback from various artists like DJ Arta, DJ KosGabby, ItsMdnyt, DJ Ronnie, Maerco (Moses Gitua, Drue, Sktr4, Ndunda, DJ Bismarck these are DJ’s from Kenya). Right now, Tera Nitric’s story hasn’t yet ended, stay tuned for more music.
Back in the time at the beginning of the 21st century while I was in primary school, I had a preferential ear for unique sounds and even up to date, I still do. I would sometimes here music at events that was composed of strange sounds that were sounding different from the common known musical instruments. Little did I know I was enjoying electronic music and that was at a time when Electronic Dance Music (EDM) was exploding into a global music genre with hit songs reaching Africa and other parts of the world. The music was just so beautiful and so nice, it just made me happy even without hearing the singers.
DJ Kampire
At the time, the trouble was how one would hear such melodies and rhythms again as it was something new to the society and minimally consumed by the people. Most radio stations played the local music as well as music from the international stars like Rihanna and Beyoncé. One only had the chance to listen to EDM at select few radio stations that had weekly programs which played that type of music specifically, and that particular radio station was Vision FM which is the current day popular X fm. The other place to grab hold of the music was at social events especially the social events as the songs were played as celebratory songs. Today, the music is quite known and many of the people and club deejays play and enjoy this music only that, a majority of them do not even know it is called EDM.
DJ Mericorn
The events
Uganda is home to various music festivals that celebrate the music cultural diversity in the whole of East Africa. A decent number of cities host such events with a majority happening in the capital city, Kampala. The most prominent festival with a lot of buzz is the Nyege Nyege festival which is sponsored by MTN Uganda and usually held in Jinja. Interestingly, this festival is home to various local EDM deejays that play music rich in electronic elements. Female deejays also play at the festival and it seems like the biggest supporters of EDM music in Uganda are the female deejays like DJ Kampire and DJ Mericorn of which, this is a surprise since this deejay sector is largely dominated by men.
Underground Kampala EDM rave
Not to mention, there are other events that happen around Kampala notably underground Kampala, which has had a series of raves held each month ever since the start of the calendar year 2022. Also, we have the rooftop transit raves that occur almost every month and just like the name, the event occurs at rooftop venues in Kampala. All these events are influencing the promotion and penetration of EDM right here in Uganda. The EDM community in Uganda is small but potentially growing day by day with more people being introduced to these events and the emergence of Ugandan electronic music artists/producers who began making the music since they love it. All these artists, organizers and promoters are pioneering the blistering EDM revolution in the pearl of Africa.
The Artists
DJ Arta Logo
Literally known as producers, we have so many budding EDM acts in our community. These are mainly influenced by electronic popular deejays as they seek to create their own music brands. A number of EDM styles are made by the upcoming youthful deejays of which some are popular and others less popular such as Amapiano, House and Afro EDM. Some of the names of the talents behind the tracks are DJ Arta, Tera Nitric, Izaya the composer, Arche, Crums, Maerco, DJ KosGabby, Buccura and the Winter Trillionaire.
Tera Nitric Logo
Promotion of these independent artist largely lies in their own hands as they try to do creatively to acquire commercial exposure and dominance. Most of the artists want to make it international just like their inspirations and role models and this not only shows that they have big dreams, but also aspire to overcome the challenges preventing Ugandan music have a deep international foothold. West Africa has done it, so has South Africa therefore, Uganda can do it too and this time round it could be so with their own musical style which could be termed as Ugandan EDM.
Just like all the other beautiful nations in Africa, Uganda has had a culture of music that shaped itself into what it is now. Her recorded music industry began in the twentieth century, back in time when she was still colonized by England. At that time, there was even a record label promoting and putting out the music. Later on into post-independence, Uganda saw a rise of various genres being made and composed traditionally such as reggae and jazz music.
Uganda international Artist Eddy Kenzo who won a BET award
In the 21st century, the music scenery had new artists who came with various styles and the predominant genre was called ‘kidandali’ as this was the new trend of music. From time to time, we have had a stream of artists come into the lime light of Uganda’s music scene. A few years ago, some artists took our own sound to international levels and the most notable ones in this aspect are Eddy Kenzo and Big Trill. It is amazing to look back on how much we have grown our music as a country to gain attention from the world wide community. Everything is improving day by day, the songwriting, the production, the videos, and the press to mention but a few.
The current
To date, the most consumed Ugandan music is by the mainstream local artists who have established big audiences within the country and these artists mainly write music in the most common local language which is ‘luganda’. Since a majority of people speak and understand the local languages, it is no surprise that the local music has its footing in the country. All regions of the country have well established artists who create music of their own origin and ethnicity. However, it is important to note that there is an increased consumption of international music in the country.
Azawi, an urban music Ugandan artist
International artists from the western world dominate radio airplay just as much as the local artists do. To be specific, West African music has taken a toll in the Uganda music consumption as ‘afrobeats’ which originates from Nigeria and Ghana trends more than any other music genre in the country. The charts of radio stations and streaming platforms in the country are heavily dominated by West African artists such as Omah Lay and Fireboy DML. Nowadays even ‘amapiano’ music trends in the country. These trends are driven by the consumption habits of our Ugandan youth who seem to prefer International music compared to local music for various reasons and tastes. Regardless, we are all African so we definitely do love Africa.
The future
We have many artists and styles of music being composed and curated in the country. Given that some are more foreign oriented and influenced, these styles are slow in penetrating the Ugandan audience to which it is new. One notable new style of music is Electronic Dance Music (EDM) which is almost something new to Ugandans as the only close music to it has been ‘amapiano’ which is known by a good percentage of Ugandans ever since the lockdowns caused by the pandemic. We have noticeable talented EDM producers/DJs in the country such as Tera Nitric and DJ Arta who continue to create the amazing instrumental music. Other new styles include gospel rap. Even though hip-hop and rap now have a substantial audience in the Ugandan music scene, gospel rap is something new and growing.
Ugandan EDM Artist, DJ KosGabby
However, a number of young creatives face a serious challenge of having their music heard given that their styles of music are new, hence need more effort in promotion. The beauty of the new future music is that these extremely creative artists have infused foreign music styles with afro and local music elements, hence making it both unique and original at the same time. In summary, the music being put out by these ambitious and industrious young men and women is termed as ‘urban music’, and there is a new streaming platform called ‘urban flow’ that is designed to help promote the various styles and works of young creatives besides just having a catalogue of all the Ugandan music.
Music Matters 