Already taken: Toniks has had hit songs such as Beera Nange, Tukyekole and many others. The R&B singer met his fan Linda Navuga, a third year student of Information Technology at Ndejje University. The two talked a lot about music and life.
I have been sending you messages on Facebook but you have not replied any of them. Why?
You see what happens on Facebook is that many people send so many messages and it also becomes another job responding to them. That is why you see celebrities giving rights to other people to run their pages. Then there are a lot of fake accounts all over so it becomes difficult to check. But I am so sorry if it offended you.
Where do you get the girls you use in your videos?
They are actually people we reach out to. Some are my friends and we get others from modelling agencies. Those we do not know send their pictures and we select the ones we find ideal for that particular video.
Do you pay them?
Yes we do. It is a token of appreciation, though those who do it out of love tend to do a better job than those who do it for money.
What would it take for me to feature as a video vixen?
That depends on the video concept. Some videos need actors and others may need skimply-dressed girls. You have to audition and we see where you are best suited.
What is the best song you have ever done?
That is a hard question for an artiste. There are songs you do and they are influenced by the fans yet there are others you do out of love like That Girl. Everyone who listened to it told me it is too urban but I loved it.
It is one of the first songs I wrote and produced myself. Then, there are songs you do in a playful mood like Tukyekole. It was more of a free style and I listened to myself and I thought: “What is this I am singing?” Itano, on the other hand, is the song I did when I was in my creative zone but that is the beauty of music.
Why did you choose to do R&B?
I think every artiste has influences that shape the kind of music they do. I personally grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Usher, Sisqo, Craig David, R Kelly and others.
How do you spend your weekends?
That depends. Sometimes I am performing, then making appearances, in studio and if I get the chance, I want to stay home and chill.
Where do you stay?
Naalya.
When did you start singing?
Professionally, I started in my first year at campus with Beera Nange.
I heard you have a song with Lillian. Is it an old song?
It is called Kinteleza. By the time we sang it at her concert, it had not been mastered. I have not got a copy yet.
Are you planning to stage a concert any time soon?
I already have an album, but I want to do something different, which I am yet to come up with.
Which songs have you produced?
That Girl, Nigenda Yoona, Tukyekole, Itaano, Baby Language, Regular ft Navio, Who You Are ft Ray Signature, Mungato, among others.
Why haven’t you produced for other artistes?
When you are an artiste, your biggest fear is giving someone a song and they do it badly. I would want someone to do the song exactly the way I would have done it.
Are you married?
Not yet but I am dating.
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