Excited fan: Every celebrity has fans but fans like Edmund Atwebembeire are special. His e-mail caught our attention, especially when he said he would do anything to get a minute with Irene Ntale and when the opportunity came, he did not waste his luck.
I was excited to learn that you were nominated in the KORA awards and four times in the Zzina awards. I vote every day. How do you do it?
Thank you so much. Yes, I am nominated in the female artiste category, contemporary RnB artiste, best collabo and song of the year. There is no formula. All I can say is that if you have a good team and also work hard and consistently, you can make it. And this is not only in music, but other areas as well. We motivate each other at Swangz Avenue. You need to also pray a lot.
How do you come up with the many songs you have?
I work with good song writers such as Zulanda, Ray Signature and good producers. I also record music all the time, so before I release a song, we pick five, listen to them and figure out which one to release or will appeal to different audiences.
Do you have rules you follow before releasing a song?
Definitely. When you release a song, you do not want to just load it with words. You have to get a hook or chorus so that people get interested and when you perform they can sing along.
I follow you on every social media platform but you have never replied to my messages. Why?
I do not manage most of my social media platforms. Management does, which is the case with some mobile numbers. You can run mad if you do everything yourself.
How did you start your music career?
That is a long story, but I will cut it short. Back in school I had zero interest in music, but in my Senior Four, I joined the church choir after a friend told me to check it out. The interest started coming in, I learnt to play instruments and soon two guys and I formed a rock band. Aly Alibhai signed us but later dropped us because he wasn’t making any money and when one of the band members passed on, the band disbanded. I did not want my career to end like that, so I started backing up artistes such as Leila Kayondo, Grace Nakimera, Bobi Wine, Rachael Magoola, Aziz Azion, Jamal and others. A friend invited me to back up Sheila at Emin Pasha and months later, I was given a night to perform. That is where Swangz picked me from.
When are you planning to stage a concert?
Very soon. I cannot avail dates now, but just know before July 2016.
I enjoy your Otubatiisa song with Sheebah, but oh my! did you do the video before lunch or after? Because the energy you used in that video was too much.
It was an entire day shoot and there is always something to eat on set. Sheebah also motivated me to dance.
Are you planning on have another collaboration with Sheebah or anyone outside Uganda?
Not this year. I am concentrating more on me. When you hunt for collabos, sometimes they don’t work out. If I am to do one, the other artiste has to also be interested in working with me.
How do you juggle music and real life?
Some days I wake up and I do not want to listen to anything music. I just want to zone out and be alone, but most of my life is music now. I have to record songs, perform, and practice a lot. I cannot separate my real life from music.
MEET YOUR CELEB: E-mail sqoop@ug.nationmedia.com and tell us the celebrity you want to meet and we shall make it happen. Don’t forget to include your telephone contact.