Sir Aludah with his fans Grace and Sarah, whom he shared with his journey to becoming a DJ. PHOTO BY ISAAC SSEJJOMBWE
SPIN MASTER: You will rarely find a Ugandan DJ who actually went to school to study the art of spinning discs. So, it is no surprise that Sir Aludah is a master in his craft because he went to school for this.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a super DJ, I work smart and I am a family man.
Family man? Are you married?
I am not married but I am seeing someone and we have two children together.
Where did the name Sir Aludah come from?
Aludah is my middle name and it was given to me by my grandfather (Aludah was his name). My birth name is James Aludah Mugume.
Tell us about your deejaying journey?
It has been and still is fantastic. I have been to places I had never even imagined I would go to. I meet people from different walks of life and I am enjoying every bit of it. I started professional deejaying in 2009 and I got my break-through from a DJ competition in 2010. I have dropped several mixtapes and I work on Radio City FM.
What type of DJ would you say you are?
I am a hype DJ. Some call it DJ-taining.
Explain that please?
A hype DJ is one who does not just put his head down and manipulate music using his turntables but goes an extra mile to perform, use the mic to hype up his audience and does all sorts of things to keep the crowd not just glued to the music but also the activity on stage.
What inspired you to become a DJ?
I have been inspired by many things, family on top of the list. Family keeps me inspired and family keeps me going.
Back in the day, DJs were not recognised as serious people. What did your family think of this career path?
I come from a staunch Christian background but surprisingly they were never against my deejaying. Or maybe it is because I never told them what I was going to do in Nairobi.
What had you gone to do in Nairobi?
I went to study Music Production and Sound Engineering at the Home Boyz Music Technology Academy. I also did a course in deejaying at the same school.
Why did you study that course?
The plan was to study Information Technology in my first year but I discovered that it was not where my passion lay.
Who is that one person you owe this career to?
A lot of people have had a hand in shaping my career but at the end of the day it is about me. No one can force you to do what you do not want.
Which places have you played at so far?
Many; South Africa, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, Eritrea, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and of course every corner of Uganda.
For how many years have you been deejaying?
Actively, I have been deejaying for seven years.
What challenges do you face in this industry?
The challenges were quite many in the early days. Now, I would not call them challenges really.
How different are you from other DJs?
I am myself. I do not copy and even if I am to copy, I paste the Aludah way. [Laughs].
We have seen young DJs come up, which ones do you think have an extra talent?
Uganda has many talented DJs. They just do not believe in themselves. But yes we have a lot of talent but I cannot mention names.
Besides deejaying, is there anything else you do?
Everything I do rotates around deejaying (Production, Radio) etc. If it is not that, I am with my family or helping my partner with her catering business (as her uber guy). Haha.
What kind of music do you enjoy?
No specific genre. I am a song person. If I like the song, I could care less about the genre.
Is deejaying a worthy business?
Yes. But you have to be smart. You have to re-invent yourself, be professional, stick to your guns and be yourself as much as possible. Do not take on other people’s personalities; just because it works for them does not mean it will work for you. And most importantly, work smart.
Sir Aludah at a glance and peek into future
EDUCATION
I was a naughty child, so I dropped out after my A-Level. But I attended Arya Primary School, then Kitante High School for my O-Level and Kisubi High School for my O-Level, before I went to Nairobi to pursue a deejaying course.
ACHIEVEMENTS
I have put a roof over my family and we will soon been moving into our house. My partner and I have a catering business (She is a wonderful cook by the way), I have an endorsement deal with Coke studio, I have travelled around Africa yet I do not know how much a plane ticket costs, I have been nominated twice for best DJ in East Africa in the AGDAs, played at probably the top deejaying platforms in Africa (Channel O’s Basement Africa and Big Brother Africa).
PROSPECTS
I have an event called King of Turntables. It has happened twice and the third edition is underway. This time round, instead of bringing in an international DJ, we will showcase the talent we have in the 256. We have lined up the creme de la creme of Uganda and we will have them showcase for the first time.
