The Ugandan music scene has always been vibrant, with a growing list of urban pop artists and pop songs dominating bars and playlists. For a long time, the charts have been flooded with pop songs in Luganda and English, which makes sense because music in these languages by Ugandan artists is plentiful and enjoyable. However, over the years, Runyankole singers have found a dedicated fan base within the pop crowd. Kampala is easily the entertainment center in Uganda, and precedence has always favored music in Luganda, but western Uganda offers a unique treat with music you must check out! Let's dive into some new artists and longtime masterful hit-makers who have been in the game for years.
Emerging and Established Artists
Here are some of the most popular Ugandan music artists that you should definitely add to your playlist:
T Paul 256
T Paul is comfortably filling up playlists, and for good reason. One listener remarked, "I never knew Runyankole could be this sexy!" The song they raved about is "Sweet Sensation," which has a salsa-oriented production that will get you pulling off dance moves you never imagined possible. It's groovy, it's sweet, it’s a banger! T Paul 256, also known as Taremwa Paul, is a 25-year-old western Ugandan recording artist from Kakoba, Mbarara. He is signed under the label Alpha Music Entertainment and has been releasing music since 2017.
T Paul sings in Runyankole and English "so that the person who doesn’t understand Runyankole still gets the message of the song. But my vision and essence is to sell the Ankole culture to the world through the beats and the songs. So, Runyankole takes most part of my songs.” He hopes that while earning from his talent, he can also make Runyankole musically appealing to the world. He is indeed achieving this with songs like "Tamu Tamu" and "Malaika."
T Paul believes that to make it, one must be themselves: “because only you can be uniquely you, that’s why I don’t feel the pressure to record in Luganda or any other local language. Of course, I have gotten advice from different people telling me that the only way to make it nationally is to do Luganda. But doing that would be giving up on my dream.” He sings about love, marriage, courtship, morals, and lifestyle. T Paul has so far released about 15 songs such as "Butabika," "Amaisho Gawe," and "Sorry ft. Megatone."
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EKIRABO - T PAUL 256 (Official Music Video 2024)
Shine Omukiga
Shine Omukiga (real name Shine Nyonyozi Angella) is a Mukiga born in Kabale and based in Mbarara where she hosts an evening show on Vision Radio called The Vision Express. “I started singing six years ago under ‘SHABempire’ but my contract with them expired and I’m still in the amendment phase of it,” she told Andariya. She has released 25 songs and 15 videos all of which are mostly in Runyankole with some English.
Shine Omukiga's voice is full, her presence and smile simply implore you to enjoy her songs, and they are pretty sensational. She adds “my sole purpose of choosing music in the first place was so I could show my culture beyond borders.” She has released songs like "Omukundwa," a personal favorite, "Nkwata omugongo," "No relaxing ft. Khalifa Aganaga" and "Nyongera (more of you) ft. Jet Sky." The talented singer hopes that her music will spread love in people’s hearts with tracks, since most of her songs are about love and Africa.
Ray G
Ray G is a star that Ugandans are learning can’t be ignored. In fact, he is almost certainly the most known artist recording Runyankole music. The "Omusheshe" singer released his first hit "Amarari" in 2013 and has gone on to release a great many hits like "Nkaronda," "Nokigambaho ki," and "Ringaniza" among others.
Ray G held his first concert ‘Ray G live in concert’ on the 14th of September 2019 at Agip Motel in Mbarara and it was sold out because if you are good audiences will flock to you. Ray G has remained loyal to Runyankole, despite the norm for artists to switch between local languages. If you are looking for groovy music to make your house party a hit, Ray G is a very safe bet and his YouTube will prove that.
Sister Charity
We really can’t pay homage to Runyankole music and not mention Sister Charity. Sister Charity’s song ‘Grade’ is still up to today a major pop throwback even in Kampala city bars and Playlists. Sister Charity whose real name is Kobutungi Charity has been recording songs for twenty years now and has easily become a veteran with nine albums over the years.
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She has songs such as Grade, Nkyalimbooko, Pound Choice, and others. For those who grew up in western Uganda, you will have to admit she was a major hit artist back in the day and was never missed on radio charts. A popular lyric of hers has for years been “…ekikazi kiba kiri ekya ekyishaija. Kwonka entama tekuza ahambuzi ninga enyangi ekashwerwa ekikona. Mwegye grade…” which translates to “females pair with males but a sheep can’t pair with a goat and neither could an egret with an eagle and as such people need to learn their grade.” The 40-year-old clearly hit one for the ages right on the nose.
Allan Toniks
If you pay any attention to music, Allan Toniks needs no introduction. He ushered in a style of Runyankole music that would enjoy national status. Allan Toniks formally known as Allan Ampeire is a very talented RnB singer. He is a Mbarara born pop star who started recording in 2008 and has since released major hits in Runyankole.
His love song "ningyenda yoona" is definitely one featuring on several people’s Love Playlists. The song is soulful, fun, and groovy. He released "Itaano" in 2012, and although the song’s beat is culturally oriented, its urban touch demands that every listener get up and dance, regardless of whether one understands the lyrics or not. When Andariya spoke to him, he admitted that his Runyankole songs were a surprise to most people because a lot of people thought they couldn’t be appreciated enough to be hit songs. How wrong those people were!
“Language, I believe isn’t as important as the art itself,” said Toniks. Although he has songs in Luganda and English, he was quick to point out that he finds Runyankole a very easy language to compose in. If you are a fan, this will definitely give you a smile and hope for some more Runyankole hits from the pop star.
Challenges and Perspectives
Runyankole music, however good, is still not enjoying national and international success. In Toniks’s case, for example, he admits that: “the challenge was being the first artist to take that direction. It was tough to get people to come around and look beyond the language and appreciate the art.”
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The problem, though, as Toniks noted is that the market has been programmed to consume Luganda as the language of the arts generally, and so most artists opt for Luganda and/or English. Market expectations of course tend to predetermine the language of the music but when asked whether she feels pressured to record in Luganda Shine Omukiga said, “Am I affected by not singing Luganda, yes."
The rationale there of course is that because Kampala’s entertainment scene is very noticeable and since Kampala is in a Luganda speaking locality, it only makes sense that the industry tends to favor music in Luganda. But the problem with that is that it exposes music lovers to limited enjoyment. Since diversifying the kind of music I listen to, I have had an exceptionally good time. So, spice up your Playlist!
It is up to the stakeholders to take the fight on. People are influenced by what radios, DJ’s at parties, bars, TV presenters, and the like play on their shows. The only way diversification works is if the people who have influence allow themselves to be open-minded. Language is important because with-in the lyrics lies the art, but a song is a vast creation that can be enjoyed regardless of whether you understand what is being said.
The trouble though comes in when people who, even with understanding the language, still find it “off” to listen to music in Runyankole. Like Toniks advised, “there needs to be a sense of pride demonstrated through those that speak the language.” But this pride has to come from somewhere and as T Paul told Andariya: “It is the job of the artists to make the music appealing”.
What it comes down to is supporting each other.
| Artist | Genre | Notable Songs |
|---|---|---|
| T Paul 256 | Urban Pop | Sweet Sensation, Tamu Tamu, Malaika |
| Shine Omukiga | Afro-Pop | Omukundwa, Nkwata omugongo, No relaxing |
| Ray G | Afrobeat | Amarari, Nkaronda, Nokigambaho ki |
| Sister Charity | Traditional/Pop | Grade, Nkyalimbooko, Pound Choice |
| Allan Toniks | RnB/Pop | Ningyenda Yoona, Itaano |
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