Song of the year – Amiini, Riky Bird
There has been a growing crop of vocalists and Riky has led that pack. Amiini was released in late 2023 and still continues to catch the airwaves. What makes the song unique by production standard is that the band plays it almost the same way it was recorded – key for key.
For a long time, Riky Bird has sought for a breakthrough song, Amiini, translated ‘I give you’, gave him this and even more – he has broken his musical virginity and crashed it. He gets my nod for RnB song of the year, and for some reason as well.
Honourable mention; Baby, Judah Rapknowledge
Dancehall Song: Apat Manok, Eezzy/DJ Red Card
The tactic used by many artists when it comes to dancehall songs is to get a catchy phrase and run with it – it has often worked. Apat Manok (I am different a bit) is simply Eezzy playing with music as usual. It is well produced and well performed, above all, it is well written.
A big problem that the Northern Uganda Music Industry has is Eezzy – he makes it look Eezzy. Off for a long time, and instantly returns with a banger making others seem to be lazy.
Honourable Mention: Ni Muyayi, Kamuzu. I am happy for the lad, I wish it were a better written song.
Female Act: Mar wa ni, Akisa
If there is a song I added to this list quite happily, Mar Wa ni (This love is ours) is. For a long time, the gang of female artists Jenneth Prischa, Adong Music, Sherry Princess and Pretty B barring Quincy have pretty much been it. Quincy sounded a bit different, she is soulful whereas the gatekeepers put little to no effort in their music.
Akisa, has brought the much needed awakening – she can write, she can sing and is comfortable behind a band. She gets my nod for a song from a female artist.
Hip Hop Song: Get Up, Real Mids
A girl all the way from Lango and there is not much to say about her but the song, the producer did not go light on the beats – not one bit, and it is heavy from the start through till the end. In a year where Northern Uganda music was good and great, the competition slept. One artist who kept it real was Real Mids and she gets my nod.
The reigning NUMA Hip Hop Artist of the year comes a close second with ‘Can Anyeba’. Both songs were well performed, well written and also well produced but real mids brought a bit more energy.
Song from the Diaspora: The heart wants what it wants, Afrobar
Few know who Afrobar is – with just a little over a thousand subscribers, he falls below numbers to local artists but when it comes to music, they can hardly tie his shoelace. Based in Canada, Afrobar quietly released ‘The Heart wants what it wants’ mid 2024 and it is the best written, best produced and best performed song on this list but because it did not catch the airwaves much, it rendered little competition.
At a very close second is Daniel Stranger’s ‘Wild and Free’. It could have been him, but the former is soulful, I love soulful artist. I must admit, it is weird hearing a Luo Boy doing Rock Music at an international level. Stranger is the at the moment, the biggest export from Northern Uganda to the world.
Honourable mentions
1. Labongo Dako, Polite Mosko
2. Lawii awobe, Ocii Ocii
3. Kelele, Gye Slence Igwe
4. Awene, Cospiano
There were so many good songs out there, but start here!
