Juliana - the Rebirth of a Diva
The songbird will celebrate 10 years in the music industry in a concert at Kati Kati this evening. She took us through her musical journey and her future prospects….
It is two years since her last hit, Nabikoowa but when she dropped Kibaluma, it was worth the long wait. When asked how she felt about her comeback, she perfectly put it; “It was like being reborn! The fact that I had taken cover, coming back with a new album made me feel new.”
Without mincing words, Juliana Kanyomozi is back to reclaim her place as Uganda’s top female artiste, an accolade she once held. And she will be unveiling what she has been preparing for the last two years at a concert dubbed Kibaluma- Unleashed at Kati Kati Restaurant at Lugogo By-Pass.
At the concert - sponsored by Club beer and MTN- the songbird will unveil her nine-track album. Coincidentally, this concert is on, only a week to the Pearl of Africa Music (Pam) awards gala night that takes place next Saturday. She stands a chance to walk home with awards in the Best Gospel Single, Video of the Year, Best Rn’ B artiste/Group and Best Female artiste categories.
Kanyimbe, her gospel track tells a thing or two about her long kept detonations on the negative publicity she has suffered in her career. The video scores with her borrowing from her icon Whitney Houston, putting up a good stage performance with choir back up.
Kanyimbe has sunk deep down in many people’s hearts due to its lyrical content captured from daily experiences. Juliana reveals that Kanyimbe is a tell-all about some of the experiences she has gone through.
“It is about experiences I have come across. As a child, I saw people stab their own (friends) in the back. Personally I haven’t got here easily. I have had my huddles. I have experienced it all. However, I take it as an experience. Bad experiences make me strong, they keep me going,” she says.
Kanyimbe fades into Kibaluma, in which she hits at the cynics who have tried hard to bring her down. Kibaluma has become an overnight anthem on FM stations as it brings out the callous habits of people who don’t wish others well.
She resonates into Malaika Wange, a reason for lovers to pick the C.D off the shelf. It is a love ballad of assurance, which will most likely earn her airplay during the Valentine season, come next February.
The 26-year-old diva finds her roots in Enkwanzi Yange, for some footwork dance, blended with local instrumentation. Henry Kiwuwa and Romeo Akiiki did the production work to the track. Enkwanzi Yange, her pride of heritage, is a folk song from Toro.
In Mundeke, she assures us that she is no longer searching and tells of her newfound love. On the contrary, she keeps you guessing in Nkyanoonya in which she shares her mental pictures of her ideal soul mate. Other songs on the album include Tomboowa Mukwano, Wesigame Kunze and Yiga Empisa.
Juliana is also working on collaborations with the likes of Kenya’s Nameless and Tanzania’s Bushoke, which will probably guarantee her a musical entry into Kenya and Tanzania. Also on her to do list is her entry into the Ugandan movie industry.
She ends speculation by the rumourmill. She says she will be starring in scribe Henry Ssali’s forth coming film, Kiwani: The Movie, in which she’s expected to take on a major role. It is something she has wanted to do for long.
“It is more of an adventure for me. It’s something that came up abruptly. Somehow I bumped into someone who had a brilliant movie idea coming out. I have never acted before and I can’t wait to try. I have always wanted to act. If I try and I like it, I’ll continue acting,” she says.
On the other hand, the tabloids have had a field day speculating on the men in the diva’s life, particularly her affair with international boxer Kassim Ouma. It was said that she went on to change religion - becoming Jalia, a Muslim. Well, she comes clean about her private life.
“When you meet someone, it doesn’t mean you are going to suddenly change everything about you. Changing one’s religion is not a simple thing anyone can just do. It would take a lot of convincing to change my name. I am still Juliana. Even Kassim calls me Juliana,” the artiste who thinks people make something big out of something that’s meant to be personal and would prefer they kept to her career, added.
Juliana who is inspired by divas like Whitney Houston, Black Box and Madonna has big plans of staging major shows in her home area (Toro). For now she prefers to keep most her future plans under wraps. She wants it to be a surprise and is focusing all her energies on this evening’s launch.
