Climate Change Activist Among Women Redefining Uganda's Music Scene
All over the continent, Africa is blessed with amazing female talent. The East African nation of Uganda is no different; here too there is no shortage of successful and influential female artists.
Fresh new talent is emerging regularly, as new artists seek to stake a claim of Uganda's vibrant and diverse music industry. While many of the country's female artists started in groups and tend to sound similar, there are still plenty of distinct female voices that bring a breath of fresh air to the Ugandan music scene. Here are five of them...
In 2011 Angela Katatumba made history when she was chosen as the first artist to accompany the police, army and prisons bands by singing the Ugandan national anthem in front of 13 heads of state. She made her debut in 2005 and has so far released two albums: Peace and Glad I'm Alive. She is currently working on her third album, Supernatural Girl, and has collaborated with other Ugandan artists such as Keko. Angella is more than just an artist. Besides working in her family’s hotel business, she is heavily involved with humanitarian works. With the Angela Katatumba Development Foundation, Angela ran the ‘For You Gulu' project with the intention of using music to raise awareness of the plight of Northern Uganda after 21 years of war. She has also been involved with the 'Let’s Go Green' campaign that sought to enlighten the Ugandan public about climate change. Angela performed at the first ever United Nations World Humanitarian Summit between on 23 and 24 May in Istanbul, Turkey.
Laura Pontiggia