By Edwin Nuwagaba
5 October 2008
Nemo Judy isn't a name well known on the local music scene but having listened to her music; you will realise that there is something distinctive about her voice.
Perhaps the reason why you may not have heard her songs playing on your local FM radio is because she sings a genre of music (contemporary soft-rock) that is not popular. Her songs also are composed in Kiswahili, which certainly most people here don't speak.
The light-skinned singer broke into the singing industry as a backup singer to the late Poxy Pressure in the late 90s. Whereas her mentor was dead, she was still determined to make it. It is for this reason that she has practically gotten her hands on several things like fashion designing, modelling, and acting; taking part in productions like Battle of the souls and Alex Mukulu's Return to Innocence, which was staged on the Chogm opening night. And if all goes well, she plans to start her own fashion house.
She grew up with a single mother - Susan Gichohi. It is this background perhaps that has created the ambitious person she is. Through out this brief interview however, she is loath to talk about her father.
While she might have the voice, the lyrics and perhaps the looks to die for, she is still torn between two countries; her motherland, and here, where she currently lives. I ask her how she plans to make it on the local scene and she says; "I am planning to do quite more Luganda collaborations, and besides, Swahili is going East African."
Listening to her music, most of it is modest and does not imply anything upbeat in its arrangements. Her first song Maneno for instance is about getting over heartbreak and resonates with quite impressive acoustic guitar sounds.
Nakubembereza as it sounds is smooth with a slow tempo and is good for relaxation. In fact, even though you don't understand a single word in Swahili, the fusion of the soulful beats will send you into a deep sleep. Little wonder the singer attributes her style to her personal character; that is, laid back.
Meanwhile, Labda is a relationship coining; with good keyboard notes, the singer puts her voice to good use as she lets it rise and fall. The song hits on a lover who cheats on his wife but pretends he is still interested in her.
Nipe, which she sang with Prince Hardcore, is a boy-girl song; basically the boy is begging for some love. It is her only song that will get you off your seat to the dance floor. These songs were produced in Gudenuf and Muddy Boots studios.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
