Spice Diana is popular for songs such as Onsanula, and she was not shy for a shot with her fan Ivan. PHOTO BY Isaac Ssejjombwe.
ROUGH START: While starting out, she experienced an embarrassing encounter with an emcee who blocked her from performing, but that did not stop Spice Diana from chasing her dream.
Briefly tell me who Spice Diana is?
Spice Diana is a musician and student, studying Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University.
When did you realise you wanted to be an artiste?
During my Senior Four vacation in 2011.
Which record labels have you worked with so far?
I first signed with Twinkle Star, then Humble Management, before going solo.
How old are you?
I am 20 years old.
Are you married?
I am not married yet but I am seeing someone.
Tell me about your education background?
I went to Kibuli Demonstration Primary School, St Peters Nsambya, Kampala Citizen College and I am currently in my second year at Makerere University.
Who is your role model?
My mother.
How many songs do you have, and tell me some of them?
I have seven songs in circulation, including Tekinanta, Koona, Onsanula, Sitoma, Nze Akwagala, Nkwewulila with Pallaso as well as Akabimbi with Tip Swizzy, Nyumirwa and Sabatula with the Triplets, also known as, the Ghetto Kids.
Which is your best song among those and why?
I love Tekinanta because it is a different style compared to my other songs. It also took me by surprise and in fact people could not believe that it was me behind that song.
Who is your best Ugandan artiste?
I like Juliana because of her self-respect, self-esteem and her versatility. And the way she keeps a low profile.
What is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you?
When started singing, there was this emcee who tried to block me from going on stage and in the process of explaining to him, he just decided to grab and push me heavily to the ground. I fought back and there was a scandal back stage until they separated us. It was so embarrassing.
And what has been your best experience?
Winning the best Breakthrough Female Artiste Award last year in the Hipipo Music Awards. It was my first award in life and the category I was nominated in was so competitive, but that was a clear indication that people love me.
Tell me about the challenges you face in the music industry.
My journey has not been easy. I hustled so much from the beginning and I am still hustling. Making a name in the music industry is not easy, and what makes it even harder is that I am still a student. My musical schedules collide with my schedules at university but there is nothing to do.
I have seen so many of your T-shirts at several events. Are those your fans or friends?
I have a big team of Spice fans and diehards. They are committed to doing anything to push my career. Team Spice has a Facebook account, Twitter handle, Instagram and WhatsApp so we are professional. We also do donations, voluntary cleaning, among other things. I am proud of them and surprisingly, I do not pay them, but only fund every project that they come up with. We shall be celebrating our anniversary as a team on November 28 at Club Silk.
If you were not a musician, what would you be?
I would probably be a powerful businesswoman in this country.
Which collaborations are you working on?
I am working on a song called Sabatula with a young talented artiste called Man King and then another song with the B2Cs, among others.
Which are your top 10 Ugandan tracks right now?
Koona, Akabimbi, Imagine by Geosteady, Nkwagala by Radio & Weasel, Mbilo Mbilo by Kenzo, Sagala Ntalo by Ziza Bafana, Kalibatanya, Katono Tono Winnie Nwanji and Katono Tono by Rema.
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