Date with a celeb: Michael Mukunzi meets dancehall singer Vampino

(Vampino and Michael met in Makindye, at Vampino’s house and hang for a whole afternoon.)

What’s up Vampino?
I’m very good, very well.

What is your real name?
Vampino is also my real name but people call me Elvis Kirya.

Maurice Kirya and Sabasaba are you’re siblings?
Eh, Maurice is my younger brother, and so is Sabasaba.

So the whole family is doing music like David Obua and his brother or Chameleone and this ka brother of his.
(Laughs) Ours is not like those families, well for the Obua’s case it’s okay but the others it’s a joke.

You are not working with Benon anymore?Any plan on working with Chameleone again?
Chameleone is a big fan of mine. He’s seeking an autograph not a collabo but for Benon’s case, we wanted to build solo careers first but we have a few projects coming up in the future. I’m promoting Bingili Dance, my song with Bushoke. We have been to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and now we are doing a video for  Channel O.

How come you don’t have a song with Maurice and Sabasaba? We want to feel that touch of the brothers putting together different tastes of music.
It’s underway, we have quite a number of projects coming up soon. You know putting together stubborn and calm minds is one thing that ought to come slow.

Do you have a wife? Or your still freelancing?
I have a partner, I also have two kids.

You’re a Christian?
Yes, Catholic.

How far did you go with your education? Do you even think about education or that did not waste your time?
I actually still have the urge to go back to school because there is a lot I want to study that will help me now. But just like everyone else, I went to elementary, primary, secondary then went to Aptech and did computer maintenance. I did a diploma, now I want to go further and do a degree. I mean I’m still young, only 29, there are people doing adult primary education.

What else do you do apart from singing?
I do a lot of things, marketing, editing. I’m also a producer, generally I deal in everything. I’m just not professionally taught, which is why I want to go back to school.