Producer Andy (right) and Vanny at Buddies’ studio. Photo By Ismail Kezaala
(Andy Music who is also a singer met Vanny Alif at Kiwatule-based Buddies studio, where they talked about his proffesional career and life as a producer.)
If your real name is Arnold, then why do you use Andy?
I am Arnold Bungamuzi, but how do you call yourself Arnold when you are in music showbiz?I chose Andy because it’s closer to Arnold and can easily stick in anyone’s brain.
What takes more of your time, singing or cooking beats?
For now, it’s a tie. I do both things with equal effort and dedication since both are related and are in a similar line.
What drew you into production in the first place?
I began with an interest in singing, but high studio costs and the way producers treated me when I went to studio to record, made me want to become a producer myself. They gave me unfavourable schedules and whatever beats they suggested I use just weren’t my kind and taste. It is something I have tried to avoid now that I am a producer myself. At Buddies we consider everyone’s idea and thought before I share my perspective with them. I started singing a long time ago but the very first time I went to studio was during my S.2 and my love for production started then. Since I could play instruments, I started working from home but I didn’t have software and good hardware to produce good quality music. I later did a course in editing and sound engineering.
How then did you meet Buddies owner David Kazoora to start working at the studio?
I was performing at his bar, Buddies in Ntinda when he approached me and we became “tights.” When I found out that he had a studio and no one was working there, I showed him what I could do and here I am now working with some of the best artistes in Uganda.
Were your parents supportive with your choice of career?
Unfortunately, they didn’t have a choice since my dad passed on in 1996 and my mum also during my P.7 vacation, so my sisters bore the challenge of getting me to where I am today. I
come from a family of 10, and I’m the only boy, I’m the eighth born.
Do you producers have beef?
I haven’t met one yet, that wishes they would put a bullet in my forehead yet I have met almost all of them. However, those that I have met only hope we could work together or wish
to find out how I do certain things. You see when you work with another producer, you
complement them and so do they.
What are some of the songs you’ve worked on?
One Moment of GNL featuring Leila, Olabye Ekyana, GNL, my own Take It Down where I feature GNL and Don Mc’S Yes Yes. The rest have not been released yet.