Filmmaker, singer, songwriter, philanthropist and dental psychologist Ann Nassanga, alias Afrie, has been around the music scene for more than 10 years. At first, she was a pianist, who showed up and wowed audiences with just a song or two and left.
Then she started releasing music such as Askari, Mulala, Yodi Yodi, and Let Her Know, among others. The songs were appreciated and she went on to grace festivals such as Pearl Rhythm Festival, Bayimba International Festival, Aka Dope sessions and Blankets and Wine.
Later she dropped two Eps- or extended play- a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single song, but is too short to qualify as a full-length album, Afriedom and Sunflowers in Sahara (SiS), it is about that time that she also started getting involved in the film industry, directing a number of short films, documentary films and most notably, directing the Halima Nakaayi commercial against domestic abuse towards female athletes.
For many, she is the voice and lyricist behind the theme song of the leading TV drama at the moment, DamaLie. However, even when Afrie’s catalogue speaks volumes, she was yet to release a complete body of work until yesterday.
Yesterday, Afrie released her debut album Ggulu, a 12- track album she says represents who she is as a person, her growth, sound and is thematic as well.
Ggulu, which is Luganda for heaven is Afrie’s first album after two successful EPs; a song from one of these even got nominated for the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima). She says, for the EPs, she compiled songs that had already been recorded.
Cornered in boxes?
“I took time to put together an album because I did not want to lump songs together for the sake of it. It had to be thematic. I needed to figure out my sound,” she says.
She says most of the time, people box themselves too much when it comes to beliefs, art and life generally. For instance, people believe heaven is a place you only go to in the after life, “what if I create my own heaven here on earth?”
With the album, Afrie says she is breaking many of such boxes not only lyrically, but structure wise. She says the album was done on her terms and the songs are not conforming to what people think a pop song should sound like.
In 2023, Afrie and partner, rapper and poet, Gordons Mugoda alias Wake got married. The two have collaborated on songs such as Segejja, Abantu Beira and Leero; it is natural that they collaborate a lot on songs and production.
Wake appears twice on the album with songs, Ggulu, title single and Mpungu which also features Afro-fusion and ethno artist, Alideki Brian.
Then there is Kenneth Mugabi. Afrie and Mugabi’s story goes way back; when she recorded her debut single Yori Yori with the tutelage of Pearl Rhythms’ Jude Mugerwa and Susan Kerunen, for their annual Stage Coach programme, the other artists on the programme included Kenneth Mugabi, who at the time was a member of the Appegio Band.
“Ken (Mugabi) and I go way back, I sent him a song, he wrote something through it and somewhere in between Artin told me he wanted to do something with me, so we ended up recording Gusula Wano, my song with Ken,” she says.
Gusula Wano is one of those Afrie songs she wrote and has performed for more than ten years but never compiled on any of her EPs. It also has a number of available versions.
On the album, the song features Mugabi and a number of changes, some made by one of the first producers of it, Artin, in fact, he’s also created as one of the composers of the song.
Four nominations
The album was released yesterday, coinciding with her Runaway Runway, a school trip that brought 50 Karamojong girls to Kampala for the first time.
When Afrie first released her single Let Her Know, she says was in a space where she was questioning many things. The song is not on the album but has taken her places.
Afrie is an ambassador of the African Union -AU/CIEFFA – campaign to educate girls post Covid-19. The song ‘Let Her Know’ is the theme song of this campaign.
This song has earned Afrie four nominations in the prestigious All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2019 and 2021.
Because of Let Her Know, Afrie has been involved in different charities, especially those empowering girls. Her initiative Cal-verse, has been working with girls in Karamoja and engaging many of whom had run away from homes.
“Many ran away for different reasons, war, forced marriages, lack of ambition… there is always a reason forcing these girls to run away,” she says.
Thus, the Runaway Runway is intended to expose young girls to life outside Karamoja. They reached Kampala yesterday and will be visiting the parliament, National Theatre, and will see different sites.
“At times staying in one place does not give them a chance to be aspirational. I know how much seeing women driving can change these girls’ perspective or seeing traffic lights. All these girls are leaving Amudat for the first time in their life,” she says.