Juliana reveals Bobi Wine gave her the big music break

At the nascent stage of singer Juliana Kanyomozi’s career, she adopted English as her sonic language of choice until one day when Bobi Wine came up with a suggestion that introduced her to a whole new audience. Taata Wa Abaana (2004), which she recorded with Bobi Wine, was her first big-break Luganda song. 

“Taata Wa Abaana was the song that gave me my big break. He came to Capital [FM]. I think he had brought a song. So, he told me he wanted to share an idea. We went to the production room, and I realised it could work. I was nervous about my first song in Luganda,” said Juliana to Ruth Kalibala.

However, that unlocked her next challenge; it was her first Luganda song, but a collaboration. She had to prove she could deliver a similar project solo, because even Mama Mbire was with Bobi Wine. Then her first solo Luganda hit song, Nabikoowa (2005), absolved her. 

“There was a journalist who said I was just lucky I did my two big songs with Bobi Wine. You can imagine the pressure after that. Then God brought Silver Kyagulanyi into my life, and he wrote Nabikoowa.”