Love In The +256: 10 Ugandan Love Songs To Melt Your Heart Away this Valentine’s Day
As the day of lovers continues to brew, Love is in the air, and for those seeking to create a surreal ambience and elevate their romance experience on Valentine’s Day, there’s a rich offering of Ugandan love songs to set the mood. From the rhythmic beats of R&B to the soul-stirring and body-swinging melodies of Soul, Ugandan music captures love and romance at its core, like no other.
I have put together a list of 10 Ugandan Love Songs, celebrating love in its many forms. So, grab your partner’s hand, and let the music lead you to a realm where love reigns supreme.
1. A Pass — Nkwagala
A Pass struck gold when he released this song in 2020. It swirls between R&B and Afro-soul genres with the grand piano chords punctuating almost all its endnotes. The track saw A Pass confess his love to his love interest, and being too blinded by it in that he doesn’t know what better gift to offer to her than his unending love. His vulnerability and genre-bending ability, and noticeable vocal inflection permeate the song as one of the greatest love songs to ever happen to Ugandan music.
2. Radio & Weasel — Kuku
The Washingtone produced song takes us on a romantic voyage and sees dynamic duo Radio & Weasel compare a lady’s love to being as tasty as chicken “kuku”. Radio’s love-soaked vocals plus Weasel’s rapping helped in propagating a proper romantic song while maintaining the message of the song. Both leveraged each other’s strengths to craft this song.
3. Juliana Kanyomozi Feat. Bushoke — Usiende Mbali
Rendered in English and Kiswahili, Vocalist Juliana Kanyomozi joined forces with Kenyan singer Bushoke for their collaboration “Usiende Mbali.” On the medley, Juliana longs for her love interest as she yarns for him and requesting him not go far from her. Its visuals were largely shot by the coast.
4. Maurice Kirya — Never Been Loved
In this beautiful number, Ugandan soul singer-songwriter, Maurice Kirya, poignantly expresses his promise to his love interest, pledging to love her, and not like those in her past. Released in 2015, “Never Been Loved” still stands out as one of the greatest Ugandan love songs of time. Maurice delivered it, with the aid of evocative imagery, melody, honest lyrics and heartfelt vocals further driving his message home. The Sasha Vybz directed cut equally made it as appealing to the eyes, just like the audio did to the ears.
5. Big Eye Feat. Jazema Ba — Mango Juice
Big Eye and Jazema Ba show us a different side of their artistry by comparing the love they have for their love as sweet as Mango Juice. In the steady paced song, the singers bring love home, reassuring the love interest that she is so dear to them, and that she stays rent free in their minds. For some reason, this track remains my favorite Big Eye song to- date, it’s up there, just next to “Indicator” still by the same artist.
6. Kenneth Mugabi — Under Wraps
Kenneth Mugabi shows no signs of giving up his crown one of the most exciting voices in Zouk and contemporary Soul music in Uganda. In “Under Wraps” from his 3rd studio album, People of the Land, he sings of a love that is so concentrated yet he prefers he and his love interest keep it private. As you know, people can’t ruin what they don’t know about. Kenneth sings of how he loses his breath if his love interest is out of his sight.
7. Blu*3 — Nzijukira
With “Nzijukira”, girl trio Blu*3 narrate a perfect story, of a childhood love interest with whom they grow up, recounting all his efforts to pursue/ wooing them, the intimae gestures such as handing them a rose among other efforts. It’s such a nostalgic song, more so to those who can relate to it. Each verse in the track compliments each other as Jackie Chandiru, Lilian Mbabazi and Mya (given that Cindy had quit the group at the time and so Mya had replaced her) all employ their sultry vocal abilities on this one. The song was released by the group in the late 2000’s upon roll out as a music group.
8. Aziz Azion — My Oxygen
Aziz Azion is no stranger to creating sweet and ear worming love songs. I like to refer to him as the “Love Ambassador” for it was tracks of this style that kick started his career. Among them was “Wampisa”, “Nkumila Omukwano”, and “Chocolate Girl”. This soul bearing ballad emphasizes the strong bond between 2 lovers, and how they can’t live without the other, just like how we can’t live without oxygen, for it is an essential of life.
9. Irene Ntale — Semebera
Considered one of the most iconic love songs, straight from the Pearl of Africa that is Uganda, is Irene Ntale’s Sembera. Oh how national peace was restored when this song dropped in 2016. The Afro-soul classic sees Irene call upon her love to draw closer to her, before she melts. Irene further croons stating that her lover is like a calendar and that without a sight of him, the day literally doesn’t count. The Mowzey written song was accompanied with a vintage music video which paid homage to the song, further delivering the message home easily.
10. Jose Chameleone — Nkwagala Nyo
One thing about Jose Chameleone, is that he will have a song for every mood and season. Whether it is touching base on societal issues like betrayal (as evidenced by “Bayuda” and “Baliwa”), to encouraging his countrymen to work “Katupakase” and “Nekolela Mali”, worshipping/ praising God “Bolingo Ya Nzambe”, or even ending them to the dance floor “Kigwa Leero”, “Mateeka”, “Tingisha” etc, Chameleone is that guy. Even for setting the mood for Valentine’s Day, the Leone Island honcho has a couple of songs for that. Among these is “Nkwagala Nyo”. The track isn’t just an audio perfect anthem for Valentine’s Day but can be one to perfect fit into your wedding playlist, as you declare your feelings to your significant other.
I will be lying if I said I have exhausted all the amazing romantic songs there is, but for the purpose of this article, I could only name a few.
Honorary Mentions:
1. Bebe Cool Feat. Irene Ntale — Love Letter
2. Allan Toniks Feat. Lily Ahabwe — Beera Nanange
3. Iryn Namubiru — Nkuweki
4. Kohen Kaycee — Ndi Naawe
A lovely Valentine’s Day to you all who celebrate.
