20 artists whose songs are ruling the airwaves in Uganda now and beyond as we enter 2010. These are the songs bound to keep the dance floors busy at all the picnics, shows and parties. 20 Ugandan artistes making the waves in this Museke chart/countdown.

Here is the menu for the month of January

Mowzey Radio & Weasel - Ole, Number 1
Jose Chameleone- Sweet mama, Basima ogenze

One of the biggest Ugandan hits of all-time is a song called Walumbe, by the late Prince Paul Kafeero. The song is about death and Paul Kafeero passed away about two years ago. Found the lyrics to the song recently through ConnectUganda.com's forums and wanted to share.

Kafeero famously sang in his Walumbe song - "No one knows where Walumbe (death) takes us, yet it is the ultimate destiny of all human beings"

Some of his albums were Muvubuka Munange (my fellow youth), Ekijjankunene (strange human-like creature), Abatunda Ebyokulya (food vendors), Kiwenenya Amazina, and Walumbe Zaaya.

Here are the lyrics

here comes my new video, the hot steppah video.
featuring dancers from U.S.A, Canada. Denmark and the best bboyz in East Africa
enjoy

It is produced by First Love Records and video is directed by Centrix

Famous Ugandan dance group, Obsessions girls, recently staged a musical called "Love is to die" in early May at the Theatre La Bonita in Kampala. They also used the opportunity to launch some new songs. This is not the first time they have staged a play, this follows Cleopatra, Queen of Sheeba, Heat of a Dancer, Return to Innocence, Before Adam& Eve, Legend of the Scepter, Sprit of the Sun, Princess Miana, etc. The "Love is to die" play was written by Ronnie Mulindwa (their producer), and featured a cast of 20 hired actors. The play also featured Black Candy, a new Ugandan group made up of Natasha Sinayobye (Kombat Dancers) and Prossie Bulyabya a.k.a. Pie B. According to the organizers, Obsession gals wanted to show the world that they are the only best live singing and dancing group in Uganda.

Below is a review of the play by Moses Serugo. It was first published at the Ugandan Observer.

One of the underrated awards given out during the inaugural MTV Africa Music Awards was the radio hit of the year. This award was for the biggest hit song on African radio. Though D'Banj's Why me won eventually, one upstart Ugandan group was nominated too for their song, Beera Nange. Toniks is their name and right now only Allan is the face of the group. We caught up with him to find out what's he been up to and where Lilian (the other member) is. Read the transcript below.

Museke.com: Hello, how are you?
Toniks: Fine thank you…I hope you’re good yourself.

Museke.com: Can you tell us about your background and family?
Toniks: Well I’ve got 4 siblings and am the second born.

Museke.com: How did you get interested in music?
Toniks: My mom taught me the guitar when I was 14 and I picked up from there.

Unless you live under a rock, which I doubt because you found your way to Museke.com, you'll know that America's current president, Barack Obama, has a Kenyan father. When he won the American presidency, a holiday was declared in Kenya and some circles welcomed this as well. He has two beers named after him in Kenya too, Senator Beer and President Beer. All Africans like to claim him too, not just Kenyans. African musicians have made songs in his honour as well, in the run up to his presidency and after. Here are a few of them.

Oumar Sall, a Senegalese musician, author and activist is behind http://www.themakingofapresident.com and the song 'You bring us hope'. It's a lovely song, check out the video and lyrics at this link. The chorus goes like "Some said you were never gonna make it, you bring us hope. You light the way and said to the world yes we can, you bring us hope".

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, (January 26, 2009) -- AlexOm Productions’ artist and world music songstress Omega Bugembe Okello was recently nominated by the NAACP Image Awards Committee as an Outstanding World Music Artist. This honor comes in conjunction with several others, including the chance to perform at the Sauti za Busara World Music Festival in Zanzibar, Tanzania as well as the renowned Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore.

Check out an interview with Omega Bugembe Okello

Zari's Oliwange caught the eyes of Channel O viewers and this led to a Channel O nomination for Best Africa East award. She's a Ugandan musician based in South Africa who is doing her best to keep her fan base in Uganda while plotting world domination. Museke.com caught up with her to ask her a few questions and below is the transcript of the interview.

Museke.com: Hello, how are you?
Zari: Am good and you?

Museke.com: Can you tell us about your background and family?
Zari: I grew up in family of 6 gals and 2 boys sadly 1 passed away, my parents are still alive and reside in Uganda

Museke.com: How did you get interested in music and when did you realize you wanted to take up a music career?
Zari: I bet I was born to love music and with the love of it that’s how I’ve managed to get my self here, I realized I could do this when I started winning best actress for music, dance and drama while I was in school. During my holidays I would do karaoke on wedding and when I got older I would do it at pubs where most holiday makers would hang out. I remember this one place in Uganda called DV8, it used to be great and most well established artist in Uganda have been thru that pub.