Nankasa-Ragga: Mwana Agenda vs. Njogereza vs Kabulengane

Have Ugandans finally found their own?

Regardless of various music genres in Ugandan, artistes are seemingly finding a special identity in music just like their Nigerian counterparts. This is the Bax-Ragga as branded by music pundits and producers.

Since the inception of Bax-Ragga by song-writer and RNB singer. Aziz Azion, this new music style is proving to be Uganda’s brand with catchy songs like; Njogereza  by Navio’ Kabulengane by Bebe Cool; and, Mwana Agenda by Dr. Hilderman.

These three hits recorded in a Bakisimba fussion with Ragga, symbolize the rise of a new musical genre Bax-Ragga, and one can hardly tell which song is better than the other.

Uganda is home to over 57 different ethnicities, and they form the basis of all indigenous music. The Baganda, as the most populous nationality in the country, have dominated the culture and music of Uganda over the last two centuries. Though this might be the case but all nationalities in Uganda have their own unique musical styles passed down since the 18th century.

Given our past political history, one can agree that people had no time in the past to do good music not until the late 1970s; when Philly Lutaaya, Afrigo Band, Elly Wamala and their contemporaries mainstreamed this music success. Jimmy Katumba and his music group, The Ebonies, were also popular, especially towards the late 1980s.

But the big names that rule the history of Uganda’s music are Christopher Ssebadduka, Dan Mugula, Minsusera Ssegamwenge and most recent  Baligidde, Herman Basudde, Paul Kafeero, Fred Ssebatta among others, are still at the hearts of Uganda’s music lovers.Their Afro-pop style dubbed; Kandongo Kamu, was highly embraced given the variety of beats that included local Kiganda drums like Bakisimba and Nakansa.

Today the Kidandali style of music like Batuzaala mubala are the most popular. It takes after Afro-beat or the “band music”, even if this style shares little similarity with Afro-beat.

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