By Ian Ortega
I have a special adoration for Juliana Kanyomozi, yet with that special adoration, come high expectations. Rarely have I found a Ugandan musician who consistently surpasses every musical target (quality-wise) that I set for her, I am glad to say Juliana Kanyomozi has consistently done that.
Juliana whether knowingly or unknowingly pours out her soul, spirit and consciousness in this “Twalina Omukwano” song sending ripple effects of emotions to we, her humble listeners. Twalina Omukwano proves one thing that music is the truth, but those who sing that truth are the most truthful creatures we have.
As you listen to “Twalina Omukwano” you can’t help but catch your imagination going off into the lands of nostalgia, painting images of your own personal love experiences, that random ex, that first love who gave you the first kiss. It is like a visit to a musical counselor, chit-chatting away about the heart’s deepest secrets, the things that make us human at the end of the day.
The beats soothe the pain, the anxiety, they bring back memories, but not bear memories, they are memories that come packaged with healing. I find Juliana Kanyomozi’s “Twalina Omukwano” a musically therapeutic experience for the listener.
Twalina Omukwano ripples like the water on a sandy lake as a breeze fills the air, shimmering or even raging on the mighty seas. It is a soul grooving ballad, an epicenter of ultra-coolness, it’s not a song of Juliana for the listeners rather it is a song of Juliana in which the listener plays part in the experience. It’s hypnotic, in the sense that its effects are subconsciously felt from this intangible form of beats, words and rhythms.
Twalina Omukwano makes you drift into different time spaces, to the past, to the future and back to the present. It brings melodic introspection and retrospection. I am especially in love with the beginning of the song, that intro-beat; it feels so much like a transition from the sixties into the nineties.
So I grant a new heuristic, the person who comes to your mind while listening to this song, is your soul-mate, your one true love. That name that makes an appearance as Juliana sings the different verses, that one person is yours truly, go look out for him or her.
To really get the perfect picture of Twalina Omukwano, I want you to remember Hajjati Madina’s Bibuuza song. Now get that song, and revamp it with a touch of excellence. Wait a minute, no way. Get the Bibuuza song, and picture the superbly original version of that, add up a million Bibuuza songs and you get Juliana’s Twalina Omukwano.
Juliana Kanyomozi successfully proves she’s Uganda’s musical queen and she’s not about to abdicate her throne. At least not when I can gamble and write the lyrics of the chorus because I am addicted to the song.
“Twalina Omukwano Sweetie Gwaali Gwa’amanyi
Wankola Buubi Mukwano wagyaayo Amanyi
Nandibadde yenze akwagala
Wandibadde yegwe omwagalwa…”
Listen to the song below.