By Ian Ortega
If there’s one musician to watch in 2017, it must be Apio Moro. The moment I listened to her “Ajok” song, I sprang out of bed shouting; “Eureka”. This was it for me. Every year must come with someone to watch out for. 2017 had gone long without producing that one star. But just at that point of giving up, there came Apio Moro, and to make matters even more spectacular, she sings in Jopadhola, which could be the best language in the world. Jopadhola is like a combination of Spanish, French, Rutooro and Zulu. That’s how enticing this language is.
Apio Moro came to the world of many at the last Blankets and Wine. She’s also a regular at the Ugandan millennials’ must-attend event for Friday, Coutinho Kemiyondo’s Aka Dope. But who is Apio Moro? Some have called her Uganda’s Adele but that’s certainly an underestimation of her qualities. Should we say, she is a mélange of Adele, Nigeria’s Efya and South Africa’s Zonke.
Her music is Afro-Soul or Neo-soul but it’s the way she effortlessly sings that shows the natural star she is. She’s like a living Mozart, but for music. She’s almost made Japadhola a must learn language for many. She’s taken up the space that Keko left.
She doesn’t just promise to take you on an emotional musical roller coaster, she will carry you there and land you safely, quenching all your doubts and leaving you in total satisfaction wishing she never stops singing. She’s a writer, guitarist. And she does all this so-well. Not to sound narci-tribalistic, but it seems Japadhola are the trend, if not the disruption in this country.
Want to know how the great rock sings? Then listen to the girl from the land of the great rock. Like Moses, she strikes the rock and out comes the waters of music that pass life to their recipients.
Born Apio Lilian Samantha, the girl who grew up in Jinja is now the goddess of Ugandan music. Moro in “Luo” means “some” yet in contrast, Moro just doesn’t give us some, she gives us the full package. She’s revolutionary, choosing to sing in her mother tongue and combining it with English.
For long, I searched for a female version of Ian Ortega, Moro is that person. If I had not been a Priest, I would have proposed to her, just to listen to her sing, and nothing beyond. For her singing is food enough.
Of all her songs, I am mostly in love with ‘Ajok’ which means; “I am Fed Up.” We were fed up of Ugandan artistes doing the same thing. Here comes Moro doing it her own way, and weaving it so artfully the way a spider makes its web. She has other songs such as Obia, Two Twilo, Kiisa, Slave and Atiya.
As the year comes to a close, Apio Moro will lock it with a bang as she gifts us with her 13 track album. For those of us with great taste, this will be a must-attend event and above all, a must-buy. So if you want to know what great sounds like, Moro is the frequency to tune to. But be warned, you will be addicted. And you will become a Japadhola in the process.