Tell us a bit about yourself
I am Joe Tumwebaze, a recording artist, songwriter, producer and owner of YEGO Productions.
Describe your kind of music and where do you draw your inspiration from?
I make what is best described as an African blend of Hiphop/ R&B. My team and I try as much as possible to incorporate our rich African tradition, Percussion, style and language into the urban form of expression globally known as Hiphop/ R&B. Naturally I draw a lot of inspiration from my surroundings, from the very food I eat everyday to the different characters of people that I encounter on a daily basis to the political state of my country and Africa at any given point in time.
As an artiste what makes you different from the pack?
As an artiste, I think I have a broader spectrum of creativity and strategy simply because I was able to step out of my entire character/ realm as an artist and just watch, observe and listen from the outside for a number of years before coming back into it as an artist.
What’s your say about the Ugandan music industry in relation to making it a career?
In relation to making it a career, I specifically appreciate how the corporate world is partnering with various arts including music and sports to boost their brands. This has done wonders for these companies as well as artists who are now availed an assortment of endorsements and contracts to represent these different brands wherever they go.
Who do you look up to as a mentor?
As a producer, I’d like to say Terry Pahole of Vancouver, BC, Canada because of everything I learned from him even before production school but I’m really an artist in almost every sense of the word and so elusive as this may sound, I am going to go ahead and say the Living God, because there are other pretty crafty gods that people look up to but none is as creative as the Living God.
Besides music, what else do you do?
I love cooking and farming. I find each, kind of therapeutic in its own way.
Are you working on an album and when should we expect it to drop?
I’m finalizing a CD called “The Love Mixtape”, a single off which is already out. It’s called “Table for two” featuring “Mo Roots” from Qwela band. The CD should be out this October.
Which artistes are you looking at to work with?
I’d like to work with more Congolese guitarists and perhaps explore more undiscovered African sounds and culture.
Your last words
Look out for “The Love Mixtape” from JT coming soon!! Thank you for supporting JT and YEGO Productions. Thanks for your time and God Bless you!