By Our Reporter
There is a new duo in town — Hatim and Dokey!
After writing several chart topping songs for other Ugandan artistes, songwriters, Hatim aka Ken Hatim and Dokey aka Dokta Brain have teamed up to also share in the spotlight. They are getting behind the microphone to record music.
The duo was recently signed under Subwami Empire, a local Talent and Events Management Company and are currently working on their debut music album.
We caught up with them for a quick chat:
1. Who is Hatim and Dokey?
Hatim: Real name Ken Hatim, I am a Ugandan singer and songwriter. I started out as a solo artist in in 2015, but that didn’t pan out. Currently I am one half of the duo, Hatim and Dokey, which is signed under Subwami Empire, a Talent and Events Management Company.
Dokey: My real name is Nkwanga Geoffrey but many people know me by my stage name Dokta Brain.
I started my music career at Sous Records in 2014 where I was an in-house songwriter with producer ManPollo.
In 2015, I got my breakthrough after working the legendary Angella Kalule on her single ‘Malaika’. Later that year, I met with the late Danz Kumapeesa and wrote several hit songs including ‘Musawo’ and ‘Magic’ for Winnie Nwagi, as well as ‘Juice Wa Mango’ by Rema.
I have since written several other songs like ‘Kisasi kimu’, ‘Binkolera’, ‘Omwoyo’, and ‘Beera Nange’ by Sheebah Karungi; ‘Sabula’, ‘Nakupenda’, and ‘Katijjo’ by Fille; ‘Olindaki’ by Lydia Jazmine, just to mention but afew.
2. How did you meet and what made you decide to team up?
Hatim: We met for the first time in studio in late 2019. It is after this that we discovered that we could do good music together. The chemistry, how our vocals blend, and the positive feedback from other people made us confident and we talked about becoming a duo and the rest is history.
Dokey: I met Hatim in 2019 at Nuff Empire studio where I had gone to record a song with Skills On the Beat. We had a long chat about the industry and music at large, listened to each other’s music, and thereafter decided to record a song together. We realized there was a good vibe between us, and decided to record even more music together in that same week.
After taking time to look through what we had done together, it was addictive and irresistible to our consciences, we felt we belong together musically. It is after this that we thought of becoming partners.
We formed HD Music, H from Hatim and D from Dokta Brain, but felt the name didn’t sound catchy enough. We later settled for Hatim & Dokey.
3. Describe your kind of music and the creative process that goes into making it?
Hatim: Our music falls in quite a number of genres and is mostly influenced by the surrounding environment at the time. Writing lyrics and creating melodies is a natural skill and ours has evolved over time with training and experience.
Dokey: We are versatile artistes, both lyrically and melodically. We are not confined to one music style. We may do a lot of Afrobeat music but we are very flexible, allowing us to realize our full musical potential.
4. Are you working on any music projects at the moment? If yes, when should we expect them to drop?
Yes, we are working on our debut album titled Vibes and Themes (VAT) which will have 20 tracks. So far we have released 2 songs and hope to be releasing more music soon.
5. What challenges have you so far faced in the music industry and how have you dealt with them?
Hatim: The lack of funds to attend studio sessions, record and produce music, shoot music videos and promote the music is one of the biggest challenges we have had to go through, not to mention unsupportive people along the way.
Dokey: Just like any other business, the music industry is challenging, especially financially. But thank God for our management, we’ve overcome that struggle. Now, the remaining struggle is just a question of time, and all will be alright.
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hatim: We pray for life, otherwise we are working to get to the top. We see ourselves holding successful album releases, music concerts, and global tours.
Dokey: We are just going to do what we have to and continue to grow. Through hard work and persistence that we intend to put into our careers for the next five years, we should be able to put our name on the global map.