BigEyeUg‘s Musa Seguya caught up with songstress Winnie Nwagi for an interview about her music career and a bit of her love life. Read the excerpts below.
Who is Winnie Nwagi?
Winnie Nwagi is a new artiste in the industry who rose to fame after being 2nd runner up in the Coca Cola Rated Next competition. I am signed to Swangz Avenue music group. I have songs like Embeera, Gwenoonya, Katono Katono, Science, Kyowulira and Google ft. Kalifah Aganaga. And I recently won an award for the Best Breakthrough artiste of the year in the HiPipo Music Awards
What one lesson did you learn from Coca-Cola Rated Next?
I learnt a lot of things in the competition for example; I learnt to believe in myself, and also be confident on stage despite the size of the crowd, to mention but a few.
How did it feel winning your first award at the HiPipo Music Awards last weekend?
Uh-mm… I was first shocked because I didn’t expect it, I thought it would be Nutty Neithan because he is good. But it surely felt so good.
Chameleone, Juliana, Bobi Wine didn’t win any award at HiPipo Music awards last weekend, do you think they are fading and new blood is taking over?
I don’t think they have faded, but the young artistes also need to be appreciated. This year just wasn’t theirs, but they are still good and we continue to learn from them.
Fans compare you to Desire Luzinda how do you feel about that?
It feels good; she is a beautiful woman, and she is talented. But I am here to do good music and not to be compared to anyone. I also don’t compare myself to anyone, I am me!
What are your favorite local songs at the moment?
Linda by Rema ft. Chris Evans, Katono Katono by me, No love by Radio and Weasel ft. Wiz Kid, Double Trouble by Fille, Science by me ft. King Saha.
Who are your top four musician?
David Lutalo, Rema Namakula, Lilian Mbabazi, and Irene Ntale. And others are also good but those are my top four.
What are your upcoming projects?
I am working on a song called Musawo and its video will be out at the end of the month hopefully.
Which local star would you like to collaborate with?
David Lutalo, he has great vocals that could match with mine. I would also love to work with Chris Evans.
Do you write your songs?
I haven’t released any songs that I have written myself, but I have them.
How did you come up with a collabo with King Saha?
He was my friend before I even joined the music industry. When I joined, I asked him to do a song with me and he agreed to it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years to come?
I will be one of the best female artistes in Uganda and doing international doing collabos with international stars like Wizkid.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far in the music industry?
When you are still an upcoming artiste, you are undermined. I remember during Catherine Kusasira’s show at Freedom City, I was asked to perform my song Katono Katono because it was the song Catherine liked a lot, but when I stepped on stage, I first sang Embeera and while I was still introducing Katono Katono, the emcee asked the deejay to stop the music and I was bounced off the stage, I felt so irritated and I will never forget that moment.
How does it feel like working with a big label like Swangz Avenue?
It’ feels so good, I am not complaining. It is one of the best management and it has put me where I want to be, making me the person I am today.
You recently went on holiday in Dubai, did you find fans to your music abroad?
Yeah I did, there were so many fans asking me when I will be coming to perform yet it was just a holiday. They actually thought I had come to perform.
What is the relationship between you and the father of you child?
We are just friends, though we take long without talking.
We know that you are a single mom, describe the kind of man you would want in future.
I don’t mind about the looks or swag, as long as you can love me the way I am and also to accept my job, support me and love me the way I want. I don’t care about the money.
Any celebrity crush?
Gaetano – I like everything about him, I love the way he talks, the way he expresses himself. He’s just so good. But it is just a crush, nothing more.
How do you deal with guys who want to vibe you?
I try to be polite. I say no in a polite way; I be honest with you instead of wasting your time.
Any advice to the upcoming singers?
They should be patient. When it is not yet your time, it is not yet. God has a plan for you, everything will happen.
Any last words for your fans
I want to thank my fans for the love they show me and I promise them I won’t ever disappoint them. I am also introducing something new in my videos, in my previous videos I used not to include little dancing but I am rehearsing and I am going to start blending my videos with my dancing strokes. Just keep locked.