On November 27, 1980, the songstress Juliana Kanyomozi was born into a family of Toro Kingdom royals of Gerald and Catherine Manyindo. Gerald Manyindo was the son of Omukama Kamurasi Rukidi the third who reigned between 1928 and 1965. On December 13, 1981, Irene Gladys Namubiru aka Iryn was born to Mubiru Kitaka and Justine Nyanzi Namawejje. It was at Namasagali College that the life paths of Juliana and Iryn would meet under the tutelage of Father Grimes.
Iryn Namubiru started out her music career as the only girl in a trio of Ragga Dee and Mola Messe. The trio named ‘Da Homies’ would out the two hits of the nineties – Bamusakata and Mukwano Tokaba. Then there was Sabrina’s Pub owned by Hope Mukasa. It’s here that Iryn Namubiru and Juliana met at the famous Karaoke nights. It’s at these nights that the two cut their pop music teeth, with Juliana majoring in Mariah Carey’s songs.
In 1998, Juliana Kanyomozi would send the country into a musical hypnosis when she performed Mariah Carey’s Hero live during the 1998 annual dance-drama Bashi Bazook at National Theatre. The show was produced and acted out by Namasagali College. There had never been such an attempt in Uganda, and here she was, taking it by the jugular, many thought Mariah Carey had been in Uganda.
Juliana Kanyomozi as a cast of Bash Bazooka
That same year, Juliana Kanyomozi paired up with Benon Mugumbya of Swangz Avenue to render the Celine Dion – R Kelly duet ‘I’m Your Angel’ in 1999’s ‘The Republic of Feminia’. Republic of Feminia was another Namasagali dance musical dance drama, one of the last directed by Father Damien Grimes. Republic of Feminia depicted a society where women were fully emancipated. 1999 was a year like no other. It was just obvious to the country that a combination of Iryn Namubiru and Juliana Kanyomozi was the twin-flame Ugandan music needed.
In 1999, the duo decided to form a girl-group, I-Jay, initializing their names and ushering in a millennium of love ballads. The idea of I-Jay was mooted by Frank Galusey Morel (then a Deputy Director at Alliance Francaise). He was the group manager. Prior to the group formation, Iryn Namubiru had released ‘learn to say goodbye’.
The two would later have a bitter-break-up choosing to go separate ways with just one album codenamed ‘WAIT’ to their name. The album featured songs such as ‘Vivi La Vie’ and ‘Not Good Enough’. And perhaps it hadn’t yet been good enough, Iryn Namubiru would hitch the plane to France forming an Afro-soul group with Nujeli. Iryn would also proceed to have a relationship that resulted in two sons. This love-affair was with the former I-Jay manager, Morel. On the other hand, Juliana Kanyomozi stayed in Uganda to tussle out a solo career once again.
With Iryn Namubiru out of the country, all the focus was on Princess Juliana, all the burden of making it, or striking the mark. It was the time when it was extremely hard for a female artiste to make it on the scene. There was ‘Seven Days’ a song that quickly bloomed its ways into the hearts of an aspirational Uganda, of a woman missing her lover. In her songs, we had a torch into her soft heart. Songs such as ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ were the kind a lover listened to with tears flowing down the pillow.
But it was the full transition to Luganda that made the mark for Juliana. The collaboration with Bobi Wine aka ‘Mama Mbiire’ took Kampala by storm. Juliana and Bobi Wine were contracted by MTN shareholder Charles Mbiire to record a song on his mother’s birthday. And justice was done. Many years later, a similar gig would accord itself to Iryn Namubiru when Gilbert Bukenya (former Vice President of Uganda) asked her to compose a song for his mother. The result was a song titled ‘Nabulo.’
Although the two never acknowledged that they were in battle, for the fans, they always saw an artistic rivalry of the greats, probably the greatest female music artistes of this era. With Iryn Namubiru still off the scenes and producing music for the French public, Juliana also gifted Ugandans with the ‘Nabikoowa’ song. And for 2004, and 2005, Juliana Kanyomozi not only owned the scene but fully cemented herself in the musical hearts of Ugandans.
Coincidentally or not to be left by the train of life, Iryn Namubiru would make a mega comeback on the Ugandan scene with ‘Nkuweeki’ in 2006. She was back and yes, back for good. And Uganda was winning, for the I-Jay was back in session although at it in solo-ways.
Since 2006, it has been back-to-back hits for the two contemporaries. They all steer clear of the question concerning their friendship and a possible reunion. Juliana’s career would get an interruption following the death of her son, Keron. Iryn Namubiru on the other hand got the interruption with the 2013 arrest in Tokyo, Japan over possession of illegal drugs.
Fast-forward, it’s January 2024 and it seems there’s the final return of both Iryn Namubiru and Juliana Kanyomozi. Every fighter, every warrior, always has in them that energy for that last fight, the fight of their lifetime. Everything led to this fight. From how the two are starting off the new year, it seems the artistic rivalry has been renewed and it’s time for the to seal their legacy of greatness. First, Juliana Kanyomozi is fully re-energized and enjoying her newfound life, with the birth of her new child, it has also birthed a certain prana into her. She’s more active than ever. The Tusker Cover-sessions was that announcement -that I am now here to say it all, to show it all. It’s another decade of greatness for Juliana. By the end of this decade, she will be 53, while Iryn Nambiru will be 52.
But they say, life starts in the 40s and it seems there is a new music life starting for these goddesses of the voice. Juliana Kanyomozi has a new song ‘Oli Wa Manyi’ trending at 11 in Uganda, 10 days into release. On 24th Wednesday January 2024, Iryn Namubiru is releasing ‘Yenze’ both the audio and video. The two are geared for a year of back to back music with each being rumoured to be working on an album and a subsequent launch.
“I suspect Iryn Namubiru and Juliana have been watching the music scene in the country and realized the young don’t have the drive they had, that energy. They said, why not? Why not show Uganda what we are made of for one last time. We are going to witness a decade of great timeless Ugandan music. These are legacies here being made,” a music analyst commented.
Are you ready for this final decade? Are you rooting for Iryn Namubiru? For Juliana Kanyomozi? Or both… let the music speak.
