TAKEAWAYS

• DJ Erycom sold his Shs2m boutique to pursue music after inspiration from Jose Chameleone.
• A UK-based Lugbara woman named Mercy helped him buy his first computer and inspired his stage name.
• Erycom denied piracy accusations, insisting he promotes Ugandan music legally.

Premium Ugandan disc jockey DJ Erycom has opened up about the bold decision that changed the course of his life, revealing how he sold his boutique business to pursue a future in music.

According to Erycom, he once owned a boutique in Kampala valued at about Shs2 million. However, his passion for music and inspiration from the likes of Dr. Jose Chameleone pushed him toward a completely different path.

Erycom disclosed that he sold the boutique for approximately Shs1.3 million an decided to venture into music business. At the time, his mother travelled from the village to check on the business, only to find the shop closed without understanding what had happened.

The DJ says his music journey began after meeting Chameleone and witnessing opportunities in the entertainment industry.

“I sold my boutique because I believed music had a bigger future for me,” Erycom revealed.

Interestingly, Erycom credits much of his early breakthrough to a woman identified as Mercy, a Lugbara lady living in the UK whom he met through MySpace, a popular social networking platform of that era. Mercy reportedly bought him a computer worth around Shs700,000, which became the foundation of his music business.

Before finding success, Erycom says he tried vending Aziz Azion’s music CDs, but the effort was initially rejected. Things later changed after he visited Blue Africa and observed how professional music distribution was being handled.

It was also Mercy who inspired his stage name. Erycom, born Eryk Mutebi, says he initially wanted to name his venture “Mercy Music Store” in appreciation. However, Mercy suggested combining his name with “OM,” symbolising “Eric of Mercy,” eventually creating the brand name DJ Erycom.

“Without Mercy, there would probably be no Erycom brand today,” he admitted.

Erycom also dismissed long-standing allegations that he sells pirated Ugandan music, insisting that his work promotes local musicians and challenging critics to provide proof of piracy claims.