TAKEAWAYS

• Diana Nalubega says King Saha is her favourite Ugandan musician.
• She also admires Chosen Becky, Iryn Namubiru, David Lutalo, and the late Mowzey Radio.
• The singer believes most collaborations are a waste of resources and rarely benefit artists.

Veteran Ugandan singer Diana Nalubega has shared her thoughts on the country’s current music industry, revealing the local artists she admires and explaining why she is not a fan of collaborations.

Speaking during a podcast interview with Zubeda, the “Kisumuluzo” singer admitted that she rarely listens to Ugandan music despite being one of the country’s respected vocalists.

According to Nalubega, her musical influences come largely from older generations of international artists rather than contemporary Ugandan musicians.

“I barely listen to Ugandan music. My preferences are mostly old-school music. I grew up listening to artistes like Dolly Parton and Brenda Fassie.”

Despite her preference for international classics, Nalubega said there are several Ugandan female artists whose talent she appreciates. Among them is Chosen Becky, whom she praised for her vocal ability and artistry.

When asked which female artist’s songs she would comfortably sing herself, Nalubega did not hesitate to mention Iryn Namubiru, describing her as one of the country’s finest musicians.

On the male side, the singer listed David Lutalo, King Saha, and the late Mowzey Radio among her favourite artists. However, she singled out King Saha as the one musician whose music resonates with her the most.

“King Saha is the artist who can really carry me away when I listen to his music. If I ever considered doing a collaboration with a Ugandan artist, it would definitely be him.”

Nalubega also expressed reservations about music collaborations, arguing that many of them do not yield meaningful results. She noted that artists often invest significant resources into joint projects, only for the songs to receive little promotion or for the collaborators to rarely perform them together.

According to the singer, this has made her cautious about pursuing collaborations throughout her career, although she remains open to working with King Saha should the opportunity arise.