Top 10 Musicians in Uganda 2023

Between January 2023 and March 2023, Research 8020 embarked on a journey to discover the top 10 musicians in Uganda. The study examined the popularity of musicians in Uganda. This would help inform industry players and also set the stage for comparisons.

Without any further ado, here is the list of the top 10 musicians in Uganda in 2023:

1. Eddy Kenzo

Eddy Kenzo is a Grammy Award-winning Ugandan singer and music executive. He is a member of Big Talent Entertainment in which he doubles up as the founder. After the release of his 2014 single “Sitya Loss,”  he gained international recognition. The song has garnered a whopping 51 million views and an accompanying viral video featuring the Ghetto Kids. He’s having a superb 2023 as seen by the numbers he keeps putting up. His “Tweyagale Dance video”  tops the charts with over 141 million views.

2. Jose Chameleone

Yozefu Mayanja, also known by his stage name Jose Chameleone, is an Afro Beat musician and artist from Uganda. Chameleone performs songs in Swahili, English, and Luganda. In 1998, he began his musical career in Kenya with the Ogopa Deejays, a local record label at the time. The music style of Chameleone combines elements of reggae, zouk, and Ugandan folk music.

His song ‘Badilisha’ is ranked among the most popular songs in Uganda and all of Africa. It had garnered over 16 million views as of March 2023.

3. Rema Namakula

Rehema Namakula, also known as Rema Namakula or just Rema, is a singer, songwriter, and record producer from Uganda. She has remained prominent in the Ugandan music industry given her musical prowess. She has released numerous chart-topping singles, including ‘This Love’ featuring Rwandese THE BEN and ‘Akatonotono’.  Her hit song “Guttuja” featuring B2C has established her as one of Uganda’s most popular musicians. The song has amassed more than 13 million views on YouTube.

4. Radio and Weasel

Radio and Weasel, both lead singers for the  Ugandan music group Goodlyfe Crew made up the duo. ‘Hellena’, the single the pair featured David Lutalo, was released before the untimely death of Radio, signalling their dominance. As of March 2023, the popular song had received over 7 million views and remains a favourite among music lovers.

5. Sheebah

Sheebah Karungi, a Ugandan singer, dancer, and actress, made her acting debut as Shakira in Queen of Katwe. She rose to music prominence following the release of her hit single “Ice Cream” after leaving the dance group Obsessions. She had been a member of Obsessions since 2006. The success of her song ‘Nakyuka’,  demonstrates her rise to household name status in the music industry in Uganda. The song has received over 7.1 million views as of March 2023.

6. Pallaso

Pallaso is the stage name of Pius Mayanja, a recording artist, songwriter, producer, and videographer from Uganda. He performs songs in Luganda, English, and occasionally Kiswahili. His preferred musical genres include R&B, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Afrobeats, and Afropop. His ‘BUBBLE Remix’ song which he featured Vector was a prominent track. This is seen by the numbers it has amassed; as of March 2023, it had received over 8.3 million views.

7. Spice Diana

Spice Diana is a musician from Uganda whose singles “Anti Kale,” “Bukete,” and “Bimpe” topped the charts. As of March 2023, ‘Anti Kale’ had amassed over 5.1 million views.

8. Bebe Cool

Bebe Cool is an African reggae and ragga musician from Uganda. His record-breaking single ‘Love you every day’ cemented his name as one of the finest musicians from Uganda. The song has strongly amassed over 9.1 million views as of March 2023.

9. David Lutalo

East African musician, artist, and performer David Lutalo, from Uganda, became well-known after his 2008 hit ‘Kapapaala’. Due to his distinctive, high-toned, sharp voice, Lutalo is well-known to Uganda’s music audiences. He is a favourite of both urban and rural Ugandans.  His hit single ‘Nkwagalira Ddala’ has amassed over 4.8 million views. This has established him as a reckoning force in the Ugandan music industry.

10. Daddy Andre

Daddy Andre is a Ugandan recording artist, songwriter, and producer also known by his stage name Andre on the Beat. His success in the music business has made him one of the most well-known musicians in Uganda. As of March 2023, his hit song “Sikikukweeka” had received over 8.3 million views.

View the full report with 50+ artists here.

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