I have reached a sad point in life where live music isn’t as exciting to observe as it was when I was much younger. There is a lack of hunger and desperation to “do something different” for most of the acts I encounter. It is the same covers, performed over the same rat-a-tat tempo, three or four clicks faster than an enjoyable BPM to get intoxicated Ugandans dancing to what they needn’t understand but eventually react to, because “Oh well, I came out to dance didn’t I?” Four instrumentalists doing the bare and basic minimum as to a selection of pop and afro beat progressions that do not ask too much regarding skill and musical application. Yes, the saying goes that imitation is the best form of flattery naye, some novelty, innovation and imagination, even a little, goes a long way, right? Sometimes, because of this, I find myself drawn to the singer and their interpretation of the whole thing and in this regard, I’m glad to say there are some favorites.
If you have found yourself entranced, captivated and quite frankly impressed with the soothing sounds of a random crooner plucking the strings of his guitar until, whether voluntary or involuntary you were singing along and enjoying the heck out of it, Herbert Ssensamba was most likely responsible. It was also most likely at a wedding or that surprise event for your friend that was getting engaged; and there’s a reason for that.
Where most singers would struggle without the support of a full band to express themselves as beautifully and at the same time enchantingly entertain, this artist has set the standard and bar quite above what most of the acts in Kampala and even in Uganda are usually able to do. With quite an extensive web that he has meshed in the Ugandan music community with regard to relationships as a mentor, friend, collaborator, producer and instrumentalist; from the likes of Mesach Ssemakula to the Hiphop resonations of the MITH, Herbert Ssensamba has literally “been there and done that” already.
With the youthful intensities of passion and inspiration beckoned at him into becoming a footballer initially, Herbert’s vision changed in his Senor Six Vacation where the financial stringencies of life caused him to reevaluate his direction. Having been able to sing his whole life anyway, a relative introduced him to live music at the National Theatre where various bands would play. This is where he enhanced his musical knowledge and cemented his desire to earn through music to survive because that is what life required in that moment.
He also extended his capacities to being a studio and live session musician for other artists which served him well in supplementing the income that was necessary for basic needs such as tuition.
While most musicians began making music just because it was enjoyable or because it was something that passed the time and sorrow of life away as a hobby, Herbert was just trying to get by. One can clearly see in his every performance that his every incitement to perform music comes from somewhere more desperate and essential. This marks him, in evidence by his performance and art, as an artist who has not trifled with honing his craft; and he has come to realize even greater rewards than were initially intended. It is this conscious mindset that punctuates Herbert’s every decision, which has seen him succeed more than most artists in his act because of his calculated and inventive mindset that was birthed in difficult circumstance.
To Herbert, a great musician is not just one that makes the most of a bad situation by applying their art, but one who sees it as something more than a tool for survival. A great musician is one who believes in their art. In his own words, he “one thousand percent” believes in his own art because it has been his helm through life. Herbert shared his opinion about this maintaining that any good musician should be able to play an instrument. He expressed this in the sentiment of what he believes to be the most crucial singularity of any musician- and that is to be multifaceted. Herbert in his own right, plays a number of instruments and produces his own songs. In being a combination of things, the describing word for a musician, “great”, is then justifiably qualified.
In describing his passion about music, he talked about his songwriting, yet another aspect to this artist that puts him above par. He admitted that he is mostly an empiric writer, expressing himself experientially in his songwriting through the observations he makes about himself, writing about the truths he deduces that no one can take away. In true songwriter fashion, most of his written songs are hoarded and waiting for the “right time” that Herbert shall decide they are to be shared with the world.
For this artist, music and passion move together and he finds the essence of that passion in his life and the unadulterated experiences of living. Because of this, the association of music and passion for Herbert is quintessential; bringing to life something more than is genuinely incommunicable to most people; it’s almost another way to “be” and “do” and have breath; instilling the inviolable feeling of one who is “chosen” and “special” by virtue of this.
In such an emblematic validation of Herbert’s story, he began writing his latest single “Ebeyi” in his Senior Two in a time of great financial hardship. The reality of the situation for him and the other members in his household was that every single thing was indeed a luxury because it was just too expensive and finically constraining to afford. In this song, Herbert sings about soap and the promises his grandfather vainly made to his grandmother about provision for the family.
Its structure was finally concluded with the help of musician The Body of Brian. What this song ultimately has become, in accordance with the creativity of its writers is a symbol of the realities of daily structure; of not just external difficulties in friendships and work actualities, but also of the internal wars waged in the contexts of low esteem and damaged self-concepts within us.
In intentionally moving away from the unreasonably conventional rule that all songs written should be love songs, Herbert has ventilated some welcome and relatable relief with this pleasing and soothingly melodious song. Its subject is one of those everlasting ones. This is because it concerns problems caused by the human condition and experienced by every gender and every generation. It is one that establishes is success for longevity as an ageless tune because of this fact.
As mentioned already, Herbert is one of the few musicians that can add the advantage of music audio production under their belt. In testament to that, he is responsible for the production of the song “Ebeyi” in his very own studio in Kasangati, along with Peter, a close friend. All the guitar sounds on this single were performed by Herbert with Kas Kasozi playing keyboard and also eventually mastering the song as well. Herbert is also responsible for most of the initial work in terms of production for his album on which this song is featured.
For a song that is as tuneful as “Ebeyi”, Herbert surprisingly confesses that he actually had some doubts about releasing it. However, his reluctance came from something that most artistes, and yes, even the great musicians have an issue with most of the time- and that is identifying the right singles. Herbert divulges that a song called “Beating Heart” was to be released in “Ebeyi’s” stead. The thing is, in Herbert’s opinion it fell within the, although relevant, mostly tired species of churned out love songs. He wanted to speak to the realities of the state of the economy not just in Uganda, but globally as well, something he has achieved through this form of social commentary. Nonetheless, even if he could bank on its relatability, there were still the repeated truisms of releasing yet another “guitar” song that made certainties of the fate of its release, hang more in the balance.
In light of these considerations, Herbert’s hope was that his latest single would at the very least provide a foundation for people to know that he was gearing towards the release of an album. In a rare blessedness of dashed hopes, this song has performed so much better than he could ever imagined, Herbert had to quickly begin thinking about releasing a video to go with the song and to set the seal on the highest possible ceilings and heights the song would be destined to reach. Even while being pushed onto the proverbial stage in this way, seemed to be unnerving because it was something that Herbert wasn’t in the slightest possibility ready for, with a having to make a video, he has made do with any insecurities that may arise in that sense and is determined to put his best foot forward.
Talking about the title for his upcoming album “Different” Herbert explains that the lifeblood of that subject flows also to expression in a variation of languages, something that he explores within “Ebeyi” by singing its first verse in Luganda and its second verse in English. He believes that having an album centered around this kind of theme will hopefully make it more appealable to a universal market within Uganda as such bodies of art have shown can happen.
He reiterates that he is such a definition of augandanartist through and through being bred and raised in the prototypical Ugandan way and that has informed how he communicates as augandanartist. That fact is validated by the large number of people that are fans and lovers of his music especially because it encapsulates his “Ugandaness” especially in songs like “Ebeyi”. Most of all, he does have a love for this country, for his home and what he believes it should stand for. He sees the times in Uganda and simultaneously across the Ugandan musical landscape as something he was made to be a part of, all to say, his time in Uganda and for Uganda, is now.
To the ugandanartists looking up to him, he would say that their eyes and hearts should never turn from the truth and law that music is an art and a beautiful thing that requires a love for it and devout commitment. As a boy, he made it through realizing this simple truth, and for anyone else that does, no one else should have the chance to make them believe anything other than the actual fact that they can make it. Starting from his own realities of “scratch”, he built what he has for himself and so, anyone else can to.
I learn so much from Herbert each time I sit down with him.
If you have met him, he is a person that has interestingly, yet determinedly shattered the societal barriers of mindset with reconstructions that sometimes might make you think he is a bit much because of how different and set-apart he is. He is the kind that shall tell you exactly what he thinks when he thinks it. He shall explain how long he has been thinking about it and what experiences formed that opinion. It doesn’t matter if he has just met you, or if you give him doubtful facial expressions that surmise you doubt he knows what he is talking about.
His definition of success as an artist is his own. When to say yes to a gig, or when to turn it down is determined by his own value metric. His subject matter and message in song, not to mentioned his musical style is so resiliently persistent in a time where the double minded change and shift with the tide of popularity. Nonetheless, that does not bind him into predictability because he is the sort that can be on every single stage and vibing with every single type of artist.
His artistic direction is questionable because the majority mindset would be, “why perform covers when you can strive to establish your own name as an artist?” Yet, what would so many weddings be without Herbert’s heart and soul expressed in different beautiful exposition of the songs we hear on the radio and stream? And at the same time, how would the spaces in the music industry with the collaborations he has performed have been molded without him? My mind immediately goes to Song of the year at the MTN HipHop Awards 2022.
What I’m hoping you get from this in a really already digested way is there is so much to learn from a person with their music as I’m sure there is a lot I at least learn from Herbert because of the truthfulness and authenticity of this song “Ebeyi”.
He achieved what he set out to do. In his eyes, which is what matters the most, he is successful. House? Check. Built it from scratch with what he earned from music too. What else would so aptly illustrate that boy in S.6 vacation all those years ago did the right thing and even more, did the thing right? Every day he lives, he lives because of music, not just to survive socioeconomically, but to survive in the most important meanings of the term.
Support Herbert Ssensamba by learning from him. Then support him some more by streaming his music and his latest single “Ebeyi” on all streaming platforms, requesting it on the radio and watching his video!
augandanartist.com 