In 2001, Bobi Wine made a name for himself in Uganda’s music industry with his hit song ‘Akagoma’. But how did this song come to life? In his own words, Bobi Wine shares the journey that led to the creation of his first major hit.
Bobi Wine grew up in a household where there was a clear gap between the younger and older siblings. His elder brother, Eddy Yawe, was already in the music industry and had access to recording studios.
However, he did not initially support Bobi Wine’s musical ambitions, fearing that the genre he was interested in—one associated with street culture—would lead him down the wrong path.
Despite this, Bobi Wine found ways to tag along with his brother to recording studios, even when Yawe had no idea of his intentions. However, his early songs were of low quality and did not receive public recognition.
At the time, some of Uganda’s biggest music stars, including Jose Chameleone and Bebe Cool, had traveled to Kenya to pursue better production opportunities.
The first Ugandan artist to break through in this wave was Red Banton with his song ‘Nonya Money’, followed by Mega Dee and others.
Back in Uganda, the top studio at the time was Kasiwukira, where Paul Kafeero and Basudde recorded their music. Eddy Yawe was also recording his album there, and one day, Bobi Wine asked to accompany him to the studio.
This was where he met Andrew, a producer who would play a crucial role in his career.
Contrary to some claims that producer Dr. Tee was behind ‘Akagoma,’ Bobi Wine confirms that it was Andrew whoy produced the song.
Recording time at Kasiwukira was hard to come by, as legendary artists had priority. However, Bobi Wine saw his chance when Paul Kafeero stepped out for lunch.
“Andrew called me in and asked if I was ready. I said yes, and he told me to get in the sound room. I sang from the first word to the last in one take, He promised to mix and enhance the song when he had time.”
Before ‘Akagoma,’ Bobi Wine had recorded some songs with Master Parrot, but they lacked the quality needed to make it to the dance floor. ‘Akagoma’ was different.
However, at the time, Bobi Wine was focused on school, having just finished Senior Six. He put the song on two CDs and gave them to DJs, allowing it to spread on its own.
At the time, Bobi Wine was a Social Sciences student on a private sponsorship at Makerere University and was considering traveling abroad.
However, Eddy Yawe advised him to switch to the Music, Dance & Drama (MDD) program, where he could get government sponsorship due to his talent. Bobi Wine took the advice, applied, and passed the mature entry exams with excellent practical and theoretical scores, officially joining Makerere in 1999.
