Taking dancehall into church

What sets the two characters apart is that Bly loses his simplicity when he gets on stage. His music takes him places as he jumps, shakes his dreadlocks to the rhythm and artistically engages his fans.

When I ask him where he gets the name Coopy Bly, he tells me it means “miraculous chance”, taken from the Jamaican Patios direct.
So, naturally, before there is Coopy Bly, there is Emmanuel Edwin Kusasira, a chatty, agile, simple guy with dread-locks. Though today, the former seems to overshadow the latter.

What sets the two characters apart is that Bly loses his simplicity when he gets on stage. His music takes him places as he jumps, shakes his dreadlocks to the rhythm and artistically engages his fans.

Christian dancehall music
Coopy Bly is a gospel artiste, using his talent to pass on cross-cutting messages. While listening to his music, you find a message carried forward that is beyond simply carrying the scripture into lyrics.

You will listen to lyrics that tackle real life issues like distress, emotional breakdown, happiness and more. In effect, music is Bly’s gospel conduit through which he preaches perseverance, hope, love and reverence.

These messages are packaged in songs like Kiroto on which he features Levixone, Sida Mukyalo and Bwaka on whose remix he features Decent Culture, Webale and Church Swagger on which he features Buchaman, Holy Party, Kumbaya, Somero, Born Jah fire, Kulunga, and Gwange Nawe on which he features Beth Mugisha.

These are some of the songs included on his maiden album titled Nyweza, a title song on which he features fellow singer Katalina.
He says he likes working with fellow gospel artistes and has worked with a number of music producers; some of these do secular music too.
“I mainly work with producer Johnny of Bigtune studio though I have also worked with producers, Paddy Man and Didi March,” he says.

He pays averagely Shs300, 000 for studio time, for rehearsals and recording of his songs, which he pens. He cannot point to a particular reason that inspired him to start singing, but frankly says he has loved music since he was little.

He adds, “When I grew older, I realised it’s one sure way of reaching out to lots of people. So, I decided to use it as an avenue to be an inspiration.”
In 2003, he took the first step to start chasing his dream. He was in Senior One (S.1) at St Henry’s College Kitovu.

The first lyrics were of a song he titled Shiny Money. He used part of his pocket money to record it but it didn’t get much air play because he had the books to read and it was simply not the right time.

Today he is free to sing because he has chosen music as a career he is passionate about. “I thank God am versatile so I can do all but right now I am mostly doing dancehall and reggae music,” he says of his music style.

Crossover appeal
His music has got airplay on mostly Christian radio stations though you will chance on a secular FM radio station playing his music given its cross-over appeal.

But he is one of a kind who, depending on the show, might perform at no charge or even charge a whopping Shs30m.

Already, he is working at following up the 13-track Nyweza with a second album. He, however, has to work on marketing his music in a world where his performance, like other gospel artistes, is limited to singing in churches and at annual Christian fetes like Phat Fest.
He is already working well with fellow gospel artistes, which is a good strategy to point him in the right direction where merged talent and creativity works fairly well to propel him and those he has worked with.

Throughout the interview his gratitude to fans is real. “I would like to appreciate all my fans, friends and family for the support love and prayers…keep them coming guys, and then pray to God to guide and direct me so as not to stray from what he created me to do,” he says.

COOPY BLY, BEYOND A GOSPEL MUSICIAN

Of Coopy Bly’s music, the songs Bwaka and Sida Mukyalo could probably be the most popular. They are a dancehall force that has pushed their way past the limits of Christian adio, well into the secular and wild world. Bwaka, for instance, has that groovy heavy bass boost backing the very easy-to-fall for dancehall tune that on first hearing, you will not even consider the thought that it is a Christian song.

It preaches against societal vice, especially corruption, and berrates politicians for forgetting the masses once they attain power. And right there, you sense he is not just doing a sermon with his songs, but is offering a form of societal conscience.

The catchy tunes of his songs makes him appeal to the young, both in and out of the church. And considering that few have walked this path - Martin Sseku, Tickie Tah, to mention but a few, Coppy Bly is a welcome addition to Christian Dancehall music in Uganda.

rbatte@ug.nationmedia.com