‘Sooka Omunoonye’ and 500 songs later, Diplock ready to serve ‘A Life of Melodies’
Diplock Segawa
What you need to know:
Back in 1981, Segawa was a 25-year-old student at Masaka Technical Institute when fate found him
Veteran musician Diplock Segawa will finally step into the limelight with a concert of his own dubbed A Life of Melodies, slated for May 23. This marks 43 years since the release of his evergreen hit Sooka Omunoonye, a song that has become a cultural mainstay, particularly at traditional introduction ceremonies where a bride is invited to pick out her suitor from among visiting guests.
Back in 1981, Segawa was a 25-year-old student at Masaka Technical Institute when fate found him. A one Dr Kakembo introduced him to William Lugobe, who later facilitated Segawa’s travel to London, where Sooka Omunoonye was recorded. That song would mark the beginning of an expansive musical journey that has spanned over four decades and produced over 500 songs.
Now aged 66, Segawa has crafted a legacy built on melody, family, and faith. He describes the upcoming concert as a reflection of his life one that, like a melody, flows with rhythm and purpose.
Born into a musical household, Segawa was guided early on by his father a teacher, singer, and composer who trained his children in solfa notations and led a family choir known as the Mirembe Family Choir. “We were popular in the 1970s up to the 1990s, singing gospel songs in churches and accompanying prominent clergy,” Segawa recalls.
Their home, known as Mirembe Home, was filled with music. Sundays were sacred; the family gathered for tea as a gramophone played old records. A young Diplock would sit transfixed until he dozed off. “My father once said, ‘Akaliba akendo, ono ye Diplock wange eyatula nga ku gramophone’,” he fondly remember his father referring to him as the child who had first shown interest in music while listening to that gramophone.
Those evenings evolved into makeshift concerts. Diplock, along with his siblings Elly and Tessie Katumba, would stand on desks and perform songs they composed. They called them “concert zawaaka”, (home concerts) that cemented their bond with music.
The name Mirembe meaning peace was also a legacy. In 1936, Segawa’s father had named a rental room Mirembe Room and promised that if he ever built a house, it would bear that name. True to his word, in 1943, the family home in Wakiso became Mirembe Home. Today, the legacy lives on through the Mirembe Juniors, the second generation of musical descendants, now 84 strong, who gather every December 11 for Mirembe Day.
Segawa’s professional music journey took off in Nairobi’s Crawford Studios, where he recorded albums including Tuzimbe Egwanga Lyaffe, No More Fight, and On the Road to Freedom. His songwriting started in 1978 with Lord of the Sea. Since then, he has composed over 480 songs and recorded about 120 of them.
He maintains a meticulous cataloguing system. “Every song I write goes into what I call ‘The Construction Folder’. I remember the time, the inspiration, and the emotion behind each song,” he says.
His music has always been responsive to life’s moments. In 1984, as he bid farewell to a girlfriend who told him, “God be with you,” a melody formed in his mind. The result was a heartfelt piece: God’s Grace be with you, remember to live in love, peace and harmony. For Segawa, everyday life is fertile ground for music.
His concert will mirror this wide-ranging journey, broken into six decades, each segment telling a unique chapter of his musical life.
What Contemporaries Say About Diplock Segawa
Moses Matovu, a fellow veteran musician, describes Segawa as consistent and hardworking. “He has loved his job and stayed true to his style. I admire his good character and his contributions to Uganda’s music.”
Rachel Senkebejje recalls being moved by Segawa’s performance during a church service. “His singing was beautiful, trained, and deeply appreciated. He is a gifted vocalist who should mentor the next generation.”
Stephen Rwangyezi, founder of Ndere Troupe, describes Segawa in three words: “Pioneering, persevering, and self-convicted.” He notes Segawa’s bold transition from church music to popular music and his resilience through changing musical eras. “He is among the few who’ve stood the test of time. His style, reminiscent of Jimmy Katumba, remains rooted in authenticity.”
As Segawa prepares for A Life of Melodies, the show promises not just entertainment, but a living archive of Uganda’s musical heritage told through the voice of a man who has sung it all.
