35 years later, we still listen to Bongoley’s festive music

“The music is so monumental to the fact that it is not a mistake that every festive season it gets to us. In fact, it enjoys more airplay in Uganda than Bonney M, Celine Dion, and George Michael who globally reign supreme,” he explains, adding that besides the nostalgia, the song was recorded in a much cleaner style with clearer divisions usually with a single melody accompanied by chords, brighter contrasts, and tone colours, making it more relatable.

A previous interview with legendary guitarist, vocalist, and composer, Edmund Mutebi, also known as Eddie Ganja, suggests that Lutaaya’s songs resonate deeply in Uganda and beyond due to several factors that make them timeless for the season.
“I worked with Lutaaya for some time before we left Cranes band 1974.Working with Lutaaya was great because he was very courageous and I can refer to him as the most thorough Ugandan artist,” he explains.

Why do we still listen

Music composer John Kateregga, alias John Kay, shares that Lutaaya’s music was inspired by authenticity and emotions, which make it relatable.
Kateregga,who has written a number of songs typically addressed to Christianity, said: “His powerful and soulful voice captures the essence of Christmas, evoking joy, reflection, and hope. Songs like Merry Christmas and Tumusinze are filled with a genuine warmth that feels personal and relatable,”he relates.

He adds that the production was skillfully blended with traditional Ugandan sounds and international influences, making his songs feel both global and deeply rooted in Ugandan culture.
Kateregga emphasises that the music was created with a touch of cultural relevance to appeal to a broad audience while still holding a special place in the hearts of Ugandans.
Ssebagala suggests that the choice of the theme remains exceptional having focused on love, gratitude, family, and hope to mirror Christmas which resonates with listeners regardless of time or age.

The album
Written in a mix of Luganda and English language lyrics, the seven songs on Tumusinze album collection have passed the test of time as Uganda’s greatest festive season classics.
Ssebagala explains that the songs Tumusinze, Gloria, Merry Christmas, Zuukuka, Yesu Anindiridde, Sekukkulu and Katujaguze have never been outdid by any of the Christmas songs that have been composed in Uganda before or after.

In the album

Tumusinze, Lutaaya calls upon all people to come together and worship the Almighty God. In 1989, Bishop Misaeri Kawuma added the song to the hymnal tradition of the Church of Uganda.

In Gloria, Lutaaya recounts the birth of Jesus Christ from the moment the angels of God announced the good news to a group of shepherds. Elsewhere, in the song Merry Christmas, Lutaaya asks God to give a peaceful rest to those who have died during the course of the year.
In a previous interview, Hope Mukasa, who worked closely with Lutaaya said,“Tumusinze reminds me of my last years with him in Sweden.The album is great.”

His musical journey

As a Primary Two pupil,Lutaaya started showing signs of becoming a musician, his brother Abbey previously told the media. Abbey said Lutaaya would improvise with tins to make sounds and mimic music.

In 1968, while at Kololo SS, he made the bold decision to drop out of school, confiding in a relative that he wanted to pursue a career in music—a claim he later confirmed in several interviews.

He also sang with the Cape Town Villa Band in Ggaba, Vox Nationale Band, Eko Jazz Band,among others.
On February 20, 1970, Lutaaya, together with Kajura, a friend from Zaire (now DR Congo), fled Uganda with the band without the notice of his parents and went to Goma, where he began to create his own music.
In 1973, Lutaaya and the Vox Nationale Band did their first recording using the late Congolese music legend Franco Makiad’s equipment.

He later returned to Uganda and worked on a number of projects with Peterson Mutebi,Geoffrey Kigozi,and Frank Mbalire, joined the Cranes Band. However, it was not long before the band split.
In the 1970s and 1980s,Lutaaya released his songs, including Philly Empisa Zo, Nkowoola, Tugira Tulinda, Baasi Namakwekwe, Bwoba Osiimye, Asaba, Nsuuzi Watali, and Univumilie.

The musician left Kenya for Sweden in mid-1984. Together with fellow Ugandan musicians Hope Mukasa, Shem Makanga, Billy Mutebi, Fred Tebuseke Ssemwogerere, Richard Mudhungu, Joseph Nsubuga,
Sammy Kibirige Kasule, Gerald Naddibanga, and Frank Mbalire, he formed Savannah Band in Stockholm.

Celebrated by fellow artistesHis music happens to be the most redone locally, an affirmation that he still remains exceptional.
His public declaration of his HIV status brought global awareness to living positively with HIV/Aids, leading to the designation of October 16 as Philly Lutaaya Day in his honour.

On December 16, 2007, leading Ugandan artistes, including Juliana Kanyomozi, Bebe Cool, Chameleone, and Bobi Wine, all of who had done renditions of Lutaaya’s numerous hits, converged at Nakivubo Stadium in Kampala in a music concert in memory of the music icon.
Earlier, Juliana had done a rendition of Lutaaya’s Diana, Iryn Namubiru did the same on Lutaaya’s Empisazo, while Bebe Cool did the rendition of the famous Born in Africa. In 2008, Bebe Cool performed a rendition of this song at London’s Hyde Park to an audience of 50,000 people on the occasion of Mandela’s 90th birthday. In 2004,at the Pearl of Africa Music Awards (PAM) in Kampala, Lutaaya was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.