Can Keko make us dance again?

Welcome back home. Are you back for good or just visiting?
I am back for good.

Why had you gone to Canada?
They had given me residence and permanent residence status, so I took it. While there, I also went to school at the Toronto Film School for about two years where I learnt film production but when I graduated in 2019, Covid-19 hit right at the time when I was coming back home so I was forced to stay a little longer.

It has been almost two years since the pandemic. Why return now?
My time was done. I felt like I needed to come back home and concentrate on my music and film career because I have been away for so long and I did not want to feel like I was giving up on my dreams because that is all I ever wanted to do.

Tell us more about the film course that you did.
It was interesting. There is the Toronto International Film Festival which is one of the biggest film markets. I watched a couple of movies there and rubbed shoulders with industry people. It was–eye opening, especially for someone who wants to be a director and producer like me. 
I am passionate about movies as much as I love music, so going to school was the only thing to do to learn what I need to do from the professionals. There is a future in film because I have been watching local content on TVs and I have realised the film industry is growing. 
I feel like there is a space to be occupied to tell fresh stories and I should be the one to do it.

While you were in Canada, there is a clip that circulated on social media of you in bad shape and word was that you were battling drug addiction. How true was this?
What happened was that I was in my room because we were in lockdown, I went to the liquor store and bought alcohol and it was something that was supposed to be light hearted and fun but I ended up drinking too much. I had an eczema attach, which is actually healing now but it is what made my face pale. Everyone was talking about drugs but I do not do drugs, I only drink alcohol like any law abiding citizen. I just over indulged and I apologise to my fans who got to see me like that.

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But have you ever had a drug addiction problem?
I used to smoke weed in my younger years about 10 years ago but I think the media started a rumour, so every time anything goes wrong, they say it is drugs. It is actually unfair for me.

Did you record any music while in Canada?
Not necessarily. The studios are very expensive and you have to pay per hour and at the time I was in school and did not have money to pay for a studio but I got to meet a couple of industry people, performed for the Diaspora people during some shows in Toronto, Ottawa.   

Tell us about your Sony deal?
The Sony deal ended in 2016 when they released my album. I recorded an 11-track album called Strides, which they released in 2016 after five years.

What did your contract with them look like?
I had signed a contract of an optional five albums but it took them five years to release one album, so the five albums would literally take 25 years to release, so I decided to back out.

Was it your fault or theirs?
It was their fault because I released the Strides album in one year. I was actually fed up of it because I was holding onto it for long and as a writer, you want to grow and when you release music, you are letting go of it and want to start a new chapter and when I did not get to release music on time, I was trapped in that space, which was so uncomfortable as an artiste and as a creative. 

Do you think it was a good move to join Sony?
In the beginning, yes, because of what was on paper. I felt like it was a step up and like any artiste, being approached by Sony, you have to be excited. I was young and excited, I signed and I cannot take that back although I wish I could because I lost five years of my life.

Now that you are grown and experienced, would you sign with any other label if they approached you?
I would sign to an international label if I had local management just like Vinka did. She signed with Sony but under Swangz so she does not get to miss the local market unlike me who signed without any local management. So if that situation plays out the way it did with Vinka, I can sign to an international label.

Speaking of labels, are you signed to anyone locally?
No one has approached me since I got back but if anyone approaches me, we could talk, especially those that know what they are doing. I am open to it.

For example, which label?
Labels such as Swangz Avenue because they are doing a good job with their artistes.

You were once managed by Platinum Entertainment and Shadrack did an amazing job with you; have you guys talked yet?
I actually spoke to him but not about that and if he is open to it, then we shall see how to go about it, although I gave him a lot of trouble back in the day and I was the first female he signed and it was not easy for him because I was young at the time.  

What do you think about the industry now compared to how you left it?
The industry has evolved with social media. There are many spaces now that artistes can go and perform, especially Hip Hop artistes unlike before when there were only a few avenues. Right now, even the radios are playing more local music, which is good.

Are you ready to compete with the young energetic crop of artistes?
I have always had it. That is something no one can take away from me. That is my talent and it is just up to the fans and I am praying they take me back with open arms.

You once represented Uganda at Coke Studio in 2015 but the story that came from Nairobi was that you got kicked out. Why waste such an opportunity?
I was sick and suffering mental challenges but that could not stop me from going to do my job. What happened was that my manager pocketed the Coke Studio money so I self-sabotaged. Instead of performing for free, I figured that the only way to get out of it was cause trouble?

Who was your manager then?
A manager that Sony had given me. He was not forthcoming with the money and it was a business at the end of the day and was big money, so I did what I had to do. 
What exactly did you do?
I remember I got drunk and trashed the hotel room, disturbed one of the assistants at Coke Studio who instead reported me to the executive and the next thing was for them to throw me out.

Did you have second thoughts about your career before doing all this?
At that point, no. This was all about bad management and managers need to know this. If an artiste is happy, everyone is happy.

How did you deal with the mental problem after?
I went to the hospital and got medication.

After your return, many netizens asked for a battle between you and Navio. Do you think it is a fair battle?
I do not see why not. He is the best at what he does, I am the best at what I do. Given the right stage, right sound and everything, I can take him on. We could actually make some money.

With his huge catalogue, some feel you would be outcompeted?
I have 45 songs which can do at least two hours so let the right promoter come through and we talk.

In your opinion, who won the battle between Sheebah and Cindy?
That is a tough one. One of them used to be my friend but in all fairness, Cindy might have just edged it by a thin margin in terms of being a 360 well-rounded artiste. She can perform live, she is energetic, she is a great stage performer, great vocals, commands the audience, great catalogue and can deliver on stage.

What are your strongest points as an artiste?
I am a great stage performer, I can perform live, I remember all my lyrics and I have great and catchy choruses as well.

You are a writer, who else have you written for?
I wrote Juliana’s verse on the remix of Kwekunyakunya, I wrote In The Air for Angella Katatumba and they were free projects because I was excited. I am open to writing any kind of song for a fee, of course but I am not that expensive.

Best song in your catalogue?
I love all my songs but I love Alwoo because it introduced me to the industry and the lyrical content was very mature at the time. I love Make You Dance because it introduced me to the East African market, I like How We Do It because it was a breakthrough record, I like Mutima because it took me to a different side of music that I did not know I would do. I just like all my songs.

What are you going to do differently in your second coming?
I am going to market my music more, be more aggressive unlike before when I was just waiting for calls and not being proactive.

What are you starting with?
I have a number of collaborations lined up with mainstream pop artistes and rappers, although I cannot mention names but you never know, there might be an Alien Skin collabo.

The last time we did an interview with you, about eight years ago, you were in a relationship. How is it going?
I am in a different relationship now. It did not work out in the previous relationship and I got tired.

What do you look out for in a relationship?
Just an overall outgoing person with great communication skills, funny, charming and generous because I am a giver and God fearing.