Matia Kakumirizi

Group Information

Matia was taught to play guitar by a priest called Father Mugambe from Mulajje Parish in 1966. He is now 70 years old, lives in Kampala and sings in Luganda and Kirwahdi, C&C Busega, C&C Kibuye.  He still plays the guitar he has had since 1972.  He was recorded in 1971 in the Polygram studios in Nairobi.    His peers include Dan Mugula, Christopher Ssebaduko, Vincent Muwunge, Sulayiman Mayanja.  Dan influenced him hugely.

Song meanings

“Abapangisa”:  featuring Passy Nassonko from the Kiki Boys Cultural Troupe.  The song talks about challenges you face when you’re renting a house.  Someone should work so hard to build his or her own house. The neighbours might be difficult to deal with if you rent.

“Najjemba”:  It is about a woman who was his love but who left him and walked away.

“Ensubuko Y’Obwavutulo Twakunkya”: This song talks about morning sleep and about hard working women. Unlike those days when women used to wait for men to provide for everything, nowadays, they wake up early and go to work.

“Olugend’olw’ebukakkata”:  He went to visit a village called Bukakkata.  He found a girl who was seeing two men who didn’t know each other.  She was still in her parents’ home so she was not allowed to be seeing men.  One day, the parents found a man peeping through the window and canned him because he was trying to disturb their daughter.   The second boyfriend was also about to peep but they both ran away on discovering the parents had found out.