Naava Grey: What I learnt from Mesach Semakula

It’s while working with Semakula that she learnt how to “articulate Luganda”, said Grey in an interview.

Naava Grey had been traveling to different places while growing up so she never got to speak Luganda fluently. Her mother was a nurse and sometimes she worked from out of the country, so Luganda was rarely used

"He was like training... he had to coach me through it,” said Grey of her time working with Mesach Semakula.

Born Asha Naava Grey Zziwa to Princess Tracy Ndagire and Prince Mulondo, she is one of the most highly-regarded vocalists in Uganda.

Grey, who was born in Mengo Hospital, lost her father in 2005. She went to Buganda Road Primary School, Kibuli S.S., Braeburn High School in Nairobi, and discontinued her studies at Makerere University to participate in the prestigious Tusker Project Fame in 2008. She would return to school and complete her studies later after facing some setbacks in the music industry.

Her family okayed her to participate in Tusker Project Fame.

Naava Grey started singing while at university but released her first song Aliba Wani in 2011 after being signed by Steve Jean’s Fenon Records.

The song was produced by Michael Mugisha, alias Michael Fingers, who was also working at Fenon.

According to Grey, she recorded Nteredde first but Fingers and Jean decided to release Aliba Wani ahead.

She was introduced to Steve Jean by GNL Zamba whom she used back.