Keko names 3 top singers in 2023

The rapper, who was appearing on Sanyuka TV, said: "Azawi is good, she has a unique voice."

On the Nana hitmaker Joshua Baraka, she observed: "I mean, everyone is talking about him. He has good music."

Speaking about her former close friend, Jocelyne Tracey Keko said: "Sheebah is also doing well. She's been consistent. I appreciate her."

Of the artistes she mentioned, the one you may not know a lot about is Baraka, who is a songwriter, producer, instrumentalist and musician.

He grew up in Kazo, Kawempe division in Kampala.

Baraka opted to sing in English because he felt singers who convey jams in Luganda were already many.

He did a subject combination of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, or P.C.B., at A-Level at Mengo S.S.

He picked interest in music production while still at A-level.

Joshua Baraka would get gigs to play piano and time for school reduced. He performed poorly at A-level.

For O-Level, he went to Makerere College School and before that, Kitante Primary School.

After A-level, he tried pursuing nursing, then switched to architecture but things weren't shifting.

Initially, he wasn't committed to singing on stage, but in 2020, a friend figured he could do it, so he convinced him to take a gig. 

The first gig was to perform at a wedding, where he renditioned three songs and he was paid Shs800k.

That amount convinced him he didn't need to go back to school. 

He has said the other reason he didn't fall for singing in Luganda is because he couldn't enunciate words properly. 

According to Joshua Baraka, the first song that people embraced and landed him notable gigs is Tewekweka. It’s off the Baby Steps album.

On the production side, he has worked on projects with Rickman Manrick and other projects are in the offing.

Bob Marley and Chronixx are among his role models.