INTERVIEW; ‘I am single and searching,’ David Lutalo

Musician David Lutalo will be holding his concert on Friday, January 31, 2020, at Hotel Africana. He spoke to Jonah Kirabo on behalf of Nile Post about his life, music and his expectations this year. Below are some of the excerpts.

How many albums has Lutalo recorded now?

-I have fourteen albums wand notably among them is Akantu, Kapapala, Manya, Ngumba Zange, Gusitula among others.

Is it true that you write your own songs?

- Yes, I write for myself.

What inspires you to write the songs?

- Sometimes I am inspired and at times I try to put my self in a situation that I want to sing about. For example, I might think about a situation where am being chucked and decide to sing about it. I put myself in the shoes of someone who has been chucked.

Let's talk about the concert, what is behind the Tugende concert?

- I have always held my shows on the last weekends of January but this year, 31st fell on a Friday. The intention is to entertain my fans and I am going to perform a lot of songs. You can call it a full package.

Is Lutalo single or now dating?

-David Lutalo is single and I am searching slowly though I am not on pressure.

How do you prepare yourself for concerts both mentally and physically?

- I have a team that works on different things, my manager, my designers and I also prepare my self in my own way so that I play my part in the preparations.

You’re said to have one of the best voices, how do you guard it against getting hoarse?

- First, you have to take care of your self, stay away from drugs but the main thing is God who gives you that talent.

What mistakes do you think many young artistes are making today?

- Using drugs is the biggest mistake that many young artistes are making and also thinking that abusing established artistes would help them to make a name because it worked for some artistes in the past, it doesn’t help currently.

Do you think musicians should be involved in politics?

- I am not a politician and I don’t know the intentions of other artistes. My profession is music and I don’t want to go into politics though I don’t blame those who do because they also have their personal reasons.

What would you say is the role of a musician in society?

- Artistes have a big role in society, first of all is fighting anxiety. A lot of people are anxious and music helps them forget about their problems or even inspires them. Music also advises people because at times people do things without knowing that what they are doing is wrong, but after an artiste singing about it, they realize and change.

What is your proudest achievement?

- I have very many achievements though I am not a showbiz person. I like keeping a low profile but I have very many big achievements.

Where do you rank yourself among Ugandan musicians?

- I don’t rank myself self but the fans do that when they come for concerts and listen to your music, it’s their numbers that count.

How did you come up with January as your month of choice?

- I am a very prayerful man. What God tells me is what I do because I believe that He can’t let me down.

Who do you see among young artistes as possible stars of the future?

- Many young artistes are going to be great and many are still coming, It will all depend on how one does his or her branding and marketing.

How has the making of music changed from the time you started out?

- The style has changed. The dressing has changed, the sound has changed and many other things have evolved. What people want always changes. They might get fed up with even what you that is right and prefer the wrong things because they have been with the right thing for so long.

Is it easier or harder to be a musician today?

- It can always be easy or hard anytime. It depends on your uniqueness and talent. How it was back then, it will always be. There is nothing easy and nothing is hard.

If a young person told you they want to be a musician, what advice would you give them?

- It is hard for a duplicate to be better than the original. Everyone should be in their own body and accept how unique they are. You can't compete with me if you want to be me, you will fail to get new ideas. Uniqueness is key.

What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

Laughs I have received very many pieces of advice and mostly from my parents. They encouraged me to study that was very vital because sometimes, I find myself in situations that require someone who has ever been to school. It helped to improve my reasoning and to fear God was the best advice.