Dan Mugula

Dan Mugula born July 8, 1946 at Najjooki – Gomba, Mugula released his first songs Enkomerero and Omulogo n’Omusezi in 1968 with the help of Eclas Kawalya.

His album had only two songs because that is what a record player and jukeboxes could afford and there were no public concerts..
Even then he was still living in the village singing as well as digging and because the recording was only done in Kenya, he had to first collect like six songs before going to record.

It wasn’t until 1973 that he teamed up with Paul Ddamulira, Bernard Nsubuga and Christopher Ssebadduka to form Picking Guitarists and their first show was at Mugongo, Kyengera and people were few.
They were all guitarists and one of them had to learn to play instruments first before they could start singing.
At that time he had songs like his popular Ntongo (1970), Balaba Taliiyo (1971) after the return of Sir Edward Mutesa’s body for burial, Kanegoote, Abakyala Okwenobya, Najjuma, Eky’okukola Kyabula.

At that time there were so many people and groups hawking music with one guitar and people called them kadongokamu thus this prompted them to change their name to Kadongokamu Cultural Company.

They were later joined by Matia Luyima and others.

After the Idi Amin war, the group lost a member Paul Ddamulira and they decided to give singing a break and regrouped in 1982.
The late Moses Bukenya helped them form Entebbe Guitar Singers with new members like Matia Kakumirizi, Sulayiman Mayanja and Mugula’s wife Faridah Namuddu with whom he did songs like Nvaako ndi Mufumbo and Mwami Obadde Ovaawa.

Mugula says that he has kept singing because he took it as a job unlike today’s musicians who are only looking for money.
“I did Oluwombo (Ssalambwa) in 1985 and Ntongo in 1970 but the two songs [sound new] and that is why Mesach Ssemakula’s rendition [of Ntongo] is doing well.

I’m happy that he did what I expected and did not distort my song,” he says.
After the death of Mayanja and Ssebadduka in 1998, Mugula and group retired from active singing but continued composing.

In January 2010, Mugula organized a concert at three venues celebrating his 40^th Anniversary in the music business at Club Obligator then Afro Kasangati and lastly Nateete Comprehensive Hotel.