Kankunda: The musical rose in bloom

When musician Fred Maiso (RIP) composed his famous love ballad, Ekimuli Kya Rosa, The powerfully emotional lyrics appeared to be directed at someone special in her life.

Prossy Kankunda, who was once his close associate, says it was a random song written to celebrate love and perhaps capture the imagination of the love-driven music audience.

Kankunda says he met Maiso when he was in the process of recording Ekimuli Kya Rosa. This was early 1995. At the time, Kankunda was a first-year student at Makerere University. He was continuing his undergraduate education in Music, Dance and Drama (MDD).

Juggling both studies and music

Kankunda had established himself as a substitute artist. He vividly remembers the time when Maiso stopped by the late Tony Ssengo’s studio to record the song that would fascinate local music enthusiasts.

“The song was incredibly beautiful, and when I asked him what inspired him to come up with those lyrics, he said he loved writing about love. He also said that what the audience liked back then was love music,” Kankunda recalls.

It’s safe to say that even Maiso didn’t expect the ballad to be so critically acclaimed. Kankunda states that the song has literally become a house tune, being played on radio stations, bars, clubs and weddings.

“As soon as the audience noticed the kick, they would pay attention,” he told the Saturday Monitor, adding: “Every time we performed, it was a moment to remember.”

It would not be wrong to conclude that Kankunda was never a rose, but a flower. Although she did not initially perform backup vocals during recording, Maiso was a de facto backup vocalist when she performed ballads, which was often most of the time. Kankunda adds that every time Maiso has a concert he gets more opportunities to support him. The performances were literally given a theatrical touch to create an emotional touch.

“I could go on stage and look directly at the audience, rolling my eyes in a much more spectacular way,” he recalls, adding, “Everybody goes crazy.”

Kankunda says Maiso will come on stage as soon as she starts singing the first line of the song. The audience was convinced that the song was literally dedicated to him, never mind that this was never the case.

Over time, Kankunda came to terms with the fact that the audience perceived and catered to her as the ultimate Kimuli Kya Rosa (Rose flower).

Finally Kankunda dated Maiso anyway. During their final year at Makerere, the two lovebirds gave birth to a child named Derrick Kamba. The lad has recently started a career in music.

Always a part of your journey

Kankunda traces the roots of his musical journey back to when he started primary school. He notes that he was often chosen as the leader of the school choir. He hastens to add that he excels at musical tasks.

Seeking to make a breakthrough, Kankunda applied to join the Bakayimbira Drama Actors, based at the Pride Theater in Kampala. While she was giving interesting auditions, Micheal Kakande asked her to join his group. So he joined the New Generation Africa Group and eventually gained attention as a backup artist. During that time, he also worked with many stars such as the legendary Elly Wamala and Jimmy Katumba.

A star from the audience

On a random day in late 1999 when Kakunda was paying for tickets to see Kaads Band perform, a vocalist on stage invited him on stage. Its sound would go on to influence the group’s founder, William Kamukama. Kamukama’s wife was equally impressed and the two asked Kankunda to join the group.

It is in Kaad’s group that Kankunda is invited to compose her own music. He was inspired by the likes of John Kahwa, Akiiki Romeo, among others. Ndibulaaya is the song Maiso wrote for Kankunda but it was never well received by the audience. To Kankunda, this was an indication that his time had not yet come.

In his early days as an undergraduate at the university, Kankunda had worked on two unregistered projects: Ngabwa and Akalulu. He says it was the song that opened the doors to Ngabwa’s solo music career and earned him a nomination at the prestigious Kora Awards. This also earned him his first trip to the United Kingdom, where he performed at the Kora Awards concert.

“Ngabwa is a song I wrote and submitted as part of the projects required to graduate from university.” he explains, adding that even today people book him to perform the song.

However, according to him, Ngabwa was overshadowed by Akalulu, a love song appreciated by audiences in the central region.

Kankunda says both the songs (Akalulu and Ngabwa) were inspired by her grandmother’s teachings about the girl-child. Songs have defined marriage functions in both central and western Uganda for years.

Kankunda says people use his name on various occasions to perform his music and earn money from it. He notes that many people illegally earn royalties from the music they make on various digital platforms.

The collapse of Kaads Band in the 2000s prompted Kankunda to venture into business while quietly pursuing a solo music career. She currently runs an arts group called Prossy Kankunda Cultural Dancers in Bushenyi. She also works as a businesswoman in her home country of South Africa. Wearing many hats, Kankunda teaches music lessons in Uganda while also taking on farming projects.

Prossy Kankunda, born on June 9, 1975, is the first child of her family. He is among the children of former legislator Francis Bantariza (RIP). He went to Aga Khan for kindergarten and primary school, and then to Nakasero Primary School, where he completed his primary education in 1988. He then went to Kings College Budo for O-Level, Kololo SS for A-Level and then did MDB course. Makerere.