Using music to inspire social change
In well packaged lyrics backed up with hip rhythms, Bana Mutibwa’s music rails off the conventional course, conveying messages of direct inverse to political proposals to the powers that be.
His two songs, Tetubonga Nawe and Tojikwatako Nawe, have been released in politically torrid times. Tetubonga nawe, loosely translated to ‘we are not with you’, was a response to tubonga nawe (we are with you), a song that rallied support for the re-election of Mr Museveni as President in 2016 after 30 years in power.
My story rapping in Luganda starts in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. I was groomed by a community of Luganda rap practitioners and practiced among those CNN ranked top ten in Uganda. Read more →
I am an award winning community organiser, culture builder, networker, and above all, a sharp Lugaflow (Lugaflow is a catch-all term for rap in the local Ugandan languages) MC with lyrical skills no one can test. The short documentary below covers my background decently.
One Blood Project Uganda
In 2014, my dream of organising the International End of the Weak World Finals in Uganda came true. Learn more here: Episode 1 → , Episode 2 → , Episode 3 →
Coming to Denmark
After that, I was ready to start a new chapter in the book of my life. I moved to Aarhus, Denmark in the cold winter of December 2014. By summer 2015 I was enrolled to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Langkær Gymnasium (now Aarhus Gymnasium), where I graduated in 2017.
In 2018, I was admitted to Copenhagen Business School to study International Business and Politics. Currently, I work as a Project Associate at the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, where I support tech entrepreneurs with solutions to democracies’ problems.
Congratulations @Banamutibwa on being selected for this year’s Obama Foundation Leaders Program.
— Anders Fogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) February 22, 2023
Richard is an essential part of the @AoDemocracies team, leading our work on the Democracy Tech Entrepreneur Fellowship program. pic.twitter.com/AfILfNu5pP
My rap career took a twist as well when I decided to move to Denmark. Braved by the Danish security, and encouraged by the country’s democracy and freedom of speech, it didn’t take me long to serve my homeland, Uganda, from abroad through what I call revolutionary Lugaflow. Afterall, we were at the peak of the social media golden days.
GOOD SONG: Tetubonga nawe freestyle – Bana Mutibwa (Reply to tubonga nawe)
– Kizza Besigye
Uganda in my heart, Buganda in my soul
In 2015, I released Tetubonga Nawe out of frustration, uploaded it on my Soundcloud, and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, Tetubonga Nawe had spread on social media like wildfire. Nanna Schneidermann (2020) sums my time, since producing Tetubonga Nawe, well.
Bana Mutibwa,…, recorded a direct reply to the NRM praise song, entitled “Tetubonga Nawe” (‘We Are Not With You’). In the song Bana Mutibwa criticised both the NRM and the artists featured in the Tubonga Nawe song in harsh terms. The song spread across social media after the presidential candidate for the opposition party, FDC, shared it on Facebook. Bana was now living abroad, but suddenly found himself to be a name on the Ugandan music scene, appearing in newspaper articles and on online gossip pages. Encouraged by the reception of the protest song, Bana recorded several other tracks with critical messages calling for political change. His friends worried that he was too outspoken in his lyrics, but to the artist himself it seemed that if some musicians could sing the praises of politicians, others had to speak up and protest.
Despite having released several Lugaflow songs that caused revolutionary waves in Uganda, my motherland, I have not yet afforded the time and money to put together an album. During my time in the Obama Leaders program, I want to cast a spotlight on the situation in Uganda, through my music, starting with my latest release: Nkomyewo – Bana Mutibwa
I am Bana Mutibwa, the Lugaflow Revolutionary Human Rights Activist. I am Obama Leader, one of the ones we’ve been waiting for.