Interview: Meet Uganda’s Budding Singer Shawn Maine with ‘Irresistable Love’ for Rihanna
It’s right to fall in love with someone you have never met physically even when you know you can’t meet them in future and express your intentions for them.
Is it really necessary to let the other side know what you really feel for them?
No,it’s not,well,when it comes to music,the 21-year-old upcoming singer Shawn Maine is determined and highly believes he will one day get to share a stage with American based Barbadian singer, actress and businesswoman Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Born to Mr and Mrs Biswanga,the Last born in a family of seven,met up with Kampala Sqoop reporter for an exclusive interview about his music journey, relationship and life beyond music.
At which age did you realize you can sing and probably be a future singer?
I think my influence to do music started way back when I was still young.There was kinda a music influence from my elder brothers and sisters who used to listen to a d follow music a lot.
When did you start doing music professionally?
It was 2019 around May that’s when I saw I should do it.my first encounter to sing was at Makerere College,one of the schools I attended,I was invited to perform as art and crafts in what just looked like a joke but the whole thing turned really well for me.
Things then finally changed when I joined Aga Khan.Its there I saw I must embark on professional music.
How do People take your music,do you find it encouraging?
A whole lot of people love my music,I have had a good number of them open to my sound and always assure me it’s really agood one.
Who inspires you to do music and why?
Locally,Apass and Maurice Kirya. I love Apass, Maurice Kirya because they do the kind of music I love and so as well and internationally such big names Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and Frank Oceans among others made me join music and pass on information to the World through music.
RnB or Hip-hop or you can explain?
Its not a one specific genre yet but I like calling it Afro-fusion and alternative RnB
I would like to say I do Afro-Soul, literally a mixture of many genres.
Do you see that a success in Uganda?
With the growing urban crowd,yes it is.
Who would you love to share stage with both locally and Internationally?
I would love to share a stage with Apass,Eddy Kenzo and Internationally,Rihanna, of course,she is everyone’s dream.
Does Shawn have any song to his name?
Yes, I have got 3 singles to including ‘Stay ft J Watts,’If you need me there and ‘Show you.’
Who is behind Shawn, Financially?
My dad, infact, all my parents.You know I am not signed to any label and it’s them who are doing all it takes for me to achieve my dreams.
Music and Politics,can the two be mixed?
No,not at all,I wouldn’t encourage one mixing the two, Politics is a different thing all together,for those few singers who are in it, don’t see crowds following you thinking they are your supporters.
No,real supporters and electorates are working hard in gardens deep down in villages,it is not these so called urban dwellers who might not even be registered voters.
Where do we see Shawn in the next 5years?
I love to have inspired more youths to chase their dreams and know that everything is possible when you put your mind and focus to it and I like to have changed the way music is done here in terms of distribution among others.
Additionally,I hope to have bigger collaborations and mob albums.
If you are to be signed to a record label, which one would it be?
No,I wouldn’t want to be signed to any label,I think I enjoy being independent and I would like to stay independent for a while and do this all by myself.
Why do you think Copyright is still not a thing in Uganda and what should be done to streathen it?
I think as Artists,we should come together and agree on one thing that should be done to make things really work for the good of the industry.I see already divisions in the industry but all that needs to be done is all of us to join hands and focus on one thing,change the industry and streathen copyright for the benefit of all.
Is Shawn seeing someone?
No,I am seeing my music.i am focusing on my music for now. I really can’t focus on someone else when my life is not yet proper,I would love to put my life well before I introduce someone to my life.
What’s the EP about
‘Do it and run’ the fourth in the EP is about your doing your best, never letting anyone, rather wait for someone else to change your life.
Just like it’s tittle ‘After the Pain,’the EP revolves around the hustle to find love after heart break.
The songs I have been doing before are all about heart breaks and I am actually trying to inform people out there that it’s never over,you’ve got to pick up your self and stop being someone else you are not.
“It’s actually me trying to get the attention of my long lost lover and suddenly,I give up.
Shawn’s songs were Produced by Producer X and Reymacc at Master’s studio in Ntinda which he says has got the best sound quality ever.
