Down Memory Lane: Bikoola – Irene Ntale, Radio & Weasel

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Watching Irene Ntale, I am reminded of how easily she works with other artistes. And this flirtatious song came to mind.

This song is 10 years old and features three artistes at the peak of their powers. Irene with those comfy, relatable vocals that are somehow simultaneously flirtatious, Radio with his absurdly potent ability to sing soulfully (I appreciate his talent more and more every day), and Weasel with his inventive interpretation of a ragamuffin.

The song, produced within the dancehall genre, was a huge hit and worked as a dancehall floor and party anthem.



The lads from Goodlyfe had done a bit of growing up at this point and presented interesting variations to their cameos. Their carefree, larger-than-life approach to the song was a refreshing counterfoil to Ntale’s wholesome vibe, and the artistes clearly had the time of their lives. You can feel the energy of artistes enjoying what they are putting down.

The song’s video sells this perfectly: three musicians having a good time. Ntale looked achingly gorgeous, working the floor in a little black dress and thigh-high boots while the lads simply make the video work by being their inane selves.

I love this song mostly because it gets to showcase an aspect of Irene Ntale’s voice that I think we sometimes don’t notice – she has a timbre to her vocals that enrich them, especially when she sings in lower registers. And she uses that timbre almost effortlessly.

Bikoola was dropped at a time when music targeted being fun. It worked perfectly in that regard.