Mulaasi and his ‘farm’
I AM about to meet the new King of <i>Kadongokammu</i>, Abdu Mulaasi aka Abdu Simwogerere, at the Calendar Guesthouse in Makindye. Although he is a busy man, Mulaasi will talk to you without making you feel he has better things to do. Below are excerpts of the interview with the man, and other inte
By Pidson Kareire
I AM about to meet the new King of Kadongokammu, Abdu Mulaasi aka Abdu Simwogerere, at the Calendar Guesthouse in Makindye. Although he is a busy man, Mulaasi will talk to you without making you feel he has better things to do. Below are excerpts of the interview with the man, and other interviews with his wives:
Question: How old are you?
If I successfully complete this year, I will be 29. I was born in 1976 in Kilwabenga, Kabale, Masaka district.
Do you swim?
I do and I normally go to Hotel Equatoria’s swimming pool. But the problem is I have a busy schedule. I do not swim regularly. However, if I get free time in the week, I always go swimming.
Is it true you have a farm?
Yes, I do have. But so far, there are only three “friesiansâ€. It is too early to reveal the number of the “friesians†I want on my farm. I still keep it a secret because if I reveal, some detractors will jeopardise my plans before I accomplish my mission.
What made you come up with the song Farm Yabakyala?
I realised women were more than men and the beautiful ones were also too many. In the song, I advise cheating men to choose the best and put them in a secluded area I referred to as a farm. This would check social and other problems that result from cheating.
How did you get the women who appeared in swimming costumes in your video?
There were many idle women out there willing to do anything. Besides, people like these things and women will do anything to please them as long as they are paid. Even now I am enlisting a new lot (he points at girls dancing in the backyard). They come begging to join my farm.
Are you married?
Yes, to three women. Each one has a special feature that attracted me to her. I do not treat them in the same way because they are different.
How much money do you spend on the farm?
I spend sh3m per month to maintain my farm. I have not built for all of them. Only one lives in my house and I rent for the others. I plan to have more houses in future. If anything, I want to build a modern farm.
What is your best moment?
When I have successfully completed a year and when I am with a beautiful woman.
What do you do if you are not singing?
I do some business. I sometimes rest at home, watch movies and read books. I like watching love stories.
Do you consider yourself successful?
Not yet. I feel I should be like the international musicians. I would want to own big companies to sustain my development and income.
What is your ideal beautiful woman?
There is no beautiful woman as far as I know, because beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But anyway, the light -skinned babes take the medal. I like light-skinned women; they really charm me.
Below, his wives talk about their man and the life they live
Fahilizah Nakiwanuka
Deep in the dusty rural Nansana in Kampala, I met one of Abdu Mulaasi’s “friesiansâ€. Fahilizah Ranyi Nakiwanuka, 24, was willing to talk to me for as long as I wished to stay. However, she was surprised to be referred to as a “friesianâ€. Our conversation went as follows:
I guess you can dance. Is dancing another of your talents?
Yes, I can. When I am happy I go to the club to dance. I am not a queen dancer, but I do it to pass time and to enjoy my life.
Tell me about yourself.
My father died, but he was an Indian. My mum is a Muganda and lives in Nansana.
How did you meet Mulaasi?
He came to know me through a friend of mine he worked with in Da Homies Band. During their practice, my friend realised that I would do well in the group and she linked Mulaasi to me. He had seen my picture on a poster of B.U.D Productions, which he liked. Mulaasi called and told me he wanted me to work. That was in 2004. But when I started working, he told me he didn’t want me to join them as a musician, but for a relationship. I first asked him for time before I started having feelings for him and I succumbed to his moves.
How do you feel about Mulaasi’s songs?
I know it as a business. And since most of his fans are women, it does not bother me at all. However, many people think that what he sings is what he does.
People pity you for being his wife. What do you say?
Sometimes, I feel bad when people shout at me “Abdu Mulaasi!â€. But sometimes it makes me feel I am a wife of a celebrity. Otherwise, he is a wonderful husband.
Which of Mulaasi’s songs is your favourite?
I like all of them, but Bestman makes my day. Its instrumentals are good, the message is wonderful and the video is the best.
Does Mulaasi sing about what he does?
Not really. Many people think Mulaasi is a womaniser because of his songs, but he is not. He is a good husband at home and I believe even out there he is good.
People think Mulaasi is exploiting and defaming women. What do you think?
There is nothing like that. All the members of Da Homies Band joined willingly. If I may ask, do people expect him to chase away these women who come looking for work which actually is there?
Do you enjoy other artistes’ songs?
Of course I do. I like Angela Kalule’s music, Jose Chameleone’s and Mesach Ssemakula’s. I also like Betty Mpologoma’s music.
Considering the song Swimming Pool, are you confident about your marriage?
Aha! This is just a song and it is business. Mulaasi sings what people want and he normally draws a line between business and his private life.
Any regrets in your life?
Not yet. You never know the future. But as of now no regrets.
Many believe you people are gold diggers. Is it so?
If I were a gold digger I would not be singing and working. Besides, you have seen my mum’s home. You should tell those who say so that not all women are gold diggers. I like Mulaasi as a person and not his wealth.
Where do you go on weekends?
In most cases we have shows, so I do not go out for fun, but to work. I am a musician, too. Fans know me for songs like Basajja and Bichupuli. I now sing with Da Homies Band.
Where did you go to school?
I attended Kibili Primary School on Busabala Road and Saku Secondary School in Luweero. I also went to Lubiri Secondary School and Seven Hills College in Wakiso district.
Do you have children?
Just one child, Shibah Mulaasi Omumbejja.
Do you swim?
No. Although I love it, I fear the water.
Is it true Mulaasi has a farm?
Look here! A farm must at least have 20 livestock. But he has only three wives and yet Islam recommends four. Is that a farm? It is just business.
How do you see your co-wives?
We do not hate each other. We are actually on good terms. It is normal for us Muslims to share a man.
Kuliva Swalah Kabiite
Tracking Kuliva Swalah Kabiite, 23, the latest catch of Mulaasi was not easy. But being a wife of a popular artiste simplifies the means. As I bump into cyclists at Salaama Road in Makindye, arguing about soccer, they hurriedly guide me to where she stays. Below are the excerpts of the interview.
People think Abdu Mulaasi is exploiting and defaming women. Do you think so?
Abby does not exploit these women because they join willingly and they are above 18 years. He sings about what people want to hear, but he also perfects what he sings. He has a “farm†but it does not include us (his wives). It refers to babes in Da Homies.
Do you enjoy other artiste’s songs?
I enjoy Mesach Ssemakula and Julianna Kanyomozi’s music.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Kawempe Standard High School, Kawempe Muslims and Masaka Secondary School. Shortly after my studies, I met Abby.
How did you meet?
Aha! It is a long story I think we should leave that alone.
People pity you for being Mulaasi’s wife. What do you say?
People talk a lot of rubbish, but Abby should protect his life and his business because if he recruits people with less morals, he is likely to lose business and his life. Otherwise, he is a good husband.
Did you take part in any of his videos?
No. I am a wife not a dancer. The “farm†refers to babes who dance in his band, but not his wives. Besides, I don’t swim. Participation needed experience in swimming.
Where do you go on weekends?
I go to Pride Theatre to watch drama and other functions.
Do you have children?
Only one. She is one year old and called Shadia Najjuma.
How do you see your co-wives?
Each of us minds her business. There is nothing bad among us because Abby cares for all of us. to our expectations.
Patricia Namatovu
She is the youngest of Mulaasi’s wives, but says she was the first to become his wife. Namatovu is friendly and lives easily at Salaama Road in Makindye. Unlike her co-wives who first ask whether you have permission from Abby, she will laugh and then attend to you. She cuts a picture of a typical housewife. I found her on the verandah filing her nails and we talked about the following:
Where do you come from?
Bulenga on Mityana Road in Wakiso district. I am 22 years.
Mulaasi is a Muslim. How come you are Patricia?
We have not changed names. I was born a Catholic.
Were you picked from the farm?
I met Abby in Jupitor Band, where we both worked. When he formed Da Homies Band, he decided that I should sit at home and be a housewife. However, he is the one who recruited me in the groups where I first danced. He found me in Mityana, where they had gone for a show. I think he was attracted to me and convinced me to join them.
Do you enjoy other artistes’ songs?
I enjoy live band, but Mesach Ssemakula is my favourite.
Which of Mulaasi’s songs is your favourite?
Swimming Pool, eeh! There is nothing I can say about Swimming Pool. I also enjoy his latest album Ekyapa, but Omusonno Gwamungu thrills me. I find the phrase Obubiina bwa hips funny (laughs).
Did you take part in the video of Swimming Pool?
No, but I participated in Omusonno Gwamungu because I was shot when I was at home relaxing.
Does Mulaasi sing what he does?
No. He sings to please his fans. At home, he does the opposite. Business makes him sound funny. Otherwise, he is a good husband.
How do you feel about being Mulaasi’s wife?
Great! But I don’t want to say much because there are many women waiting out there. If we praise him highly, they might snatch him away from us.
How do you see your co-wives?
I was the first to get married to Mulaasi. Kuliva and Nakiboneka (Nakiwanuka) came after and I have no problem with that. If they have a problem, it is their fault. But we hardly meet since each one stays alone. I am in charge of recruiting those who want to join the farm. That shows I am not jealousy.
I AM about to meet the new King of Kadongokammu, Abdu Mulaasi aka Abdu Simwogerere, at the Calendar Guesthouse in Makindye. Although he is a busy man, Mulaasi will talk to you without making you feel he has better things to do. Below are excerpts of the interview with the man, and other interviews with his wives:
Question: How old are you?
If I successfully complete this year, I will be 29. I was born in 1976 in Kilwabenga, Kabale, Masaka district.
Do you swim?
I do and I normally go to Hotel Equatoria’s swimming pool. But the problem is I have a busy schedule. I do not swim regularly. However, if I get free time in the week, I always go swimming.
Is it true you have a farm?
Yes, I do have. But so far, there are only three “friesiansâ€. It is too early to reveal the number of the “friesians†I want on my farm. I still keep it a secret because if I reveal, some detractors will jeopardise my plans before I accomplish my mission.
What made you come up with the song Farm Yabakyala?
I realised women were more than men and the beautiful ones were also too many. In the song, I advise cheating men to choose the best and put them in a secluded area I referred to as a farm. This would check social and other problems that result from cheating.
How did you get the women who appeared in swimming costumes in your video?
There were many idle women out there willing to do anything. Besides, people like these things and women will do anything to please them as long as they are paid. Even now I am enlisting a new lot (he points at girls dancing in the backyard). They come begging to join my farm.
Are you married?
Yes, to three women. Each one has a special feature that attracted me to her. I do not treat them in the same way because they are different.
How much money do you spend on the farm?
I spend sh3m per month to maintain my farm. I have not built for all of them. Only one lives in my house and I rent for the others. I plan to have more houses in future. If anything, I want to build a modern farm.
What is your best moment?
When I have successfully completed a year and when I am with a beautiful woman.
What do you do if you are not singing?
I do some business. I sometimes rest at home, watch movies and read books. I like watching love stories.
Do you consider yourself successful?
Not yet. I feel I should be like the international musicians. I would want to own big companies to sustain my development and income.
What is your ideal beautiful woman?
There is no beautiful woman as far as I know, because beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But anyway, the light -skinned babes take the medal. I like light-skinned women; they really charm me.
Below, his wives talk about their man and the life they live
Fahilizah Nakiwanuka
Deep in the dusty rural Nansana in Kampala, I met one of Abdu Mulaasi’s “friesiansâ€. Fahilizah Ranyi Nakiwanuka, 24, was willing to talk to me for as long as I wished to stay. However, she was surprised to be referred to as a “friesianâ€. Our conversation went as follows:
I guess you can dance. Is dancing another of your talents?
Yes, I can. When I am happy I go to the club to dance. I am not a queen dancer, but I do it to pass time and to enjoy my life.
Tell me about yourself.
My father died, but he was an Indian. My mum is a Muganda and lives in Nansana.
How did you meet Mulaasi?
He came to know me through a friend of mine he worked with in Da Homies Band. During their practice, my friend realised that I would do well in the group and she linked Mulaasi to me. He had seen my picture on a poster of B.U.D Productions, which he liked. Mulaasi called and told me he wanted me to work. That was in 2004. But when I started working, he told me he didn’t want me to join them as a musician, but for a relationship. I first asked him for time before I started having feelings for him and I succumbed to his moves.
How do you feel about Mulaasi’s songs?
I know it as a business. And since most of his fans are women, it does not bother me at all. However, many people think that what he sings is what he does.
People pity you for being his wife. What do you say?
Sometimes, I feel bad when people shout at me “Abdu Mulaasi!â€. But sometimes it makes me feel I am a wife of a celebrity. Otherwise, he is a wonderful husband.
Which of Mulaasi’s songs is your favourite?
I like all of them, but Bestman makes my day. Its instrumentals are good, the message is wonderful and the video is the best.
Does Mulaasi sing about what he does?
Not really. Many people think Mulaasi is a womaniser because of his songs, but he is not. He is a good husband at home and I believe even out there he is good.
People think Mulaasi is exploiting and defaming women. What do you think?
There is nothing like that. All the members of Da Homies Band joined willingly. If I may ask, do people expect him to chase away these women who come looking for work which actually is there?
Do you enjoy other artistes’ songs?
Of course I do. I like Angela Kalule’s music, Jose Chameleone’s and Mesach Ssemakula’s. I also like Betty Mpologoma’s music.
Considering the song Swimming Pool, are you confident about your marriage?
Aha! This is just a song and it is business. Mulaasi sings what people want and he normally draws a line between business and his private life.
Any regrets in your life?
Not yet. You never know the future. But as of now no regrets.
Many believe you people are gold diggers. Is it so?
If I were a gold digger I would not be singing and working. Besides, you have seen my mum’s home. You should tell those who say so that not all women are gold diggers. I like Mulaasi as a person and not his wealth.
Where do you go on weekends?
In most cases we have shows, so I do not go out for fun, but to work. I am a musician, too. Fans know me for songs like Basajja and Bichupuli. I now sing with Da Homies Band.
Where did you go to school?
I attended Kibili Primary School on Busabala Road and Saku Secondary School in Luweero. I also went to Lubiri Secondary School and Seven Hills College in Wakiso district.
Do you have children?
Just one child, Shibah Mulaasi Omumbejja.
Do you swim?
No. Although I love it, I fear the water.
Is it true Mulaasi has a farm?
Look here! A farm must at least have 20 livestock. But he has only three wives and yet Islam recommends four. Is that a farm? It is just business.
How do you see your co-wives?
We do not hate each other. We are actually on good terms. It is normal for us Muslims to share a man.
Kuliva Swalah Kabiite
Tracking Kuliva Swalah Kabiite, 23, the latest catch of Mulaasi was not easy. But being a wife of a popular artiste simplifies the means. As I bump into cyclists at Salaama Road in Makindye, arguing about soccer, they hurriedly guide me to where she stays. Below are the excerpts of the interview.
People think Abdu Mulaasi is exploiting and defaming women. Do you think so?
Abby does not exploit these women because they join willingly and they are above 18 years. He sings about what people want to hear, but he also perfects what he sings. He has a “farm†but it does not include us (his wives). It refers to babes in Da Homies.
Do you enjoy other artiste’s songs?
I enjoy Mesach Ssemakula and Julianna Kanyomozi’s music.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Kawempe Standard High School, Kawempe Muslims and Masaka Secondary School. Shortly after my studies, I met Abby.
How did you meet?
Aha! It is a long story I think we should leave that alone.
People pity you for being Mulaasi’s wife. What do you say?
People talk a lot of rubbish, but Abby should protect his life and his business because if he recruits people with less morals, he is likely to lose business and his life. Otherwise, he is a good husband.
Did you take part in any of his videos?
No. I am a wife not a dancer. The “farm†refers to babes who dance in his band, but not his wives. Besides, I don’t swim. Participation needed experience in swimming.
Where do you go on weekends?
I go to Pride Theatre to watch drama and other functions.
Do you have children?
Only one. She is one year old and called Shadia Najjuma.
How do you see your co-wives?
Each of us minds her business. There is nothing bad among us because Abby cares for all of us. to our expectations.
Patricia Namatovu
She is the youngest of Mulaasi’s wives, but says she was the first to become his wife. Namatovu is friendly and lives easily at Salaama Road in Makindye. Unlike her co-wives who first ask whether you have permission from Abby, she will laugh and then attend to you. She cuts a picture of a typical housewife. I found her on the verandah filing her nails and we talked about the following:
Where do you come from?
Bulenga on Mityana Road in Wakiso district. I am 22 years.
Mulaasi is a Muslim. How come you are Patricia?
We have not changed names. I was born a Catholic.
Were you picked from the farm?
I met Abby in Jupitor Band, where we both worked. When he formed Da Homies Band, he decided that I should sit at home and be a housewife. However, he is the one who recruited me in the groups where I first danced. He found me in Mityana, where they had gone for a show. I think he was attracted to me and convinced me to join them.
Do you enjoy other artistes’ songs?
I enjoy live band, but Mesach Ssemakula is my favourite.
Which of Mulaasi’s songs is your favourite?
Swimming Pool, eeh! There is nothing I can say about Swimming Pool. I also enjoy his latest album Ekyapa, but Omusonno Gwamungu thrills me. I find the phrase Obubiina bwa hips funny (laughs).
Did you take part in the video of Swimming Pool?
No, but I participated in Omusonno Gwamungu because I was shot when I was at home relaxing.
Does Mulaasi sing what he does?
No. He sings to please his fans. At home, he does the opposite. Business makes him sound funny. Otherwise, he is a good husband.
How do you feel about being Mulaasi’s wife?
Great! But I don’t want to say much because there are many women waiting out there. If we praise him highly, they might snatch him away from us.
How do you see your co-wives?
I was the first to get married to Mulaasi. Kuliva and Nakiboneka (Nakiwanuka) came after and I have no problem with that. If they have a problem, it is their fault. But we hardly meet since each one stays alone. I am in charge of recruiting those who want to join the farm. That shows I am not jealousy.