Interview: ‘Producers Keep Pestering Me For Stuff In Studio’- ‘Savior’ Singer Jynn Spills The Beans 

By Isaac Tugume

The Ugandan music industry has birthed a new musical gem, a vocal goddess identified as Jynn Siima, who recently blessed the airwaves with her debut single titled ‘Savior’.

‘Savior’, which is available on YouTube and digital platforms, is a sensational RnB jam about a woman who is praying to God to send her a savior in the form of a man to save her from loneliness.

A very enterprising singer, songwriter, and aspiring music producer, Jynn Siima, who recently joined Team Black Market Records, opened up to our writer in an interview during which she revealed all about her career.

She noted, however, that the biggest challenge she has faced in the Ugandan music industry so far is the producers who keep pestering her for Things whenever she goes to their studios to record songs!  Read on to find out more:   

Can you please tell us who you are?

I am Jynn Siima, popularly known by my stage name Jynn, a Munyankore from Mbarara, and currently, I am a student at Makerere University, pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Arts in Music, in my final year. Besides being an artist I am a music teacher as well.

When did you start singing and how many songs have you recorded so far?

As a child, I used to sing in our village church choir with my mother. She was the choir trainer/leader for the ladies under the Mothers’ Union association. So, I always attended their practices, and years later I became her co-trainer. It was then that I picked up my passion for music and continued with it at school. My parents enrolled me in Mbarara Musical School, where I joined the school choir and continued my journey as a musician.

I studied music even in high school both at ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels and in 2022 when I left Mbarara to relocate to Kampala for my university studies, I decided to venture into live performances, so I started doing gigs with various bands.  

Have you released any songs so far?

Oh, yes. I released my debut single titled ‘Savior’ a few days back and it’s now available on YouTube and digital platforms. However, I have recorded so many other songs that I plan to release this year, especially now that I am working with Black Market Records.

Who inspired you to pursue music, instead of being a lawyer, doctor, or any other career?

My mother and father were inspired to do music because they were the first musicians I knew before I got to know any other artists. They had seen the gift in me so they decided to support me and have been inspiring me since then. It’s not usual for parents to support their children to pursue music as a career, and most of them are biased towards it. But my parents are different because they have been supportive of me ever since they realized that music is my passion.

Which Ugandan artist would you like to do a collabo with?

I would like to do a collabo with any artist who fits my style. I do RnB, so I would love to sing with any artist that I sync well with in that genre; only then can we produce something worthwhile.

What are those things you don’t like?

I don’t like girl groups, because there’s a lot of drama and believe me I’ve been there. I also don’t like it when I tell people that I am studying music and they narrow it down to MDD (Music Dance and Drama), it shows their narrow understanding of music.

Have you had any embarrassing moments as an artist?

Shortly after relocating from Mbarara to Kampala and deciding to start performing live, one time I met a person who connected me to a manager of one of the top Bands in town, who said they were recruiting new singers and instrumentalists. He told me they had auditions and directed me to the place. I went there, met other girls, we did our auditions, and left. They told us that they would get back to us. I waited for a week without any answer from them but when I contacted them, they kept tossing me up and down until I gave up. What hurt me most was that those guys didn’t think me worthy of an answer, no matter whether I had passed the auditions or not. That’s so rude.

Is there someone special in your life; are you dating anyone?

(Chuckles) Oh about that, I am single. That’s all I can say for now.

Do you have any memorable love experiences?

Not really, I don’t have any memorable love experiences yet.

What are some of the things you can’t live without?

The things I can’t live without are; music, money, and Food.  

What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a musician?

Hah, the challenges are so many.  But the biggest one is that I always have to run away from producers who have ulterior motives. For instance, we work on a project then the producer tries to pull up some stunts, so, in the end, I decide to run away. My biggest challenge has been with producers and I don’t know if anyone will ever address this problem in Uganda. They are a big problem. The other thing is that my style is very different from what most producers do.  So, some of them try to change my works so that they can fit me in their style, which doesn’t work for me. Besides that, being a music scholar, I studied production so in most cases I end up arguing with the producer because I know what I want and how I want to do it.

How would you describe a successful musician?

To me, success for a musician is having an audience because there are so many musicians who have many songs but don’t have an audience. For me, it’s fulfilling enough for a musician to have an audience, because the loyal fan base will push your music.

Between money and love, which one do you value most?

I value love more than money. That’s why I only write about love. All my music is about love.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Ah, I don’t crush-crush on people but my celebrity crush in Uganda would be Maurice Kirya; but note that it has taken me a lot of time to think about. (Hahaha)

Well, where do you see yourself five years from now?

If everything goes as planned, I expect myself to have released an album and established myself as a stabilized artist with a strong fanbase. I also expect to have stabilized as a producer, because that’s another field I want to venture into. And, I hope to have captured the attention of the Ugandan audience because the music I do doesn’t have a huge audience in Uganda.

Any word of advice for upcoming artists?

My advice for them is that they should get involved in the pushing of their music, build teams to work with and engage in lots of networking because only you know your dream. There is also a need to be consistent because if you want to make it as an artist, you must let people know you exist by putting yourself in their faces constantly. They must also be patient because if you’re not patient you will end up in lots of problems.

What are some of your hobbies?

My hobbies; I love writing and I do poetry, most times when I am alone or not at campus. I also love listening to music.