S B SAGOR (3 February 1997 – 14 May 2025) was a Ugandan

Kadongo Kamu Kadongo Kamu is a music genre native to Uganda and is the oldest mainstream music genre in the country. The word "kadongo kamu" is a term in the Ganda language that means "one little guitar". History Perhaps the first well-known artist of the ...

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

Background

Herman Basudde was born on 5 December 1958, in the

Masaka District Masaka District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Buganda, Buganda Kingdom in Uganda. Its main town is Masaka City, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100. Location The district is bordered by Masaka, Masaka City to the north-west an ...

, ⁣⁣Uganda⁣⁣, to Eria Katende and Dimitiria Namyalo. He attended Kibanda Primary School and Kitenga Primary School and sang in the school choir. He reportedly did not continue his education beyond primary school. Brown Rodgers, a friend of Eria (Basudde's father) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, gave him a

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

after the war. Basudde became very interested in the instrument, dedicating much time to practice. His mother, Dimitiria, reportedly wanted him to spend more time on housework or schoolwork, while his father, Eria, encouraged his musical pursuits. Due to financial struggles, Basudde left school and focused on music. Basudde became known locally, entertaining guests at village parties with his guitar and music for payment. His increasing popularity reportedly led to jealousy among local youths, who tried to force him out of the area.

Career

Livingstone Kasozi reportedly mentored Basudde, teaching him to play the guitar, sing, and perform live on stage. He toured East African countries, including

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, and

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

. Basudde is considered a musician who helped revive interest in ''

bakisimba Bakisimba dance (Baakisiimba) also known as Nankasa or Muwogola is a traditional dance form originating from the Baganda, Baganda people of Buganda Kingdom in Central Uganda. It is believed to have originated from the movements of a drunken Suun ...

'', incorporating elements of Western and Kiganda music. He had a husky voice and sang songs about love affairs, philandering husbands, and

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

. In the song, ''Ekiwuka Ekyaga Muntamu'', Basudde used metaphor to address the

AIDS epidemic The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS ...

in Uganda, where the narrator dreams of a lizard-like insect invading his home and despoiling life, food, and sex. Basudde died in an accident while traveling to his parents' house in

Masaka Masaka is a city in the Central Region, Uganda, Buganda Region in Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The ...

, south of Kampala. Some accounts say Basudde was seen as rebellious, leaving the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

to adopt

animism Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...

. He was allegedly criticized by some clergy for forsaking religion in favor of witchcraft and accused of sensationalizing his music by using provocatively dressed dancers and commercializing the

genre.

Popularity

According to historian Basaaya Rocks Peter, some believed Herman Basudde could foretell future events. Fred Ssebatta, another

musician, stated that Basudde was creative and quick at composing music and it would be challenging for others to match his skill. Whenever Basudde released a song, Ssebatta would respond quickly. On 12 October 2012, Bobi Wine paid tribute to Herman Basudde's work, stating, "How I wish prophet Herman Basudde could be around. He left us to accomplish his mission, but his shoes are far too big for us to wear." Basudde reportedly composed in his head and could not repeat what he had earlier sung. He toured several East African countries, including

and

; this tour reportedly earned him over USH 70 million.

Death and legacy

According to some accounts, Basudde's words and actions shortly before his death were seen as premonitions. Aisha Nakito said that on 10 June 1997, days after returning from an East Africa tour, he met Jane Basirika for a meal while waiting for Serunjoji. Upon Serunjoji's arrival, Basudde embraced him, having reconciled after previous misunderstandings at a family reunion. Afterwards, they departed for Masaka, where his father was bedridden due to

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

. On their way, they stopped at a road toll at Lukaya for a snack, where Basudde argued with a man. Sylvester Busuulwa intervened, but Basudde, still agitated, drove off at high speed. As Basudde's vehicle approached the village of Kabaale Bugonzi, a

lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructio ...

tried to overtake him and he lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times and resulting in his death. Before his death, he reportedly requested to be buried with his favorite guitar, noting that his colleague, Livingstone Kasozi, had been buried with his favorite

cassette tape The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by L ...

References

External links

Download Herman Basudde Songs

HERMAN BASUDDE: portrait of a musical prophet, 4 July 2016, The Observer

1958 births 1997 deaths Ganda people People from Masaka District Ugandan musicians {{Africa-musician-stub