Mariam Ndagire (born 16 May 1971) is a Ugandan singer, entertainer, actress, playwright, film director, and film producer.

Beginnings and education

She was born in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

, Uganda's capital city, to Sarah Nabbutto and

Buganda Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...

's Prince Kizito Ssegamwenge. She attended ''Buganda Road Primary School'', before transferring to ''Kampala High School'', where she completed her O-level education. For her A-Level studies, she attended

Trinity College Nabbingo Trinity College Nabbingo (TRICONA) is an all-girls boarding school covering grades 8–13 in Central Uganda. Location The school is located on a hill in the village of Nabbingo, in Wakiso District, approximately , by road, south-west of Kampala ...

, in

Wakiso District Wakiso District is a Districts of Uganda, district in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda that partly encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The town of Wakiso is the site of the district headquarters. Kira Town, Kira, the count ...

, where she graduated with a

High School Diploma A high school diploma (sometimes referred to as a high school degree) is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary s ...

. She went on to obtain a Higher Diploma in Marketing from

Makerere University Business School Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is the school of business of Makerere University, Uganda's oldest university. MUBS provides business and management education at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Location ...

in Nakawa. Later, she was awarded a ''Diploma in Music, Dance and Drama'', from

Makerere University Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...

, Uganda's oldest and largest public university.

Performing career

Ndagire started out as a theatre actress, at age 15, while still a student at ''Kampala High School''. She went on to join the ''Black Pearls'' of Omugave Ndugwa in 1987, where she starred in several plays up until 1993. While there, she co-wrote her first play titled "Engabo Y'addako". Later Ndagire, together with Kato Lubwama and Ahraf Simwogerere formed their own group the ''Diamonds' Ensemble'' and they wrote several plays. Ndagire is so passionate about helping young talent find themselves in the performing arts; that is the reason that she started ''The Next Ugandan Music'', an ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

''-style show. Ndagire also started a new training workshop for filmmakers at her center, the Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts Centre MNFPAC, which holds film workshops for filmmakers every year. Among the workshops' notable participants are Sarah Kisauzi Sentongo, an actress with ''

Deception Deception is the act of convincing of one or many recipients of untrue information. The person creating the deception knows it to be false while the receiver of the information does not. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Tort of ...

'', the NTV Uganda TV series, and screenwriter

Usama Mukwaya Usama () "Osam" Nyanzi Mukwaya (born December 12, 1989) is a Ugandan screenwriter, film director, producer, actor and former television host. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Usama Mukwaya, several accolades, including ...

. In 2015 Ndagire was appointed by AFRICA MAGIC VIEWERS' CHOICE AWARDS AMVCA to be part of the JURY In 2019 Ndagire was appointed as a committee member of the Grand Jury of the GOLDEN MOVIE AWARDS AFRICA

Film and television

Awards and nominations

Partial discography

*''Mulongo Wange'' (1997) *''Bamugamba'' (1998) *''Onkyaye'' (2000) *''Nkusibiddawo'' (2001) *''Kamuwaane'' (2002) *''Abakazi Twalaba'' (2003) *''Akulimbalimba'' (2004) *''Akalaboko'' (2007) *''Maama'' (2007) *''Byonna Twala'' (2009) *''Majangwa'' (2009) *''Oly'omu'' (2012) *''Kiki Onvuma'' (2014) *''Kibun'omu'' (2016)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ndagire, Mariam Living people 1971 births Ugandan film directors Ugandan women film directors 21st-century Ugandan women singers Ugandan screenwriters Maisha Film Lab alumni Ganda people Ugandan actresses People educated at Trinity College Nabbingo 20th-century Ugandan women singers