The BBC World Service had a talent search called “The Next Big Thing” in which they named Tshila as one of the 20 best unsigned artists in the world. Her music was complimented by one of the judges as being “a perfect soundtrack to nice summer day” and “delightful”. A judge reviewed her song “Namboozo” and said “the mix of traditional African sounds with poetry and hip-hop works perfectly for Tshila” and “overall a conscious, upbeat vibe and the most original song in this competition”.
Tshila was born in Kampala, Uganda. She didn’t grow up around musicians. She never had music on the curriculum at any of the schools she attended as a young student. However, her passion for music resulted in her being one of the most noteworthy talents from East Africa.
She truly developed her musical talent after she finished her university education in the United States. She received a bachelor’s degree in software engineering in 2005. As a college student in America, she frequently spoke for African causes. Through the subtle and indirect influence of music, she wants to be a force of change in Africa.
Four months after graduating university in 2005, she returned to Uganda with the hope of developing her music and fusing it with rich traditions to create a sound that transcends cultural boundaries with enchanting rhythms and conscious lyrics. Her mother used to sing folk songs for her when she was young, which caused her to be keenly interested in her mother’s ethnic culture and music from the Gisu people of eastern Uganda. She picked up a guitar and began to sing and perform in different venues in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
Tshila has collaborated with a diversity of artists, including opening for Jaqee for the first unplugged show in Kampala, singing with Kinobe, and performing with Uganda’s groundbreaking hip-hop group, the Bataka Squad. She has made a name for herself as a versatile musician.
Current TV featured her in the documentary short “Raw Truth“.
