KAMPALA – Isaac Ssegawa, popularly known as Izhuru, has walked away from a 24-year music journey that failed to deliver the breakthrough he had long hoped for, saying advice from Lugaflow heavyweight GNL Zamba played a major role in his decision.
Ssegawa started taking music seriously while in Senior Two at Kisozi High School, where he developed a dream of becoming a bilingual musician in the mould of legendary Ugandan singer Jose Chameleone.
At the time, Kisozi was a sister school to Buddo Senior Secondary School, with school fees reportedly around Shs70,000.
Inspired by Chameleone’s ability to perform in both Luganda and Kiswahili, Ssegawa taught himself Kiswahili so he could also pursue music in both languages.
While at school, he initially used the stage name Isaac Banton, reportedly while nursing a crush.
His musical journey would later see him adopt several other names.
He became Isaac Musanyusa while performing in a band, later adopted Sweet Kati after releasing a song of the same name, and eventually became Doctor Grapher when he ventured into studies in land management.
Ssegawa says he went through about six different names during his musical career.
Despite the changing identities and years of dedication, however, the major breakthrough he desired never came.
“I was in music for 24 years but a hit never came,” Ssegawa says.
The turning point came after Ssegawa received advice from people he respected within the industry.
Lugaflow heavyweight GNL Zamba advised him to concentrate on his studies and consider music later.
According to Ssegawa, GNL also told him that he had “no chair in Lugaflow” – a blunt assessment that stayed with him.
Another person who offered similar advice was Jacob Omutuuze.
Ssegawa says he had never allowed members of his family to convince him to abandon his musical ambitions. However, the advice from the two industry figures forced him to reconsider a dream he had pursued for more than two decades.
Today, Ssegawa has left the stage and recording studio behind and works as a land manager, a career he considers to offer greater stability.
His story highlights the less celebrated reality of Uganda’s music industry, where some artists spend years investing their time, money and energy in pursuit of a breakthrough that may never arrive.
For Ssegawa, the decision to leave music was not simply about giving up on a dream. It was about accepting difficult advice, reassessing his future and choosing a more stable path after 24 years of trying to make it in the industry.
His journey is a reminder that behind Uganda’s successful music stars are many other talented artists whose stories are rarely told – musicians who chased the same dream for years but ultimately had to choose a different path.
