Saba Saba - Solo Career

Solo Career

In 2003 Saba and Xenson, later joined by Jeff Ekongot, Francis Agaba, and the late Paul Mwandha, formed the Uganda Hip Hop Foundation with the mission of promoting Ugandan hip hop in Uganda and worldwide. The foundation sponsored the first Ugandan Hip Hop Summit and Concert in 2003, featuring artists from all over Uganda including Klear Kut, Bataka Squad, Lyrical G, Maurice Kirya, Vamposs and Benon, Emma Katya and Extra Mile. The Summit, held at Sabrina's in Kampala, was so successful, they have held one each year since, most recently in December 2006 organized by Babaluku with help from the Bavubuka All Starz.

In 2004 Saba performed as a delegate of the Uganda Hiphop Foundation at the `Rock against Aids' concert in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2005 Saba Saba changed his stage name from Krazy Native to Saba Saba to reflect his growth as an artist and his increased political and social consciousness of his homeland Uganda and Africa as a whole. That same year, Saba Saba and Frances Agaba represented Uganda at the UN's Global Hip Hop Summit in South Africa. Saba Saba performed at the Summit, hosted by Guru of Gangstarr and featuring .

In 2005 Saba Saba released a single and video "Tujababya". He was nominated for both best hip hop artist and best hip hop single in the 2005 Pearl of Africa Music Awards. By the beginning of 2006 he released the album titled `Tujjababya the hardway' which highlights the tribulations of a Ugandan hiphop artist. Songs from this album include Wansi Wagalu that addressed police brutality, and an accompanying video which documented the riots in Kampala during the 2005 presidential campaign. Tujjababya is now a hiphop community anthem celebrating the suppressions of the local hiphop artist by the main stream media.

In 2006 Saba Saba began a quest to introduce thousands of Americans to the sounds of Lugaflow and inspire dialogue about African history and the globalization of African hip hop. In April 2006 he performed at the International Trinity College Annual International Hip Hop Festival, Hartford, CT. Since performing there in April, Saba has performed in New York City at the Prospect Park African Festival alongside artists KÉKÉLÉ and LAGBAJA., at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, and at Syracuse University's Amnesty International Benefit Concert for Sudan. In 2006 and 2007 he performed with Michael Franti at the Power to the Peaceful festival in San Francisco.

In 2006 he was featured in the documentary Diamonds in the Rough: A Ugandan Hip Hop Revolution. The documentary was produced by 3rdi aka Brett Mazurek, about the efforts of Bataka Squad members Saba Saba and Babaluku using music to inspire and bring hope to the young children of Uganda who are facing great odds, such as AIDS and poverty. He also appeared as a panelist and performer for Harvard University’s Conference "African Youth Development through Art and Technology – The Role of African Hip Hop" in 2008.

Saba is currently completing his next solo album, Cup of Coffee with... It will feature the single "Obwavu Koondo" ("Poverty and Fate") which tells the true story of Ugandan women beaten to death by her husband because of her concern over her children's fate after he sold their home. Saba Saba has recently released the single and video "Harambe".