Mowzey Radio’s death made me rethink life – Mesach Semakula

What the report says

Veteran Ugandan musician Mesach Semakula is preparing to mark his 50th birthday with a concert at Kingdom Kampala on November 13, and he says the milestone has taken on added meaning because of health scares and the early deaths of other artists. According to Sqoop Uganda, Semakula reflected on how reaching 50 once felt uncertain after he was diagnosed with diabetes at 37, a period he said left him depressed and withdrawn before he eventually sought help and adjusted his lifestyle.

Semakula also linked his change in outlook to a conversation with his daughter, who reminded him about the strain that the death of singer Mowzey Radio had placed on his family. That discussion, he said, made him think more seriously about responsibility, family stability and the uncertainty of life in the music industry. The article says he later accepted his condition and now says he is okay.

As he looks ahead to the concert, Semakula framed the event as more than a birthday celebration. He pointed to several well-known Ugandan musicians, including Paul Job Kafeero, Philly Bongole Lutaaya and Herman Basudde, who died before reaching 50, as part of why the occasion matters to him. The piece also notes that he previously did not value birthdays much, but decided long ago that he would make an exception when he turned 50.