Pallaso

Pallaso Mayanja known by the mononym Pallaso is a Ugandan musician, who was born in late 1980s, he sings Afro beat, Hiphop, Dancehall, Afro pop, RnB and sometimes Kidandali. He sings in Luganda, mixes with English and sometimes Kiswahili. His birth name is Pius Mayanja.^[1] He started singing in Chameleone's group (his brother) by then he was calling himself Pius Lizard. He later went to United States where he spent almost 10 years and in 2014 he came back to Uganda and started a music career in his country under his music group

Personal life

Born in the late 1980s to the family of Mr Gerald Mayanja, Pallaso is a brother to Chameleone, Weasel TV^[2] and Akay 47 who died on 16 March 2015,^[3] all brothers are musicians.

He was born in Kawempe and its where he grew from. He later joined music and started singing in Uganda. In 2006, he went to the United States where he worked for many companies and businesses including McDonald's Restaurant.^[4] In 2014, he returned to Uganda.

Music career

Pallaso started singing in his brother's group Leone Island, he named himself Lizard, his first song was Mudigidde in 2003 which was produced by his brother Chameleone. The song got an average airplay on Ugandan radio stations and it was first played on Radio Simba by Bobo King and Omulangira Ndawusi.

In 2006 Pallaso left Uganda and started working in United States where he also continued with his music career. While in America, he re-branded himself from Lizard to Pallaso. While residing in Lewiston, Maine, he collaborated with a local rapper known as The Mess. Together they collaborated on a joint album titled Change released in 2013.^[5]

In 2014, Pallaso teamed with Shaggy and DJ Hidrro they released the song "Remain in Our Hearts" which was dedicated to the fallen heroes mainly Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and The Notorious B.I.G..^[6]

In the same year 2014 Pallaso came back in Uganda and started with a collabo with Goodlyfe Crew titled "Amaaso" (Eyes) which became number one on several radio and TV countdowns for weeks. He later released a single "Wekoledewo kaki" (What have you done for yourself), "Omugongo" with his brother Weasel and many other songs.

Pallaso later together with Sheebah Karungi started Team No Sleep and hired Jeff Kiwa the former Goodlyfe Crew manager as their manager which brought disagreement between him and the Goodlyfe Crew. They were later joined by King Saha, Akay 47 and other rising musicians in Team No Sleep.

Together with Sheebah they produced their first song "Mundongo" (In the club) followed by "Go Down Low" which won the HiPipo Music Awards as Best Afro Pop Song 2015. He produced "Tamale mirundi" with King Saha and several other singles which include "Kilabe embaliga" and "Sanyu lyange", a remake of a classic by Sweet Kid.

In November 2014, he started working on a collaboration with the Nigerian musician Davido titled "Twatoba", which was released in January 2015.^[7] He released it alongside his other 2015 songs which include "Ffe tuliko", "Tiwa Savage", "Mubambazanga", "Tebakusobolola" and many others.

On 19 May 2015 Pallaso left Team No Sleep and joined Team Good Music.^[8]

Controversy

In November 2014, Pallaso involved in a fight with Goodlyfe Crew,^[9] and was later taken to police and released on bail. This made him evolve in exchange of words with his brothers Weasel who is in Goodlyfe Crew and Jose Chameleone from Leone Island. Many fans of Ugandan music attacked verbally which made him lose some fans in Ugandan music, his fans however defended him on the grounds that since it was a fight between two, he shouldn't be blamed solely, that both parties should be blamed not only him. In November 2014, Pallaso apologized to his brothers with his song "Very Sorry".^[10] This made him gain back the lost fan base and his cooperation with his brothers improved since then. In April 2015, he released a song with his brother Weasel titled "Tebakusobola".^[11]

Awards

Pallaso has been nominated in several categories but among them he has won the following awards:

• HiPipo Music Awards, best Ugandan artist in Diaspora 2014.^[12]

Discography

Music videos (selective)

• "Move Your Body" (14 April 2013)
• "Change" (with The Mess) (17 May 2013)
• "No More" (with Dirty Boy Raw) (23 May 2013)
• "It's Cold" - (Tribute to Ayla Reynolds (3 September 2013)
• "Follow Me" (with The Mess) (26 September 2013)
• "Amaaso" (Radio & Weasel feat. Pallaso & The Mess) (23 October 2013)
• "Home" (with The Mess) (21 December 2013)
• "Mundongo" (with Sheebah) (28 March 2014)
• "Wekoledewo Kaki" (13 June 2014)
• "Go Down Low" (with Sheebah) (12 August 2014)
• "Pray For Me" (7 October 2014)
• "Tamale" (with King Saha) (16 September 2014)
• "Ntwala" (with Spilla) (October 17, 2014)
• "Sanyu Lyange" (13 November 2014)
• "Very Sorry" (4 December 2014)
• "Twatoba" (feat. Davido) (25 February 2015)
• "Koona" (feat. Spice Diana) (14 June 2015)

Others

^[13]

• "Mudigidde"
• "Omugongo"
• "Nyola"
• "Tebakusobola"
• "Mubambazanga"
• "AKOLO"
• "Tiwa Savage"
• "Ffe Tuliko"
• "Nze Ani"
• "Sweet Love"
• "Sipiyo"
• "Onfitinya"
• "Kirabe embaliga"
• "Yes We Can"
• "My Gurly Gurly"
• "Move Ya Body"
• "African Tears"
• "No Answers"
• "Birthday"
• "Ready For You"
• "Never Came Clean"
• "My Girl"
• "Believe in Me"
• "Omusawo"

References