Maurice Kirya

He started his music career as early as 1999 and in 2010 Kirya won RFI’s Discoveries Music Awards and walked away with a grant worth 18,000 Euros to be used in the development of his career. Maurice Kirya has managed to stage performances in Paris plus also making a musical tour across 35 African countries. Kirya has produced successful hits and albums such as Misubbawa, The book of Kirya, Mwooyo and many more. He has also been nominated in international awards such as Channel O music awards. Kirya was also one of the three Ugandan artists that performed at the inaugural annual Tribe One Festival in South Africa. Early life and education Maurice Kirya a Ugandan soul singer who was born on 4th November 1984 in Kampala and he comes from the family of the Late Sophia Baguma who was the mother. The Late Sophia Baguma gave birth to five children and out of the five three, musicians and these are Maurice Kirya, Vampino Kirya and Sabba Sabba. Maurice Kirya is a Musoga by tribe but was born and raised in Kampala. At the start of his education journey Kirya joined a Kampala based school known as Nakivubo Blue primary school for his primary level and after his primary, he joined Kampala Citizens College for his secondary level but he didn’t get a chance to join any university but according to him, he plans of furthering his education. After his secondary level, Kirya joined the music industry officially and started singing his soul commercial music.
Music career Kirya says his mother inspired him to start singing since she had the love for music. Maurice Kirya‘s mother the Late Sophia Baguma could gather all his children including Kirya and sit them around fire whenever power was off and this was a common thing. She could teach them folk songs and rhymes. Kirya adds that his love for music was ignited in these dark warm nights. At the age of 15, Maurice Kirya started recording and singing professionally with Ugandan popular artists from different genres such as gospel, jazz, rap and many more. By 2007 Kirya’s style of music which is a fusion of RnB, soul, jazz plus the Ugandan voice and his folk lyrics had started to be appreciated and no wonder in that same year the talented songbird won the best RnB artist in the Pearl of Africa Music Awards. In that same 2007 Kirya was nominated in the Kenyan Kisima awards. In 2008 Maurice Kirya teamed up with his long time friend and a musician known as Kaweesa and they staged a concert which was dubbed the Music with Heart. The raised funds from the concert were used in helping the children that needed heart surgeries at International Hospital Kampala. In that same year, Maurice opened for a jazz artist Jonathan Butler and was chosen one of the best live performers in Africa by Sautiza Busara Music Festival. Kirya released his first album titled Misuubawa which had a lot of successful singles in 2009. Maurice was appreciated by Radio France Internationale (RFI) in 2010 and he was credited as the pioneer of Ugandan soul music a style Kirya refers to as Mwooyo. Kirya has collaborated and shared the stage with international artists such as NEYO, German star Mark Forster and American actor and idols winner Jordan Sparks. Kirya has managed to write songs for Jazz musician Brenda Nanyonjo, provided background vocals for veteran singer and producer Steve Jean and he has also recorded the East African anthem with Susanna Owiyo from Kenya and Pauline Zongo of Tanzania. Apart from singing Maurice, he is also a CEO of Piz and Pots a marketing and, branding and events agency. This company also runs his annual music festival in Kampala which is known as KIRYA LIVE FESTIVAL and he hosts musicians from within the country and around the world. Kirya is a health and youth activist who is collaborating with UNHCR in Uganda in efforts to protect the rights and lives of refugees. Because of his passion for wildlife conservation, Maurice Kirya was made as a WILD AID ambassador. He was in 2012 nominated in the channel O video music awards for the most gifted pop afro video of the year. Kirya was asked about how he writes his music he responded by saying that he sees the picture, he feels the emotion he relates then the song comes out. Because of his special talent, Maurice Kirya has managed to scoop international interviews from international media such as CNN, BBC VOA and RFI
Film career Maurice Kirya is not only a musician but also a movie actor and he has featured in the following holly wood movies; The Queen of Katwe as Theo alongside Kenyan actor Lupita Nyongo and David Oyelowo. The Last King of Scotland as himself starring Forest Whitaker, Kelly Washington and David Oyelowo. He is currently acting in a movie called The Girl in the Yellow Jumper a movie that is directed by Loukman Ali. Albums Misubbawa, 2009 The book of Kirya, 2012 Mwooyo, 2015 Free Dreams, 2017 Beyond myself, 2019 Awards RFI Discoveries award – a pioneer of Ugandan soul music Eworld music awards – Best world music – 2016 Eworld music awards – Best indie progressive -2016 Pearl of music awards –Best RnB artist -2008 Nominations Channel O video music awards – most gifted afro-pop video of the year 2012 Eworld music awards – Best male artiste, best world music artist- 2011 Uganda music awards – Best world music song – AFRIMA awards – Best Male artiste East Africa- 2014 Kisima music awards – best soul music artist – 2009 Kora music awards – best RnB song -2008 Maurice Kirya Songs Nze Ani, 2018 Busaabala, 2015 Never been loved, 2015 Mulembe GWA Kirya, 2012 The blue dress song, 2012 Wooye, 2009 Insane, 2018 Bodaboda, 2009 Gimme light, 2019 Malaika, 2009 After Saturday, 2019 Ghost, 2015 Headmaster, 2017 Crippin, 2017 Munonde, 2019 So cold, 2019 Anything you like, 2017 Don’t wanna fight, 2012 Angels carried me, 2009
Family Maurice Kirya is a family man and he married his white girlfriend Lisa Gceverbeek and in 2018 they gave birth to their first child. On Kirya‘s birthday of 35 years, the couple released a video of both in bath tab which was in form of a nude and it made rounds on social media. Controversies Kirya unlike other celebrities he tries to live a quiet life and his life is not full of controversies but the most sounding controversy was about his love life it was rumoured that he was dating a media personality known as Flavia Tumusiime. And after dumping her Maurice Kirya started moving around with pastor Kyazze’s daughter Jemimah Kyazze and that he once dated Seanice Kacungira.