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INTERVIEW: Felicity’s Journey from Music to “BODA BODA” and What Lies Ahead.
By Byaruhanga Felix (@TheNinjaFelix)
In 2020, Felicity made her remarkable debut on the music scene with her single “Uwonakunze,” which we proudly featured on The Tribe UG website. Right from the very first listen, it became abundantly clear that Felicity possessed a unique and distinctive voice in the realm of music. Fast-forward to today, three years later, and Felicity has evolved into a powerhouse, extending her influence beyond music to establish a household brand that captivates our screens.
Her journey has been nothing short of impressive, from her role as a radio host at TIDLE radio to her appearances in TV commercials and her prominent role as the lead actress in music videos such as Navio’s “TUKOKLELE.” She has also undertaken significant roles in TV shows, including DSTV’s “Sanyu” and the current series “BELOVED.” Felicity, alongside her dedicated team, has been strategically expanding her brand, transcending the boundaries of music with each new project she takes on. However, even as she explores various facets of her artistry, her foundation remains firmly rooted in music, and she keeps it at the core of her creative endeavors.
This is brilliantly exemplified by her latest body of work, an EP titled “BODA BODA,” which explores a diverse range of musical styles. The EP will be released tomorrow, on Friday, and you can find it here. We had the pleasure of connecting with Felicity to delve into her creative process, her evolving artistry, and her future aspirations in her burgeoning career.
The transition from focusing solely on music to actively participating in various acting projects has been fascinating to observe. Can you share how this shift has personally impacted you and your role in shaping the Felicity brand?
Well…if anything, it has helped me grow as a person and in the continuous shaping of Felicity the Brand…as I have learnt and discovered a lot more of my capabilities, flexibility and diversity with the Arts.
We’ve seen you transition into acting and hosting roles. How does Felicity the actress support Felicity the singer, and vice versa?
Actually, the acting and the Music are in two different lanes… and I approach each of them Independent of the other. How? With the acting, It’s scripted and I’m told what to do whereas with My Music, It’s more of an expression of myself and me telling my own story, and at the moment their ecosystems are different but I hope they will soon intersect.
We can see that you still keep music at the core of your creative endeavors. How do you strike a balance between your musical aspirations and your expanding career in acting and other fields?
It’s all about allocating time to each of them, whereby I know If I have to be on set and have to deliver on the acting during the day, I’ll extend my nights just a little longer for the Music. The good thing, both parties that I work with in both fields are for the most part accommodative of my schedules.
Your latest EP, “BODA BODA,” offers a diverse range of songs, from upbeat tracks like “Weekending” to more introspective ones like “Bestie” and “Away.” Does this EP reflect where you are currently in life, and how did your personal experiences influence the music and lyrics?
Where exactly I am in life…Not necessarily perse…However I completely relate a lot with life situations that happen in our day-to-day life, and being a very imaginative and reflective person, I allowed myself to lyrically paint out the social situations of the listeners and channel all that into music, and that’s why you’ll find that a number of the songs on the EP BODABODA, hint at relatable scenarios in anyone’s life, like “Away” for the lovers “Bestie” for those friends that probably never got a chance to deeply define the relationship and other songs.
The EP seems to explore different sounds, from melodies to writing and the delivery of lyrics, with Uglish dialect and nuances. Can you tell us about the creative process behind this approach and what inspired you to infuse these elements into your music?
With the Creative process it is all about the adrenaline of writing on the spot; hit studio, play a bunch of beats and start writing in the moment. The Uglish dialect is something that just feels fun, original, relatable and culturally relevant. Some of these are words you hear around us everyday and I feel like the world needs to hear our vocabulary and tap our pop culture.
We noticed that “BODA BODA” doesn’t feature any other artists on its tracks, and all the tracks were produced by Josh SB. Was this a deliberate decision, and if so, what motivated you to take this approach, particularly in working exclusively with Josh SB for the production of the entire EP and not featuring any act?
There’s no particular reason for a lack of features…I just wanted to be fully responsible for the outcome of this body of work without accrediting it to any other input from other Artists. Josh SB discovered me musically and working exclusively with him is due to the fact that currently he understands my sound. However, I’m open to working with other Producers.
Could you share any anecdotes or behind-the-scenes moments from the making of “BODA BODA” that had a significant impact on the final product, whether in terms of inspiration or challenges overcome?
When it came to the song “Boda Boda”, we kept re-writing and recording it almost every 4 months because the sound kept evolving. It started out as typically Amapiano, but because the Amapiano sound kept changing every 2-3 months, we just couldn’t keep up… So on the third attempt, we made a decision to take the direction of South African house, a more timeless sound and change the lyrics for the third time to suit the sound…. All in all, the song BODABODA had about 6 verses written and the last two made the final cut.
I could easily say the same for the song “Bestie” which was re-recorded 3 times.
As an artist, how do you see your role in connecting with and impacting your audience, especially in light of the diverse themes and sounds in “BODA BODA”?
I am a culture exporter and I’m writing a story on behalf of my generation the way I feel we should be represented.
Now that “BODA BODA” is out and you’re also taking on acting seriously, what’s next for Felicity in terms of your career and artistic endeavors? What can your fans look forward to in the near future?
More Music, Collaborations and Shows and possible International collaborations in the near future.
As The Tribe UG marks its milestone of a decade in existence this year, could you share any thoughts or messages you’d like to convey to our team and our loyal audience at The Tribe UG?
Consistency is key and watching the evolution of The Tribe UG from a blog to this Culture Gate Keeper is totally unmatched. Congrats to The Tribe UG team.. And the loyal audience that has made it worth the sacrifice. 10 years later, your foundation and impact is starting to be truly appreciated.