REVIEW: Mike Mungu – FINALLY EP

By The Count Markula

We have a number of young talented artists in Uganda, and there’s nothing more refreshing than watching them put in the work and deliver great music. Knowing that there’s a lot of fresh talent is one thing, but seeing them go the extra mile lets us know that the future just might be in safe hands.

We first discovered Mike Mungu when he released his single “Mine” last year. We got to see a number of live performances since, and it was clear that Mike had a lot to offer. He recently released an R&B version of “Mine” before announcing the release date for his debut EP, FINALLY.

Once the Finally EP was released, we were excited to dive in. Personally, there’s almost a touch of anxiety and hope, mixed with a bit of worry when I listen to something I have highly anticipated. Luckily, all the anxiety and worry were quickly put to rest the moment I listened to the first song on the EP, “Tuli Ntinda.” Mike started the EP with a bang! Written and produced by Mike himself, clearly, the Finally EP was on track to meet and exceed expectations.

Once we got into the next track, “Be By Me” Mike was two for two! Another good song to keep the perfect listening session going. One of the things that we enjoy as fans, is finding music that’s relatable, which is why Mike Mungu’s mentions of places that we can relate to add some much-welcome flavor to the songs. “Tuli Ntinda” has Ntinda itself, and adds another landmark when he says “We can go to Patio..” He keeps that energy going in “Be By Me” when he says “..after that Meat Guy, have a bite or two” which he quickly follows up with “We can go shop at Motiv” The subject matter itself is already relatable, but the places mentioned really emphasize the fact that this is a Ugandan artist singing to us.

By the time we got to the third song, “Kagina” we were now in familiar territory. Mike Mungu released the single before the EP was out, so we already knew how much of a banger it was. Mike Mungu follows it up with “Risky” a song co-written by rapper The Ninja C, and the young sensation Joshua Baraka who also co-produced the song. At this point, there was one song to go, and I thought I had heard the best that the EP had to offer.

Mike Mungu showed off his range as a musician with the balad-like feeling on the final song “Let Me Know” The song showcased Mike Mungu as a writer and a vocalist. It also showed his range as a producer as well as the emotional range he is able to conjure and deliver within his music. It felt like a proper conclusion to the story he is trying to tell throughout the EP and really felt like the perfect way to close off the project.

A few days after the project was released, we hosted Mike Mungu at the sixth edition of #256MeatsNBeats at The Meat Guy. It was only right! We were not disappointed. Mike Mungu put up a stellar performance of the songs off the EP and further showed us why it was a great body of work.
If you haven’t yet listened to the EP, it’s not too late. You can stream the Finally EP HERE