Vampino
Vampino is a reggae and dancehall artist from Uganda formerly of Benon and Vamposs a popular singing duo that rocked Uganda’s music industry from the early 2000s up to 2008 when the two decided to go solo. Vampino, known as Elvis Kirya, is a Ugandan reggae and dancehall artist. He ventured into acting with his debut in a film directed by Nana Kagga titled "The Life." Vampino is also the brother of the well-known musician Maurice Kirya.
In the early stages of his music career, Vampino was signed to Swangz Avenue, but he later decided to pursue a solo music career and parted ways with the record label.
Regarding his background, Vampino was born in 1980 and comes from a family of five, many of whom are musicians, including Saba Saba. Their mother, the late Sophia Baguma, was also musically inclined.For his early education, Elvis attended Shimoni Primary School, and after completing his primary education, he continued his studies at Namasagali Secondary School in Eastern Uganda.
This school has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of many of Uganda's current music industry stars. Notable celebrities who attended this institution alongside Vampino include Benon, Juliana, Iryn Namubiru, and various others.
Music Career:
Vampino hails from a musical family, and he attributes his early exposure to music to his mother, who instilled a passion for singing in him from a young age. Growing up, his mother would gather them around a fire during power outages and teach them folk songs and traditional tunes. Kirya's music style is heavily influenced by Caribbean genres, primarily stemming from Jamaica, and he skillfully blends these sounds with the richness of Luganda music traditions.
Vampino initially gained recognition as part of the music duo known as Benon and Vamposs. Their musical journey began in the 2000s when they crossed paths at Namasagali Secondary School.
This talented duo produced popular songs like "Mumulete," "I Know," "My Lady," "Nsazewo," and many more hits. Their close association with the legendary producer Steve Jean was instrumental in crafting most of their successful singles, and it even inspired Benon to venture into music production.
One of their music videos, "Mumulete," achieved significant success by reaching the top ten on the MTV chart in the UK in 2007, further boosting their music careers.
However, in 2008, after returning from a tour, Vamposs decided to embark on a solo career and rebranded himself as Vampino. His musical partner, Benon, shifted his focus to music production and established Swangz Avenue, which later emerged as one of Uganda's prominent record labels.
Vampino underwent a stylistic transformation upon commencing his solo career, officially adopting the genres of reggae and dancehall. His music journey was marked by successful dancehall singles like "Kwekunyakunya," featuring collaborations with artists such as Juliana, Cindy Sanyu, and "Tell It," featuring Radio and Weasel. Additionally, he joined forces with RnB singer Nick Nola for musical projects.
In the early stages of his career, Vampino was associated with Swangz Avenue before eventually launching his record label. He also manages a group called Kiwundo, reflecting his diverse contributions to Uganda's music scene.
Film career
Vampino joined the film industry and became an actor. Like his brother Maurice Kirya, Vampino has also featured in various movies but the latest and the most trending one was ‘the Life’ which was released in 2012 and he featured as smokey Luciano.
Awards
Kisima music awards, best video, 2006
Hipipo music awards, best stage performer, 2013
Pearl of Africa music awards, best upcoming artists, 2003
Nomination
Zzina awards, best dancehall song, best dancehall artist 2018
Club music awards, best video, best special effects 2013
Uganda entertainment awards, the song of the year 2017
Hipipo music awards, best afro song, 2012
Vampino Songs
Nsazewo ft Benon, 2004
I know ft Benon, 2008
Smart wire, 2018
My lady ft Benon, 2005
Amabanja, 2015
Tell it, Radio and Weasel, 2010
Mumulete ft Benon, 2006
Njera, 2015
Feelings ft Benon, 2008
Kwekunyakunya, 2011
Love to dance, 2011
Kuwaako
Linda, 2017
A wah do dem, 2018
Come wine, 2016
Reality love, 2016
Wanji, 2017
Tombowa
Buka
Smile
We rule
Family:
Vampino is a father of two children. He was previously in a relationship with Suzan Owori, with whom he had a baby boy named Kirya Jacob Zion. However, their relationship ended in separation. In 2019, Vampino was introduced to the parents of his current wife, Lydia Namakula, a nurse residing in Sweden. Remarkably, Vampino and Lydia had known each other for 13 years before their union.
Controversies:
In 2011, Vampino was involved in an altercation with Chameleon at a bar, resulting in a rift between the two artists. Vampino initially expressed his intent to retaliate and even mentioned a plan to redo all of Chameleon's dancehall songs to showcase his talent. Fortunately, they eventually resolved their differences and made amends.
More recently, Vampino was embroiled in a child custody dispute with his former partner, Suzan Owori, who was a well-known socialite in Kampala. Vampino claimed that he had been fulfilling both parental roles for the past six years. He also alleged that Owori's behavior at home, such as walking around naked and exposing the child to explicit content, had a negative influence on their child.
Vampino took legal action by reporting the case of child abuse to the Katwe police, and the Katwe police spokesperson confirmed that the case had been referred to court.
Notably, this was not the first time Vampino and Suzan Owori had encountered legal issues related to their child. In 2012, they underwent a DNA test, which revealed that Vampino was not the biological father. The test indicated that an African American pop star was the biological father, and this individual accepted responsibility. Vampino expressed regret about his involvement with Suzan Owori.
