Omega Okello is a talented woman with a beautiful voice (even when she talks the tonal quality is wonderful). Her soothing, soft-spoken style belies the strong, generous, intelligent woman that she is. Jamati was privileged to catch up with her to learn more about the things that make her tick.

Jamati: Your latest album Kiwomera Emmeeme was written in English and translated to Luganda and Kiswahili. What was the reasoning behind it?

I had written a majority of the songs in Luganda and then wrote one in English. The person that was working on them said that the one in English didn’t vibe with the ones that were done in Luganda, so I translated the one in English into Luganda. Initially I was a little worried that something might be lost in translation, but it worked out quite well. I translated one that I had written in Luganda into Swahili.

Jamati: You toured with the African Children’s Choir. How was that experience for you?

I toured with them when I was four years old. My church was the contact point for the group that was trying to show that in spite of the poverty and need, there is a lot of joy and the choir was a great way to show this joy and use their singing to raise money for worthy causes. I was already singing in church so they picked me.

Jamati: Did you say you were 4 years old?

Yes. My mother kept telling them that I was too young, but they said that I was a good singer and I was cute and they finally had Mom come with me as a chaperone. She toured with us until mid-way through the tour when she went back to Uganda and started an orphanage. She is still the field director today. It was funny—I was now sharing Mom with several other children and there were times that I wished she could be all mine, but overall it was a great experience. The kids have grown up now and some are married but they still call her mom and ask her for advice, or just keep in touch. So I lived in an orphanage although I was not an orphan and there was some usual sibling rivalry.

Jamati: That sounds like fun. Now you came to the US when you were 16. Did you experience any culture shock?

I did. I am naturally an outgoing, friendly person who has always connected well with people, so I was not worried about fitting in, but when I came, I went to a private Christian school where the other children had pretty much grown up together, so it was hard to penetrate the groups that had already been formed. I also spoke with a British accent and used British English, so the children made fun of me. I remember that I called one of my friends and couldn’t get through, and the next day she asked me why I hadn’t called her. I said that I had but the line was engaged. She didn’t know what I was talking about, so I explained what I meant, and she said, “Oh, you mean the line was busy!” I learned to change my language to a more American style. It’s funny because I am now married to a man who has a Ugandan/British accent and he makes fun of my American English. I did enjoy my high school years and lived with a loving American family.

Jamati: One of your songs is sang in Swahili and your command of the language was very good. Did you ever live in Kenya?

I was actually born in Kenya and then we went to Uganda when I was 3 years old. I guess that technically I could be considered a Kenyan. My husband was born in Kenya and my mother-in-law is from Kenya. When the post-election violence was going on in Kenya it was more than just a passing concern. It was real for us. We visit Nairobi often. I actually translated the song into Swahili to help the album gain broader acceptance in East Africa. I wanted people to see our culture and find out the positive aspects of it. I wanted this album to stand out in the crowd.

Jamati: You have a health background and a degree in Biology. Why pursue that if you wanted to be a musician?

That was a bit cultural. I was told to focus on academics and then, after I was done, I could pursue the music. I was always in music though. I competed in music competitions in elementary and middle school, but always wanted to be a doctor. After I finished my pre-med prerequisites I worked in a hospital to get a sense of what it would be like to be a female doctor. That is when I learned that the health care system is not all that it should be and I determined to get into health advocacy and health policy. When I told my family that I was now going to do my music fulltime, they were worried but I think that music is a great way to promote health advocacy. I will be going to Uganda to do a benefit concert to raise funds for Maternal Healthcare. When I did the research I found out that the women in Uganda were dying in childbirth because there were not enough surgical beds to permit necessary c-sections. I am interested in doing research to help too.

Jamati: You have started the Alpha and Omega school in Uganda to provide education and scholarships to children. How is that coming along?

The school is in a slum area of Kampala and I am on the Board of Directors. I used to be more active in the day-to-day running of things while I was in school, but am too busy to do that anymore. We have had several children go on to secondary (high) school. We always try to improve the way the children are taught so we send in consultants to find ways to improve the education methods we are using. It’s coming along slowly.

Jamati: In February 2008 you were invited to perform for the celebration of the legendary Dr. Nina Simone. How did her daughter, Simone, come to the decision to have you perform for them?

Dr. Nina Simone does charity work in west Africa and they wanted to have someone that was from Africa perform at their benefit. My team recommended me and she liked what she heard, so I got to perform.

Jamati: Are there any plans to perform in Africa?

Right now we are working on performing in north America but I would love to perform in S. Africa and eventually do a world tour.

Jamati: Thank you so much for sharing some of you with us.

It was my pleasure. Thank you for having me.