Lydia Jazmine On Her Coke Studio Debut And What It Means To Her Music Career

Coke Studio 4 premieres today, and we can’t describe how excited we are about this. From what we’ve seen online so far, this season is set to be an exciting one. Themed Discover, season 4 will include artistes from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. Uganda is represented by Radio & Weasel, Chameleone, Rema Namakula, Eddy Kenzo and Lydia Jazmine.

As one of the artistes appearing on the show for the first time, we had a chat with Lydia Jazmine on her debut and what it means to her career.

Coke Studio debuts today, how are you feeling about that?

I’m super excited, I just can’t wait. This is the biggest project I’ve worked on in my career as a singer and performer, so I just can’t wait.

Coke Studio is a very big platform that has featured big names such as Juliana Kanyomozi. How did you land a gig on the show? 

I was brought on the show to feature in a new category called Best New African Act. These are African stars who have been in the music industry for 4 years or less. The team shared that they chose me because of my tone. I can’t really explain why. But, I fitted into the criteria they were using to scout for the talent.

How did you feel when you learned you had been chosen to appear on the show? 

I was shocked! You won’t believe this, but I’ve always had a dream of appearing on Coke Studio. Last season as Juliana performed with Mr. Flavour, I told my manager that my dream was to perform on that stage. And, I knew that some day my dream would come true. Little did I know that the time was 2016.

How was your experience on the show? 

It was one of my best experiences. The professionalism they have is just way too much. From the Hotel team to the glam squad and production team, everyone treated us with utmost warmth and humility. Working with such a team was a huge eye opener for me, there was just so much to learn.

What did you learn that you plan to incorporate into your work?

Well, there’s a lot of work put in making music that’s meant to be consumed by a global market. There’s a huge team of sound engineers and producers who put in hours of work to produce quality music, which is not something we do here. Here, you go to the studio, do a song and hours later it’s out. My team and I are using a new strategy where we involve sound engineers and music experts into my work. It’s something I’ve always admired and there couldn’t have been a better time for me to do this.

Also image. If you follow me on social media and on the social scene, you’ve probably noticed my new look. On coke studio, we were all treated like stars, and that meant having a glam squad of designers and makeup artists to create and maintain that superstar image.

2016 has indeed been a good year for you. What are the highlights? 

I keep saying this. 2016 is my best year so far, and I’m so grateful to God that things have gone this way. First of all, I finished school and graduated in January. School was a huge commitment which was holding me back from the music, I’m happy that I successfully accomplished that. My career has grown so much, and I’ve matured as an artiste. I’ve won awards, it’s been a beautiful year.

What’s next for you? 

I have a number of songs lined up. Most of these are 2017 releases. I’m also working with Michael Fingers of Fenon, the producer of Bebe Cool’s Love You Everyday. We are making an album with songs that are for the international market. I’ve snagged a few international collaborations although I can’t divulge any details now. I’ve gotten lots of contacts and exposure, so you should all wait for this album.

You’ve shared that Coke Studio is a dream come true. What other dreams do you have? 

I would like my music to go global, my team and I are already working  towards this. I want to be the biggest female artiste Africa. I know those dreams will come true as well because I’m working relentlessly towards that.

How do you describe your style sense?

I would say beautiful but with a touch of sexy. I also love comfort so much.

Your music videos are usually really stylish. What’s the favorite oufit you’ve worn in a music video?

Let me see… I loved most of the outfits in Tukumbe. I also loved what I wore in the Ndaga and Mwagala Bilyo music videos.

This season will have a line-up of over 40 of Africa’s best artistes including Ghana’s Stonebwoy, Efya, Feli Nuna and EL; Mozambique’s Neyma, Dama Do Bling and Lizha James; Kenya’s Sauti Sol, Jaguar, The Kansoul, Dela and Bahati. International American artiste Trey Songz also recorded original songs with selected Coke Studio African artistes including Rema from Uganda.

Coke Studio 4 premieres today, 6:30pm on Urban TV. 

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