Meet Suzan Kerunen

A Ugandan singer who writes and performs African Contemporary music in local Ugandan languages like Alur (mother tongue), Kiswahili, English and other world languages.

Suzan Kerunen started her career as a young girl with her two sisters in an all girl group Soul of Africa. She later went on to launch her solo career with her debut Album NIMEFIKA a Kiswahili term meaning “I have arrived”  As described in the press “Suzan kerunen  musically great and arguably one of the most respected world music artist in Uganda” The daily  Monitor Newspaper.

Nimefika her maiden album is made up of rich African sounds fused together to come up with what the artist describes as African Soul, though largely qualifying it as African contemporary music under the World music genre. With a mix of Njige, Agwara and Ndara drums from the Alur people in Nebbi a small district found in the North western part of Uganda, west of the River Nile.

Kerunen’s premier album Nimefika has earned her a double nomination with the KORA ALL AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS  www.koraawards.org  in the Best East African and African Artist 2008/09  Ngom the nominated song is one of her Afro pop singles which talks about judgment and stigmatization in African societies.

Suzan’s music and performances have earned her great reputation in Uganda and better still in the Diaspora with her recent KORA AWARD nod.

 “Kampala’s new voice” The East African News paper
Suzan Kerunen’s second album “LEK” meaning “Dream” celebrates African diversity and freedom of expression. It explores sounds like the Talking drum(Tamur) from West Africa, African Marimbas(Akogo),Tube fiddle(Ndingidi),Wind instruments and Guitar played by talented artists like Kinobe Herbert, Michael Ouma, Hakim and  Jude Mugerwa of Soul Beat Africa the internationally acclaimed Ugandan band.

Suzan Kerunen’s journey

2005

 Suzan Co-wrote and produced Amani (Peace) an African opera set in the war ravaged Northern part of Uganda, Gulu. An African Opera which is simple and uncomplicated, in the typical style of children, explores hard questions like, “Why are the adults really fighting?” It is a question that the adults themselves are not eager to pose or answer and as they shoot each other and burn down villages, the greatest casualties are the children.
“The stories I tell are those shared with me by the children I met at the World Vision [returned child soldiers] camp in Gulu. I was touched by the way the children in the camps laughed and played, and the songs they sang, despite the sad stories attached to their lives. This led me to write the opera in order to tell the story of Gulu through the eyes of a child.
The "Amani" opera is in English. "Amani" means "Peace". Its aim is to tell a little of the story of what life is like for children living amongst the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda - including those who are ex-combatants as well as those who weren't abducted but have otherwise suffered. Although I present many of the atrocities, I have aimed to do so in a way that leaves the viewer feeling positively compassionate rather than overwhelmed; and I have also aimed to show the beauty and innocence that remains in children even in the worst of circumstances.....Suzan kerunen”

2006

Power of Hope Camp; 2006 Kampala

Suzan used music in form of therapy and mediation to facilitate a retreat during the Power of Hope Camp; Kampala 2006 with the major theme “Building Community to Living Healthy and Powerful Lives” was conducted in order to address some of the challenges faced by adolescents at the PIDC, Mulago Hospital.
-Performed in the East African carnival alongside Suzzanna Owiyo of Kenya

2007

Light a candle feed the child

Suzan worked with children living with HIV-AIDS, from the Institute of infectious diseases in Mulago hospital Uganda (IDI) in a special pre-festive season concert, to raise funds for nutrition and other basic needs over Christmas.

2007/2008

Heart sounds in Uganda “Enkuba Yomutima”2008

Done in the United Kingdom with a replica visit clinic in London hackney visiting Uganda in September 2008, to highlight the plight of Mental Health in Uganda, The project raised awareness of mental health issues in the community, reduced community stigma and discrimination, and empowered sufferers of mental illness by promoting and improving mental health services in both countries.

2008

Suzan Kerunen performed in the International Jazz Festival alongside Mama Africa Miria Makeba (RIP), Oliver Mutukutzi, Third World, Kinobe Herbert backed up by Soul Beat Africa.
The International Bayimba Festival in Uganda

Kerunen traveled to Benin for the KORA ALL AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS media launch in Benin, where she performed alongside, Chaka Chaka, ASA  the Jaziel brothers and other Diaspora artists..

2009

-The CHOGM celebrations in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago
“Look beyond the waves and see what shakes the sea”