Jenesis Kimera, born Ronald Kimera Ssenteza on 20th October 1998, is a Ugandan music artist, songwriter, and producer. Known for his versatility, he creates across multiple genres including AfroDancehall, Dancehall, Afrobeats, and Reggae.
Days before Jenesis Kimera released his Unscripted EP, during an interview with Nymy Net authors, the artist answered fan-interest questions about his personal life and musical journey.
Q: Glad to speak to you, Jenesis. Please tell us about your music background
A: First off, I was raised in Kawempe. Began my music career in 2017 after Form 6, when I recorded a song titled Fear, which was never released, due to uncertainty about whether music was my true calling. But after repeatedly listening to it, I got hyped and later came to the realisation that music really was my path.
The experience of recording Fear was thrilling: I received the song on a CD because the producer preferred me to have it as a sort of plaque, with my name, the song title, and the studio name on it. His name was Sunny Moon.
In 2018, driven by a deep love for music, I enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Makerere University. I was supposed to graduate in 2021, but due to the COVID-19 lockdown, that didn’t happen. After the lockdown, I didn’t resume studies because I felt I was out of time. I wanted to be an artist, and I believed books would interfere with my timing.
I dropped out in the first semester of the third year in 2021. Later, I met Axon, he liked my sound and vibe, and we worked on Wansi, which became my first official release. I started spending a lot of time in Ntinda, around Axon’s Bram Bram Records studio, where I met many people who helped sharpen my craft. At Bram Bram and other record studios around Kampala, I recorded a couple of songs.
Although I have a childhood musical background singing in the catholic church, I wouldn’t say my art is rooted in that.
Q: Kawempe seems like an interesting place, as many artists have roots from there. Tell me more about that
A: People from Kawempe are a different breed; it’s as if we’re touched by some special water. We are naturally gifted in our art, contributing a large share of the talent in Uganda’s music industry. Names like Jose Chameleone, all the Mayanjas brothers, Heyo Axon, Joshua Baraka, GNL Zamba, Fik Fameica, Khalifa AgaNaga, Mudra, and many others all trace their roots back to Kawempe. That place has produced some of the country’s most unique artists.
Q: You seem like one of those artists who don’t have the Makindye-thingy that most artists carry
A: Interestingly, I did my internship at some studio in Makindye, and while there, I noticed that many of the artists lacked focus and still had a lot of growing to do. The production felt a bit unrefined, and the environment was full of chaos, uncertainty, and a lot of wannabes.
Q: There are a lot of financial hardships in the whole process of music creation. How did you go about that as a beginner?
A: It’s a lot for a beginner. It’s indeed a hustle. For instance, I had to struggle to get my hands on 100k for my first studio session with Sunny Moon. I ended up paying him in bits, 70K first, then the remaining 30K, and even that was tough.
But on the brighter side, my time at university while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree helped shape my talent, giving me clarity on what I needed to do to become a better artist. Besides learning musical instruments, I gained inspiration and picked up a lot of useful knowledge. After going through that education and feeding off the energy I got from Axon and the people around him, who had now become close friends, I felt what I needed was no longer more schooling, but implementation. I had learned enough; it was time to apply it.
Through Axon, I also picked up production skills and gained more exposure to music than I ever had in Kawempe. I’ve produced 70 per cent of my catalogue, which has helped ease the financial burden. I’m surrounded by creative people who influence and sharpen my craft, and we support each other to further lighten the financial burden on both ends. The financial side mostly kicks in at the stages of mixing, mastering, video production, and promotion.
Even then, I’ve managed to overcome that with help from friends who support me financially and in other ways. It’s much easier when you’re not doing it alone, you know?
Q: I’ve heard you have a lot of songs, both the ones you’ve written and recorded, and countless you’ve written for other artists. Is that true?
A: Yes, that’s true. I write and record music almost daily; it’s become a habit. I have a large collection of songs, and many of them remain unreleased. I don’t have any part-time job outside music; it’s my full focus.
What keeps me creating more and more music is something I picked up from Popcaan’s producer, Dres Carl, who inspires me a lot. He once said that what drives him to excel in what he does is getting fully immersed in the process of creating, then relaxing briefly, and then coming back to listen to it, and then creating again, like in a loop.
Q: If you were to weigh strength between writing and vocal delivery, recording and performing, what would you choose?
A: It’s definitely the writing. Why? Because what dresses a song to stand out, or become a hit, is the lyrical delivery; What you say is primary, and then how you say it is secondary. Writing feeds every other stage of the process: recording, beat-making and overall music production.
Sometimes, I write songs with notes so high that my voice can’t sit well on them. Instead of forcing it and compromising the song’s octave, I usually give it to someone who can handle those high notes. In Kampala, for example, I wrote the chorus, but the pitch was too high for me, so we got Walter YT to deliver it properly.
Q: Listening to Jaliya off the Unscripted EP, I was struck by the unique wordplay and phrases you used. There are lines that a random artist would probably never think of while writing. That got me wondering, what’s the source/origin of your language?
A: My songwriting strength comes from being able to draw from different social classes and environments. I grew up in a village in Masaka, where my Buganda roots gave me my favourite name, Kimera. That background, along with my time in places like the Kawempe ghettos and Ntinda neighbourhood, is the core of my lyricism.
When it comes to lyrical language, I’ve learned that the same idea can be expressed differently depending on the audience. Take the Luganda word okuboneka in Jaliya, which refers to the rising of the sun. For someone from my village in Masaka, that might be the word they use. But in the city, a person might say okuvayo instead. They mean the same thing, but each fits a different listener. So in a song, it’s important to use words your specific audience will connect with.
Also, conversation really sharpens songwriting. I can talk comfortably with the elite, with locals, and with people on the street, and I think that flexibility is something every artist needs.
Q: How do you get to use the name Jenesis
A: Jenesis, as a name, represents me stepping into adulthood, where I get to choose what I want to be called, not just what my parents named me. It also carries a connection to the Holy Book, and I consider it a blessing to have that link to scripture. Still, Kimera is the real name my parents gave me; my full name is Kimera Ssenteza Ronald, and I love it.
Interestingly, there’s a whole story behind how I got the name Genesis, and it has nothing to do with the Bible. Back in Senior One at Mbarara Army School, I was very proactive, rebellious, and smart. Instead of hanging out with fellow Senior One students, I was always around the big boys, those in Senior Five and Six. Coming from the ghetto, it’s no surprise that the school found my character interesting. So, they started calling me Young Genesis, probably because I was still young, but already acting grown, mixing with older students, escaping school, and doing things way beyond my age.
Eventually, I dropped the “Young” and later switched the “G” to a “J” to make it more artistic. That’s how I arrived at Jenesis, the name I now use as an artist.
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Watch and Stream Jenesis Kimera’s Unscripted EP now!
Compiled by Joshua Mwesigwa and other Nymy Net authors.
