If there is one thing that stands out about Menshan, apart from his dreadlocks, it is his voice. The ragga/dance hall artiste seems to have it all in his throat as far as his style of music is concerned. And this he attributes to lots practice.

So is he a Rastafarian given the trademark dreadlocks that he has been growing since 1996? Like many artistes it is more of a fashion thing. He says he loves Rasta culture and follows some aspects of it but is yet to be a real Rasta. Besides it makes him look like Buju Banton, one of his mentors.

TAKING HIS TIME: Menshan hopes to get serious with a natural African woman whom he intends to spoil rotten. Photos by Ismail Kezaala.

On stage he moves with such vigour as his dreadlocks swing to the rhythm and his deep voice echoes out those dance hall/ragga tunes.

However, in spite of the rough and hard image he cuts, Menshan is just a simple cool guy. He believes in taking life as it comes and making a difference in the lives of others through the way one interacts with them. Music, which he passionately refers to as ‘my style and language’, is the way he hopes to make a difference.

Giving back through music
“Through music I send my messages on different aspects of life across,” he says. “Music is a gift that one has to give back to others. It is also my hobby and the way I express myself, so from that one can make their (own) judgement of me,” he adds.

Menshan’s love for music started in primary school with performances at small jigs and his responsibility as the entertainment prefect.

While in secondary school he took it to a higher level by performing at Karaoke nights with his singing partner Peter Miles and other mates. Inspired by Coco Banton, Buju Banton, Charlie Chaplin and John Miles, he put in all his effort into making his dream of being a recording artiste come true.

Later in 2000, popularity came his way with the release of One Time his favourite collaboration with Peter Miles. From then it has been more releases and shows all over East Africa. The need to trot around making his career as an artist has made love elusive to Menshan.

Distance has so far been his number one enemy where love is concerned because he at times meets a special lady in another country and just cannot keep the love going. His ex-girlfriend was Tanzanian but the relationship could not stand the test of them being miles apart.

So he is single and waiting for the right moment to hook up.
“A woman needs time I tell you, so if you travel a lot like I do it is quite hard to keep the flame burning. Some women can never understand that you have to travel in this profession. So I want to get serious with some special lady when I am more settled,” he says.

When that time comes he hopes to meet a natural African woman (because he loves being natural and real), whom he will take to Mombasa, his ideal place, and spoil her rotten. Love, to Menshan, is all about being true to oneself and one’s partner. For Menshan, trust is a major ingredient in love because if one cannot have trust or be trusted they simply cannot have love much as they pretend they do.

“When you are true to yourself you know how to behave since you love that one person,” he says. “But if you pretend, it’s definitely not worth calling whatever you feel love,” he emphasises.

The craziest thing he has done for love is give a love letter to the wrong person for delivery because he was so desperate to send his message. “It was while growing up. I went to see this girl but did not find her at home. So I wrote a letter telling of my love and gave it to the maid. The maid took it straight to the mother who came home that day and told my parents about it, claiming I was spoiling her daughter. It was such a dramatic experience,” he recalls.

Born Daniel Besigye in 1980 to Mr Rwutangabo and Ms Grace Besigye in a family of five siblings, his fondest childhood memory is the first time he saw a horse. He had always thought they were in the movies and in Western countries but not in Africa so he was tongue-tied when he saw one while in Nairobi on holiday.

Life as an artist is quite fun for him, given the crazy things fans can sometimes get up to. He enjoys it at shows when all of them scream in frantic excitement, especially the ladies.

One incident he will never forget was at a show in Masaka when a fan stepped up on stage and took off her top. “It was so crazy, I was in shock - you should have seen my face because that was so unexpected in Uganda but I liked it, that I cannot deny. And oh! I was tempted but I just gave her a hug,” he chuckles.

He loves his fans with a passion and simply wants their love to keep flowing in his direction.

The hard part
However it is not all fun as an artiste; there are some hard times one has to live through. “Life can be hard when one does not hit their goals in time given the young music industry in Uganda. But all the same co-existing with other artists is one thing that can help all of us.

“So I am looking at a bright future with my partner, we are going to rock this nation and go international soon. We are already on MTV base,” he says. Menshan wants to keep the fire burning in all aspects of his life and have fun while at it.

Source: Flora Aduk, Daily Monitor