Vinka was not honest about my Swangz Avenue exit – Irene Ntale

Ugandan songstress Irene Ntale opened up about the circumstances surrounding her controversial departure from Swangz Avenue in 2017.

She dismissed long-standing rumours that she left due to jealousy after her former manager, Vinka, transitioned into a musician.

Ntale clarified that her decision to leave was purely personal and strategic, insisting that Vinka's claims about the situation do not reflect the truth.

Leaving Swangz Avenue was my choice

Speaking in an interview with Ruth Kalibbala, Ntale revealed that her exit from Swangz Avenue was a personal decision she had been contemplating for some time.

"I left Swangz in early 2017. I just felt like it was my time to go. I felt I had learnt and obtained enough from there, and it was time to move elsewhere. Nothing negative came out of that decision. I still believe it was the right decision," she stated.

Although some people believe her career took a hit after leaving Swangz Avenue, she said the change brought growth and independence.

"I know some people say I seemed to have vanished from the music scene since leaving Swangz; but when I look at my life now and then, I thank God for that decision," she explained.

As a result of her leaving, she said, she was able to build strong friendships within the industry, something that was difficult under strict management.

"Back then, everything had to go through a manager. Here, you get a chance to develop friendships; I wouldn't have it any other way."

Vinka’s claims are not true

For years, there have been speculations that Ntale left Swangz Avenue because of Vinka’s transition from her manager to a musician, which many believed created competition between them.

Vinka reinforced these claims two years ago, revealing that Ntale had an outburst during a video shoot, and left the record lebel a week later.

However, Ntale has denied this, stating that she was never hurt by Vinka’s decision to pursue a music career.

"I was not hurt by her decision, although she and the people in the media claimed I was. I knew she had become a singer, and we even worked together in the studio. I never looked at her as competition, and I never felt bad about her decision," she said.

She further accused Vinka of distorting the truth, stating that while the singer may tell a different version in public, deep down she knows that Ntale was never against her music career.

“Even though what she says in public is different, in her heart, she knows that I did not hold anything against her."

Vinka's version of events

Vinka, in a previous interview, claimed that when she transitioned from manager to artist, she invited Ntale to a video shoot for their collaboration, ‘Stylo’, but was shocked by her attitude and tantrum on set.

According to Vinka, Ntale walked out of the shoot and refused to promote the song, quitting Swangz Avenue the following week.

Vinka has consistently denied replacing Ntale, maintaining that she had already stopped managing artists by the time she pursued her own music career.

Despite working closely for years, Ntale revealed that she and Vinka no longer talk, suggesting that their relationship was never mended after she left Swangz Avenue.