Meet Ssebo Lule, the Luganda poet

Ssebo Lule Pulse Live Uganda

A: My name is Lule Raymond aka Ssebo Lule. I was born on 15/02/1991 in Kampala. I am a Muganda by tribe from Kyaggwe (Mukono district). I attended Old Kampala SSS for my O’level, Kyambogo College School for higher secondary, Aptech Computer Education and then ISBAT University Kampala where I acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. I’m a Luganda performance poet, author, actor, and recording artist. I started writing and performing poetry in Luganda in 2015 and published my debut poetry collection three years later. In 2019, I facilitated the first Babishai Luganda Poetry Workshop in Kampala. I teach Luganda poetry writing and performance to individuals and groups of people who are eager to learn. In 2020, I made my first film appearance in the Swangz Avenue short film Rolex. I am currently writing children’s poetry and learning to write rap.

Another energetic performance Pulse Live Uganda

Q: What is your poetic journey?

A: I have performed in a number of venues and festivals. These don’t really qualify as my shows but here you go: Poetry Shrine, Kelele @Makerere, Bayimba arts festival, LaBa arts festival, Jalada mobile festival, Doa Doa arts festival, Writivism literary festival, K.I.T.F, Open Mic Uganda, Babishai Niwe poetry festival, CBS FM 88.8, and others. My first poetry show was staged in 2018 at the launch of my debut poetry collection Ogenda wa? My shows are stage plays that use poems as the text for dialogue or monologue. This allows myself and the people I work with to not lose our identity as poets. My influence to perform poetry was Xenson. The first time I watched him perform poetry at the Poetry Shrine, I caught a fire that never stopped burning.

A solemn moment Pulse Live Uganda

Q: Care to share a poem with us?

A: This is a poem about the challenges of keeping one’s tabs on scientific election campaigns during the lockdown. It speaks about the problems of not owning a radio and/or falling victim to poor signal that you’re forced to improvise. Sooka ofune akafo/sigino mw’eteriva. (First look for a spot/ where the signal never dies). It’s from my upcoming poetry pamphlet based on the 2021 elections.

KAMPEYINI KU LEEDIYO

Kampeyini ku leediyo

Ziriyo ssaawa mmeka?

Sooka ogule eyiyo.

Sooka ofune akafo

Sigino mw’eteriva.

Embeera bw’ekaluba

Naawe ng’olabuka.