By Dennis Asiimwe
This is a favourite tune for me to revisit.
Two female artistes, at the top of their game (seven years ago), performing a gospel song? What could go wrong? Everything, of course.
Gospel music in Uganda tends to be mediocre, at best. However, Julie Mutesasira was involved, and brought considerable pedigree to this project.
Also, if you give Iryn a great tune, she can deliver it near-perfectly, like she did with Yani. The song is structured beautifully, built around two personalities who are drastically different in real life (this partnership caught everyone off guard).
The song has what appears to be a big band team playing backing instrumentation in the background, that somehow manages not to crowd out those soothing vocals. There’s even a brass section
The singers use a parable-based model for their lyrics, another component which allows the song to unravel beautifully. It takes you a while to figure out what they are actually singing about, and what makes the journey even more interesting is how beautifully it unravels.
Julie, especially, has shockingly impressive range, and Iryn rises to the challenge, matching her comfortably note for note.
My favourite bits are when the two ladies decide to harmonies – it’s like they have been singing together forever.
Yani has a striking, simple structure, which comes across, simultaneously, as sophisticated. Technically, this is songwriting of the highest caliber. This is how you write a gospel song.
The song has what appears to be a big band team playing backing instrumentation in the background, that somehow manages not to crowd out those soothing vocals. There’s even a brass section!
Yani may have easily been one of the most underrated songs of its era.
Hats off to an impeccably composed bit of music, that reminded us of the musicality of Julie Mutesasira and the impressive versatility of Iryn Namubiru, whom we genuinely didn’t really think could pull it off.
