Every move made by Harrieta has been about goals. Whether it was furthering education or her music – she focused on the task at hand and went for it; from Uganda to South Africa to Germany. Who knows where she’ll take the adventure next, but in the meantime she took a second to talk to ZO about those major moves, her latest single, “No More Cages,” and more.
Kendra: Was music something you wanted to do since you were a kid, or were you a musical late bloomer?
Harrieta: I knew I wanted to sing since I was very young, I used to sing at every opportunity at school, church, etc.
Kendra: When you decided you wanted to move from your native Uganda, was Germany your first choice? Was the move inspired by your music career?
Harrieta: Initially I moved to Cape Town in South Africa after high school to pursue studies in information technology, I needed a day job to support my music too; so me and my husband decided I would do a course in information technology and later use the job to support my music career. The decision to move to Germany came later and yes the motivation was partly the opportunity to further my music career.
Kendra: Thinking back to when you started, how do you think you’ve grown as an artist all-around?
Harrieta: It’s been quite a journey and still is. I take each day as it comes and make sure I do what I have to do to get better. Lots of practice, research, consultations with vocal and language experts, sound engineers, etc. I do this every single day and sure I have gotten much better.
Kendra: That growth can be heard in your latest single “No More Cages.” Where were you mentally when you started penning that?
Harrieta: “No More Cages” was my third single, yes it was a landmark for me symbolizing a breakthrough and total growth in my music career. I was reflecting deeply on my life’s journey and thought I would celebrate myself, give myself a pat on the shoulder for a terrific run I have had already. At the same time, I wanted others to be encouraged and challenged at the same time with my story in that song. I love it!
Kendra: Now, this single comes after the release of your 2020 EP, ‘Speak Your Mind.’ Is “No More Cages” a single that another EP is on the way?
Harrieta: Well, with the EP I felt that I had to put out more music soonest for my fans to get to know me more as I was and still am relatively new to the music industry. The next release is likely to be a single too as I want to challenge my previous one; so expect something even better coming soon!
Kendra: The world is shut down at the moment when it comes to live music, but as soon as things are safe and open – what venue are you excited to play at again?
Harrieta: It is difficult at the moment indeed, can’t wait to get back to the stage once things normalize. I might be around venues in Berlin, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and London for starters if the situation gets better.
Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but
with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?
Harrieta: My music world never shut down with the current situation, I have beautiful songs waiting in the queue, first off will be a single release called “I Got You” to be released probably in a month’s time from now…ah am sure the world will love it; and this is the kind of song that gets me going when the going gets tough!
