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Orlando had set out to be a lawyer
What you need to know:
Despite his admiration for lawyers, he never made it to the courtroom but he is a happy radio presenter.
For those who know him, when your mind pictures Emperor Orlando, it is likely to formulate a hulk of a man, in trendy bulky T-shirts and jeans, Timberland boots and bling.
The young Orlando did not have such a mental image of himself. He did not even consider adopting a stage name which would overshadow, John Ssozi, his real name. “I wanted to be a lawyer,” he says adding, “I foresaw myself in pressed suits, crisp ties and shirts, pacing up and down the courtroom helping clients to get justice.”
Orlando is the second born of eleven children. His father, James Nsimbi(RIP) was a principal economist at the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the mother, Sylvia Nalumansi, a business woman. His father had a number of friends who were doctors, teachers, engineers and lawyers. Orlando met most of these but only the lawyers impressed him. “I liked the way lawyers carried themselves around and their dress code. I always thought that they made a lot of money,” says the reggae, afro beat and dancehall artiste.
In 1995, during his Senior Six vacation, some Rwandan school mates looped him in on an opportunity to join Butare University, Rwanda. The entry requirement to the university was an A’ Level Certificate. Then, one would pursue a degree of their choice. Orlando enrolled for a Bachelor of Laws.
Turning point
Because his father-the sole breadwinner- had passed on during Orlando’s Senior Five, the mother’s support was inadequate for the family to survive on. Thus, at the end of his first year at Law school, he weighed his options. He was convinced that going back home and getting a job to supplement his mother’s earnings would ease life for the siblings. “I preferred handling family responsibilities as opposed to completing university,” Orlando says.
He got his first job at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi Kampala as a swimming pool attendant. “In my high school, I was a swimmer to reckon with. During the holidays I would hone my skills at the hotel’s pool. I made friends with the authorities. I got the job with ease. Later, I was promoted to be in charge of the entire health club,” narrates the 39-year-old.
With the chances of being a lawyer slimming by the day, and the desire to earn more increasing, he switched focus and set out to pursue music, his other passion. At the time, Congolese music was receiving much airplay on radio and at hangouts. There was hardly any local music challenging the former. Orlando explored this gap to rise to stardom. He started out with an old friend, Deejay Rota, who often took him to rap at school leavers’ parties and some night spots. Eventually he partnered with other friends, Ragga Dee, Iryn Namubiru and Messe to form a music group called The Homies.
He left Silver Springs Hotel. In 1996, he released his first Album which had a hit song titled She Loved Me. He earned Shs300,000 from Afro Studios, the music distributors who bought the album. Elvis Sekyanzi proprietor of Club Silk liked Orlando’s music and hired him as an MC at the club.
“There, I met Menton Summer who was already working as an MC. We became friends because of our mutual love for music. Our live performances at the night clubs were very popular among club goers. We also worked with Rasta Rob becoming a famous trio at concerts and parties in town.
Later, I partnered with Menton Summer and we released Sirikawo Baby which was a blockbuster. Unfortunately Summer passed away in an accident,” he says.
As his fame flourished, opportunities to be a radio presenter came calling. He started at Radio Ssanyu where he hosted the Evening Drive. He left the station and joined Star FM but gave radio a break for a couple of years. Today, he hosts Dembe Taxi at Dembe FM. He has been silent on the music scene but he has this to say; “The industry has changed very much. So I’m taking my time to weave a massive comeback,”
