Rising Stars: Meet Giovanni Kiyingi of Downtown Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanni Kiyingi.

Hi Giovanni, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I am a Ugandan folk singer-songwriter and world music artist. I am known for my skills as a multi-instrumentalist who plays the local Ugandan fiddle (endingidi), akogo, adungu, guitar, harmonica, flute, djembe, calabash, congas, drums, and maracas, among others. I was one of the Ugandan artists chosen to welcome Pope Francis to Uganda at Kololo on 27 November 2015.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s not been easy as any other jobs you face the ups and downs. Some of the struggles have been recording my works, Acquiring studio time both in Africa and here in America to record my works is still Problem since I am not signed artist. It’s not easy to finance the recordings and promoting my finished products, but this does not stop from pushing my dream a day at a time.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My skills as a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist as a performer have won me invitations to perform at major music festivals and co-operate events in Uganda and the rest of the world. He won an invitation to perform at a landmark yoga event in India dubbed “The unveiling of a 112 foot tall face of the Adiyogi Shiva– the source of yoga'”.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Producer Jude Mugerwa in Uganda, Jude produced my first professional work for, just because he loved my sound and creativity, producer Kodee in phoenix, when I moved here in 2019 he was the first person to welcome me as a creative, I have managed to put out some songs recorded in his studio because he believes in me.

Contact Info:

• Email: eka.artistsmanager@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giovannikiyingiofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giovannikiyingi
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/giovanikiyingi
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/GiovanniKiyingi
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/X3ujCBaa9Z4khxLg6

Image Credits
1. Kibuuka photography 2.Raysquared