I Wrote ‘Agassi’ To Change Perception But Ended Up Depressed – Jackie Chandiru

Ugandan artist Jackie Chandiru. Photo/Instagram

By Kinyua Mwangi

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Jackie Chandiru was a prominent figure in the Blu*3 group which rocked East Africa in a big way between 2004 and 2008.

While Cindy Sanyu and Lilian Mbabazi equally enjoyed the spotlight, Chandiru always struggled with getting the same love from a section of fans all due to her tribal identity.

She claims that simply because she is a Lugbara, or Mulugwala as they are more commonly known in the Bantu region, she has always been at a disadvantage in her music career.

The stereotyping that comes with being a Mulugwala which is where her father hails from was the biggest challenge she faced in her music career. The fact that she also carried the norms and traditions from her mother’s tribe which is Muganda didn’t help her much.

“There came a time when the word “Mulugwala” was an insult in this city. Even up to now, every bad thing is linked to my people. When I was in Blu 3, no one ever acknowledged my dad because he is a Mulugwala, They only connected with my mother who is a Muganda,” she recently opened up.

This profiling inspired her song ‘Agassi’ which she wrote and released in 2010, two years after leaving Blu*3.

She thought that this song would help her change perception among some of her fans but it didn’t receive a rosy reception. It nearly ended her career and pushed her into substance abuse and drug addiction.

Chandiru suffered a back injury and soon after, she started abusing her prescription drugs. All this time, she had given up on ever doing music.