Artist Spotlight: Azawi, the Voice Leading Uganda's Afrobeats Wave
Few artists have shaped the sound of modern Ugandan music as quickly as Azawi. Born Priscilla Zawedde in Kampala on 2 February 1996, the singer-songwriter blends Afrobeats and Afro-pop with lyrics in Luganda and English. In just a few years she has gone from writing songs for other artists to becoming one of East Africa's most recognisable stars and one of the most decorated female artists of her generation.
Azawi's story starts behind the scenes. A Bachelor of Commerce student at Makerere University, she wrote "Quinamino" planning to sell it, and even hoped Winnie Nwagi would record it. When she walked into Swangz Avenue in August 2019, the label heard something bigger and offered to sign her as an artist instead. She joined that November, released her first single with the label in January 2020, and made her Swangz stage debut at Roast and Rhyme at Jahazi Pier, performing "Repeat It" and "Quinamino".
Her debut EP, Lo Fit (2020), turned "Quinamino", "Repeat It" and "Crazy Lover" into fan favourites and made Azawi a breakout act across East Africa. In October 2021 she followed with her debut album, African Music, which spent two weeks as the number one album in Africa on Apple Music. Packed with hits like "Slow Dancing", "My Year", "Party Mood" and "Majje" featuring Fik Fameica, the album also made her the first female Ugandan act to appear on billboards in New York's Times Square and Los Angeles.
The awards came just as fast. At the 2021 Janzi Awards, Azawi won Female Artist of the Year, Outstanding Album of the Year for African Music, and Outstanding Afro Beat/Pop Artist. She added Female Artist of the Year and Best Song Writer at the 2021/22 Zzina Awards, where "Majje" also won Best Inspirational Song, while "Slow Dancing" took Teenz Hottest Song of the Year at the Buzz Teeniez Awards.
In October 2023 Azawi released her second album, Sankofa, a project she says pushed her to retrace and reconnect with who she was before the fame. She also features on Swangz All Star, Vol. 1, the label's collaborative album, and has kept the hits coming with songs like "Fwa Fwa Fwa", "Omwenge" and "Ten Over Ten". In late 2025 she renewed her multi-album deal with Swangz Avenue, saying simply, "Swangz Avenue has been home from day one."
Now Azawi is opening a new chapter with her 2026 single "Addict", proof that her pen and her voice are only getting sharper. Whether you discovered her through "Quinamino" or are hearing her for the first time, there has never been a better moment to dive into her catalogue.
