Kujieleza

A few months a go I got a new job. My job involves a lot of driving, we cover a good amount of Southern California, so far I’ve worked in San Diego County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Each of these counties consists of dozens upon dozens of cities, you would be surprised where some are located. I got scheduled to go to Lake Arrowhead, I had never been to that area, so I didn’t really know what to expect.

My phone was dying so I took and exit in San Bernardino and went to a gas station. I needed a new charging port and cable. I set the GPS and got back on the road. After a few minutes on the highway I saw a sign that says welcome to the San Bernardino National Forest. In my head a little discomfort hits me, the earthquake had just hit the day before and it’s summer high fire advisory is on. I started getting really worried because the GPS was telling me I still had about an hour to go more.

I kept going. the elevations kept rising. The higher I got my legs began shaking, seeing the windy roads and other drivers zooming passed at extreme speeds – increased the shaking. In my mind I continued wondering, what would happen if I got stuck in this place. All those Hollywood films San Andreas and 2012. My mind started playing games on me. I pulled over to take a breath and stretch my legs.

• 

A little breather, gave me perspective on elevation but my mind kept playing games on me, mentally I’m cursing out my dispatcher, “why the hell would she send me out in theses areas, does she know black people don’t go out in the woods.” I started paying attention to the people in the cars passing me, I didn’t see a single black person. then a truck passes with a huge TRUMP flag on the back of it, and I’m like “oh man, not this part of town.”

The roads kept getting windier as I got closer to the job site, I really felt uncomfortable, finally I reached the job site and saw my truck was at 25%, luckily I had a gas can with about a gallon in it. I took it right away and poured it into the tank. The customer wasn’t home so I had to do the job at my own discretion. I started out by rushing so I can get out of there then at some point I just paced myself and became a bit relaxed, I continued working calmly, until a truck passed by and everyone in the truck was staring at me with that what are you doing HERE look, the discomfort returned. I rushed to get out of there.

On the way down, I remembered a gas station I had seen on the way up. I made sure I didn’t miss it. I stopped to fill up and actually took a deep breathe again and I actually laughed at myself. I realized I had been caught up in a mental game all day and I didn’t even realize all the beauty around me. The amazing views from being in such a place. On the way back down I actually took my time, I made a few stops to just admire the scenery and take in the fresh mountain air.

When I got to the bottom, I told myself I have got to go back to this place and actually enjoy it, maybe go with friends and do a photo/video shoot, it’s an amazing place. My job is tiring and time consuming but the absolute best thing about it, is that it’s gotten me to see many hidden gems of Southern California and Lake Arrowhead is surely one of them.

Somebody once told me that music is a young man’s game. I’ve heard people’s stories of how they struggled in pursuit of their dreams and to some extent their perseverance gave me some type of comfort that perhaps I too might get where I’m trying to go. When we were young we were frequently asked what we want to be when we grow up, sometimes the people asking us didn’t really care about our answers but they just want to steer us in the direction that they thought suits us. Maybe they were right in some case but not always.

[Kampala, Uganda Sept. 2018]

in the summer of 2006 after completing high school we had a small graduation party at my friend’s place and his father’s friend went around the table asking us what career we are going to pursuit, now that we are done with high school and onto “real life,” everyone answered and then it got to me. I said “I wanna be a Director and a Screenwriter.” He replied, “arts” he paused then continued “Of all your friends, you are going to have the greatest challenge, by the time you actually start making moves in your career most of your friends would of already been settled, but don’t think about that, your path is going to require lots of creativity and creativity takes time.”

I had no idea what that really meant. So that summer, I jumped into an expensive private school with no guidance. I threw myself into a deep hole not knowing how I would climb out of it, I followed that dream until the doors of Brooks Institute of Photography and film were shut in my face. I collapsed, asking myself “was this actually my path or was I just listening to other people.” I was somewhat naive still and believed that some how I’ll make a fabulous project that would take away all the problems I face.

[Los Angeles, Ca. March 2018]

As a child in a vintage Africa I recall, going to the movies was a thing we did for holidays especially Christmas. People would dress up in their best outfits, early morning they would go to church, return home for lunch, then go walking and eventually end up at the movies at some point. “The movies” was a hall with a television and a VHS player and we would pay to watch action films. My brothers took us to the movies I think it was around Christmas 1990/1991. I watched my first film “The Big Boss” starring Bruce Lee. Immediately I was transfixed and I knew I wanted to be an actor from that moment forward. I had no idea what the film was about let alone the what it was called but I vividly remembered certain scenes especially the last fight scene and when Bruce surrenders that was ingrained in my brain forever.

My primary school (Elementary/middle school) days were filled with going to the movies every weekend and telling stories of those movies to my friends during class. I would become very popular for reciting the films to my friends, they would gather to hear the stories, we would bond over films. During the weeks I would collects cans and sell them to a lamp maker to make money for the movies, I had to watch at least two to three films. Sometimes I would get lucky my uncle would let me stay in his theater and watch movies all day. I was avid in all the action films that were shown, sometimes I watched them more than three or four times. I wanted to be an actor, no matter what!

[Bidibidi Refugee Camp. Yumbe, Uganda. Jul. 2018]

In America as a young refugee in middle school, when asked at school what I wanted to be when I grew up, all the kids laughed. The teacher would say “you can’t be an actor unless you already know someone, do you know someone in the film industry?” I felt my world shrink, the answer was always “No.” I thought reaching America for sure my dreams of becoming an action star would be realized but it got further and further. So I decided I would direct and write my own movies so at least I can be in them too, after all Jackie Chan was doing it, and many greats have done it, maybe I can be the African version. So I pursued the filmmaker’s dream.

[San Diego, Ca. Mar. 2015]

After dropping out of the prestigious film school (which no longer exists). I was young, dumb, broke, in debt and had no “useful experiences”, according to society. I moved back to a small town where opportunities were so scarce I felt myself drowning, the only thing that kept me going was martial arts, and then I rediscovered music. I had always loved listening to music but the art of creating music came a little later, it was sparked by some friends in high school, who helped create space for music in my heart. I had no idea that music would comeback to uplift me. Music reminded me that I’ve always wanted to be a performer. I got on stage and performed, and when some people told me that it wasn’t good, I didn’t care, I took the criticism and kept growing. Eventually music started opening up the world to me again. I felt like I was doing something along the path I was supposed to be on.

In December 2010 I lost two friends who were instrumental in my musical journey at the time. Once again things pushed me astray, I became so disoriented that I forgot about the art. I still have difficulty trying to speak about my friends or myself. I kept trying musically but the material I was creating didn’t feel like what I wanted to say, part of me was still immature to the content I wanted to speak on in general. It’s been a decade plus since high school and I’m still scrambling to piece my life together, the words of that man still linger in my mind. I haven’t given up on art, although I’m not exactly a young man anymore I’m still pursuing this journey both in music and film, only time will tell whether my dreams bear fruits or not, regardless I’m happy I chose to follow my heart, the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had and the stories I’ve heard, have all made me realize more than ever that I’m on the right path.

[Los Angeles Ca, Nov. 2018]

Thanks for reading!

Follow my journey at Kujieleza.com and Instagram @Adhimamusic let’s learn from each other and grow. #Mbele.

These last few years the temperatures in California have been rising and dropping to ridiculous levels. These past few days have been in the hundreds, extra hot reaching around 115 where I live but today has been the lowest so far it’s 90 degrees. A great accompaniment for these temperatures is tea!

This morning I was piecing together verses for my songs then decided to make tea for breakfast I didn’t realize how hot it was until halfway down the cup, I realized I’m sweating like I’ve been running a marathon. I started wondering what is it with Africans and tea. I recall my mother once saying “If I come to your house and you don’t offer me food at least give me tea, that’s all I need.” I have been trying to talk about tea in my blog but just didn’t know how to inject it in my world of randomness, so today we are here.

On this baking summer morning, drinking tea, not iced tea, hot tea the African way, I wish I can do it differently perhaps I’ve gotten lazy but aren’t we all; my preparation was easy I just warmed up the water, poured it in my cup and dropped the tea bag in it, added 2 tea spoons of honey and voila, definitely not the way it used to be made by my mother and grandmother when I was a kid in Uganda.

Over the years in learning about better health and nutrition I got more interested in tea, the consumption of tea took on a different meaning for me. As a child we drank mostly black tea, but now I would never make black tea for myself or anybody else I usually prefer green tea, mint tea and different herbal teas. When I started my tea journey and intentionally changed my consumption from mainly black tea to the other options that’s when I realized how tea made me feel.

Today as an artist/musical performer I even value tea more, it helps me warm up my vocals and get me prepared but also keeps me busy as I’m working on my lyrics. Tea is an essential part of my life and I can’t wait to share more with you all, for now I’m gonna cool off and get some music done, thanks for reading!

It’s been a while since I have blogged. Well, I have been back in Southern California since September. My three month trip to Uganda turned into four months due to ticketing errors which I didn’t mind, but since I’ve been trying to figure out how to weave everything together from my experiences. The problem with having too much on your plate at once is that things can get overwhelming and you involuntarily start procrastinating and eventually just nothing gets done. At all! I was doing too much now that I think about it. 

[Southern California] 

I have been working on songs for my album “Mbele” which I’ve been working on for nearly 3 Years. I honestly don’t know why this album has taken me this long. I almost released it twice but when I got close to the deadline it just didn’t feel ready, both times. So on this trip I was piecing together some lyrics for the album, which actually helped. Besides working on lyrics, I was also developing some screenplay ideas. 

[Nairobi, Kenya] 

The thing is screenplay and lyrics are pretty different, so to flip mentally between the two consistently after sometime you brain just gets exhausted. So blogging was supposed to be a way to free myself and just share my experiences. Eventually it became harder too. 

After awhile I found myself not wanting to deal with anything that made me sit in one place for awhile I wasn’t having fun, part of the joy of traveling is having fun and learning through the experiences you share. I decided I just wanted to enjoy the rest of my trip. Typing was casted aside, the camera became too heavy, sometimes I would even leave my phone.  

[West Nile, Uganda]

When I landed in LAX I still felt like I was in Africa, it took me about a month for my sleep cycle to adjust, I think my creative energy is also almost readjusted. I confess that I didn’t do as much as said I would. I confess that I didn’t post as much as I should of, I confess that I didn’t work as hard as I promised. I confess that I shall to better. Note to self. 

[Southern California] 

Look out for more African experiences, tea, music, film, art, and history. 

Insta @Adhimamusic 

Tumblr @Adhima 

Facebook @Adhima 

I spent a few days in the city then we had to go to the village to lay a close family friend to rest. In the village I found life, the trees spoke in vibrant color tones. The chickens ran wild and free, children played, learned, ate and interacted with Mother Nature on a daily basis. The village was life. 



I would spend so much time staring at random plants and trees. The cornfields were a reminder of my childhood, how I would go farming with my grandmother. 
At night I would stare at the stars, I never knew so many existed in the sky.

People told me tha adjusting to the village life would be so hard, quiet contrary I felt safer and warmly welcomed in the village than in the city. The life in the village valued hard work and it valued life in itself. 

I can’t wait until I go back again to the village. 

Follow me on instagram @adhimamusic for more info contact me at kujielezablog@gmail.com

In Brussels I saw a lot of Africans at the Terminal, I felt it, I was close I was almost home.  In excitement a man from the previous flight saw me and asked “Are you also going to Accra?” when I said “no,” I could see a disappointed look on his face. There was a lady with her son, the son kept running around the terminal and she was speaking Rwandese to him, she greeted me very warmly with a gentle smile, mama Africa.  

When we finally boarded I had an empty seat on my left and on the right was this really sweet Mama from Gulu. We had a nice introduction the plane took off and I fell asleep. I remember being woken up for food, this time I chose the fish, surprisingly it was not bad, it was better than the chicken I had on the previous flight. 

The Mama from Gulu shared with me her stories about her life, she lived in Germany for 42 years and she’s finally in the process of resettling back to her home village, I was inspired. When she told me she does farming I told her I would like to visit her hopefully during this trip and she warmly welcomed the idea. 

Flying over Mama Africa I was filled with excitement, finally we landed at Entebbe international airport in Uganda. I was smiling because for the first time in awhile everybody I saw looked like a family member I know. At the gate an airport employee told me welcome home, I said thank you, it’s been awhile. I’m back!