Suzan Kerunen
| Suzan Kerunen | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Suzan Kerunen |
| Also known as | Susan Kerunen, Alur Princess,Alur Queen |
| Born | 12 September 1979 |
| Origin | Zombo, Nebbi, Uganda |
| Genres | World, Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, Tourism Ambassador in Uganda |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Associated acts | Milege, Giovanni Kiyingi, Jackie Akello, Undercover Brothers Ug, Herbert Kinobe |
| ||||||||||||||
| Totals | ||||||||||||||
| Awards won | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Nominations | 3 | |||||||||||||
Suzan Kerunen is a Ugandan world music singer and songwriter who performs African Contemporary music in the local Ugandan language of Alur-Jonam (her mother tongue) as well as in English, Swahili and other world languages.[1] She is a double Kora Award nominee who competed against Ethiopia's Michaih Behaylu,[2] Astar and Bluz and Kenyan Wahu[3] and a PAM Award winner. She was appointed Uganda National Tourism Ambassador to promote Cultural Tourism.[4] Kerunen has shared stages with Africa's best artists and musicians including Kenya's Suzanna Owíyo, South Africa's Yvonne Chaka Chaka, ASA and other Diaspora artists at the KORA ALL AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS in Benin, Mama Africa Miriam Makeba, Oliver Mutukudzi, Third World, Kinobe Herbert backed up by Soul Beat Africa at The International Jazz Festival.[5]
Career history
Kerunen started her career as a young girl with her two sisters in an all girl group Soul of Africa. She later went on to launch her solo career with her debut Album NIMEFIKA[6] a Kiswahili term meaning "I have arrived".
Kerunen has also performed at major festivals including -The International Bayimba Festival in Uganda,[7] Tusker Experience" at Silk liquid in Bugolobi. She is one of the organizers of the Pearl Rhythm Festival and World Music Day celebrations in Uganda. In 2009, Kerunen performed at The CHOGM celebrations in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, Blankets and Wine alongside Eric Wainaina, Radio and Weasel and Janziband.[8][9]
Acher Achera 2011
Released in 2011[10]
Discography
| Year | Album | Tracking |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Nimefika" | Ngom |
| 2008 | "Lek" | |
| 2011 | "Acher achera" | Acha Achera, Anyira |
Awards
| Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2010 | Pearl of Africa Music Awards | Best Folk Pop Artiste | Won |
| 2009 | Kora All Africa Music Awards | Best East African and African Artist | Nominated |
| 2008 | Kora All Africa Music Awards | Best East African and African Artist | Nominated |
Tours and concerts
Ongea music week
Suzan performed at, ONGEA! – The Eastern Africa Music Summit in Nairobi on the 28th of January 2016 alongside Likizo, Sauti Academy, Wanny Angerer, Parking Lot Grass, Mswazzi, H_Art the Band and Jay A[11]
Charity
Know Your Culture Foundation
Kerunene registered KNOW YOUR CULTURE FOUNDATION with an aim and vision of branding Uganda, A foundation that dedicates its effort to research, train and groom a culturally aware Ugandans and also promote cultural tourism as a development tool for Uganda .
Power of Hope Camp 2006, Kampala
Suzan used music in form of therapy and meditation to facilitate a retreat during the Power of Hope Camp; Kampala 2006 with the major theme "Building Community to Living Healthy and Powerful Lives" which was conducted in order to address some of the challenges faced by adolescents at the PIDC, Mulago Hospital.[12]
Heart sounds in Uganda "Enkuba Yomutima"2008
Done in the United Kingdom with a replica visit clinic in Hackney London visiting Uganda in September 2008 to highlight Mental Health in Uganda, the project raised awareness of mental health issues in the community, reduced community stigma and discrimination, and empowered sufferers of mental illness by promoting and improving mental health services in both countries.[13]
Fight against Cancer
In 2012, the singer collaborated with Rotary of Uganda on her third album launch, whose proceeds went to the cancer ward of St Raphael of St Francis, Nsambya Mission Hospital which needed completion where she invited other Kora Award winners like Jackie Chandiru and Benon to perform. “It is important for us to pool our resources and efforts to improve the care given to victims of cancer all over Uganda because it affects our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends."[14]
See also
References
- ↑ "Unravelling Susan Kerunen's music". Edgar R. Batte. Monitor Uganda. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ↑ "Michaih nominated for Kora". Arefe. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
- ↑ "Suzan Kerunen started out as rapper". Andrew Kaggwa. The Observer. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
- ↑ "Suzan Kerunen - Kampala International Theatre Festival".
- ↑ "SUZAN KERUNEN (ALUR QUEEN)". SPLA Uganda. Cultures-Uganda.
- ↑ "Kenya: Ugandan Vocalist Suzan Kerunen Gets Nairobi Singing". AllAfrica.
- ↑ "Profile Suzan Kerunen". Bayimba. Admin. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ↑ "New High-End Social Gathering Blankets And Wine Around The Corner". Chano8. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ↑ "Kenya's Wainaina Lights Up Blankets And Wine". Ugonews. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ↑ "Uganda's finest poets celebrate Black history month with poetry evening". Daily Monitor Online. Dennis Muhumuza. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ↑ "ONGEA! Eastern Africa Music Summit set for launch in Nairobi". Capital Fm, Kenya. Capital Lifstyle. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Ugandan vocalist Suzan Kerunen gets Nairobi singing : PHOTOS". Daily Nation Kenya. THOMAS RAJULA.
- ↑ "Meet Suzan Kerunen". Music Uganda.
- ↑ "Suzan Kerunen in Cancer Benefit concert". Daily Monitor. Edgar R. Batte. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suzan Kerunen. |