Leila Kayondo is a Ugandan music artist who rose to fame as a member of a female Ugandan group Dream Gals with hits such as Weekend.
Kayondo birth name Nakato Leila Kayondo was born on 1st January 1988 in Mukono from the family of Hajji Yahaya Kayondo who is the father and Nnalongo Kayondo is the mother.
Early Life
Kayondo comes from the family of 13 children and she was born with a twin sister Babirye who passed away at the age of seven because of measles.
Leila’s father is a truck driver and her home village is Masaka.
Kayondo started her education journey from Seeta junior school where she studied up to her primary seven and she joined Nalya SS which is based in Namugongo.
After her O level, she joined Green Ville high school in Mukono for her advanced level.
She then joined Makerere University where she pursued a Diploma in information technology and after this Diploma, she changed and joined Uganda Christian University where she pursued a Bachelors Degree in Social sciences and she graduated in 2011.
Career
Leila Kayondo’s musical journey started in 2007 while still at Makerere University. She says she met Eddy Yawe who is the founder of Dream studios at Makerere University who had come to do his work and Leila approached him with her friend.
Kayondo says she approached Eddy Yawe stubbornly and she was told to sing which she did and after singing Eddy Yawe told her to come to his Kamokya based Dream studios the next morning which Leila did.
On reaching Dream studios the next morning, Eddy Yawe made her sing again and she was told that she had made it to the top cream and she had been officially signed by Dream studios hence leading to the formation of the girl group called Dream Gals in 2007. The group was composed of three girls including Leila, Renah and Anita.
After the formation of the girl group, Leila took Eddy Yawe to her mother’s place in Mukono who officially allowed her daughter to join the music industry and start singing professionally.
This girl group released its first successful single called weekend in 2007 and it also went ahead to release other singles such as jigi jigi, wandekangawo and all these songs were produced by Eddy Yawe their boss and the official producer of the studio Paddy man.
The group didn’t last for long because of various challenges that girl groups face and after releasing around 10 singles this girl group separated in 2008 and they all went and started solo careers.
Leila said their boss Eddy Yawe was ok with ending the group and he left the door open for them to come back if they wish but the girls never returned to Dream studios.
In 2009 Leila Kayondo received a call from universal entertainment which had other groups like Cyclone and Chilly girls but she was hesitant to join the groups but instead, she gave them an option of signing her as a solo career which universal entertainment allowed.
Her first single was Kiruma which was produced by Benon Swangz Avenue and the song was written by Oscar Muwonge.
In 2011 she meant her childhood friend Sk Mbuga who helped her with her career and he invested millions in her career.
During this time with Mbuga Leila managed to release some successful singles especially collaborations Dr. Jose Chameleone.
Songs include Horray which was released in 2011 and produced by Paddy man, Relaxing produced by Washington and this was released in 2015.
She was later signed to a Nigerian record label called Striker Entertainment together with singer Big Tril which she quit last year.
Relationship
Leila Kayondo was in a relationship with SK Mbuga, a city tycoon for a while and they were always seen around various shopping malls together but they later fell out badly and SK Mbuga married Vivian another socialite.
She says she is currently single and contented.
Leila Kayondo was accused of snatching her sister’s boyfriend SK Mbuga but Leila came out and denounced all the rumours by saying that Mbuga was her childhood friend and both grew up from Masaka.
Their love relationship didn’t last for long after SK Mbuga became violent on Leila Kayondo.
Mbuga beat Kayondo in public while at Speke resort Muyonyo and Leila went and reported the case to police which made the police to swing into action and arrest SK Mbuga and he spent a week in a jail cell.
He was later released after Leila withdrawing the case from the police.
In 2019 Leila Kayondo quit her record label known as Striker Entertainment which had helped her to get nominated in the Affrima awards in 2018 but she says her career was stagnant and the record label was doing less in the previous years to help her elevate music career.
Striker Entertainment is a record label from Nigeria but it also manages Ugandan artists such as Big trill.
Discography
- Kiruma, 2009
- Awo, 2017
- Nyumirwa ft chameleon, 2020
- Kyana gwe, 2015
- Acrobat
- Manifesto
- Musaayi
- Respeck
- Relaxing ft chameleon
- Binyuma ft Hellena Lukoma
- Amazing
- Hold me
- Kuzina nawe
- Sweetie sweetie
- Hooray ft chameleon
- Ngenze nawe
- Kikute ft Nyanda
- Pay my money
- Kyanagwe
- Abele nze
- Osobola
- Tompona ft Radio and weasel
Social Media Platforms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leilakayondomusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeilaKayondo00
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leilakayondo/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeilaKayondomusic/videos
