by Linda Nabasa a.k.a. Nada
Watch the spectacular performance of Linda Nabasa, who goes by the stage name Nada. Then get to know a little bit more about this amazing woman in this Q&A.
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Lawino: How did you get into spoken word poetry?
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Linda:Three years ago, I did not know of any events were writers gathered to read or recite their work. Then I came across of an advert of Open Mic, and decided to attend. At that time it was held at Open House on Buganda Road, but these days they hold it at the Uganda Museum. When I heard other writers and poets performing on stage, it showed me a platform where I could share my work. I no longer had to write for myself.
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Lawino: Tell us about the first time you performed.
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Linda:When I went back for the next session of Open Mic, I had a piece of work ready. When they invited Linda to come on stage, I was so nervous that I jumped off my chair and rushed to the mic before anyone could stop me. I recited Ojuku, a narrative poem about a woman who warns her brother to stop womanizing. I adopted a Nigerian accent to sound different from other performers, and to spice the poem with humor. I shocked myself at how much confidence I showed on stage. The audience surprised me when, upon finishing, I got a standing ovation. The clapping went on for several minutes. After I had seated, the organizer told me and that another poet called Linda had signed up before me, and that she was meant to perform. Not me. It took the glow I was basking in. At least they had not embarrassed me by pulling me off stage, because I was not meant to perform. However, the organizers did not mind the mistake, seeing the reaction my performance had sparked in the audience.
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That night, I found my calling. I knew I wanted to be a spoken word artist. To avoid future embarrassments, knowing there was another poet called Linda, I gave myself a stage name. Nada. It’s funny now, thinking about how my name came about, because I never saw this other Linda on any stage again. Maybe my performance scared her away.
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Still, that first performance did not put me in a comfort zone. I struggled to outdo myself. Until today, I practice a lot. I make meticulous preparations before a performance. I am very critical of myself. I often watch clips of my poetry recitals, often about two weeks after I perform, to watch for mistakes I made and to plan how to never repeat those mistakes.
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Lawino: Tell us about Muyenga Mansion?
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Linda:When I was still a little girl at school, all the poems themed on HIV and AIDS were a torment to listen to. Anyone who has been to school in Uganda will say the same thing. I wonder why teachers make pupils to recite those terrible lines. I remember one parent’s day, when I was picked to recite a poem. I do not remember any of the lines, apart from the opening two. It went, ‘Aids! Aids! Aids! Oh Aids!’ Every time I think about it, I want to dig a hole and disappear. They think such poems will teach people AIDS, but it only bores them to sleep. If they wonder why the epidemic is spreading, it is because they insist on these boring strategies.
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That disease is very close to my heart. A very close relative suffers from it. Sometimes, when she does not have transport or energy to go to the hospital to pick her monthly dose of ARV’s, I am the first person she calls. I may not know how exactly it feels like to suffer from the virus but I through this relative of mine I have seen the despair of those infected with it.
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The day she told me she was positive, I cried through the night. I remembered that poem I recited at school, and I hated my teachers for making me say it. I wanted to remedy the situation, for I knew that if you want a message to sink into an audience, then you have to give them a piece of work that is very entertaining, very funny. They will think they are just enjoying a piece of comedy, and yes they will laugh, and yes, the punch line will stay with them long after I have stopped performing. And guess what, the message is in the punch line.
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With Muyenga Mansion, I wanted to tell the story of a sugar daddy wooing a young girl. In our society, it is generally perceived that sugar daddies give the virus to women. This is wrong, and I think this stereotype comes from the message in most anti-Aids campaigns. In this poem, I dwelt on the most common way of infection, and that is through unprotected sex. I called it Muyenga Mansion because I did not want people to immediately associate the poem with HIV and AIDS, but rather to wonder about the connection between a mansion and the disease.
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Lawino: Finally, give a short introduction of yourself. Tell us about your personal life, your professional life, your achievements, anything you want your fans to know.
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Linda:I hail from Kyamate Ntungamo in Western Uganda. I went to Ndejje University where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I am the Business Development Manager at Feed a Million Mouths Uganda, a social enterprise that specializes in nutritional products for HIV Centers, Orphanages, and hospices. I’m a member of Rotary Kampala International and the National Youth Working Group supported by UNICEF
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I’m a poet, singer, songwriter, and a short story writer. I use the stage name NADA. I have performed my poetry in many festivals, including the Umoja International Cultural Camp, the Nuvo Arts Festival, the Bayimba’s International Music and Arts Festival. I have also performed at many international workshops and exhibitions, and performed for the anti-tobacco advocacy campaign event hosted in the Parliament of Uganda. I have been on stage in collaboration with the Uganda National Contemporary Ballet (UNCB). To hone my storytelling craft, I have received training in Bayimba’s two week creative writing workshop chaired by Deborah Asiimwe, a BBC award winning playwright, and the Writivisim Writing Competition by CACE where I was mentored by Mr Richard Ugbede Ali, Nigerian Editor in Chief of the literary magazine, Sentinel Nigeria. As a musician, I recorded an album in November 2013 with Herbert Kinobe the world ambassador for Harmony Foundation of Canada. The album advocates for environmental protection, mental peace, and living a life of fulfillment. It was made possible with the help of Mrs. Anne Emmons in Hawaii, USA.
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Lawino: Anything else you want to say that I have missed asking?
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I am always happy when people tell me they like my poetry, but I am much more humbled when they quote sentences out of my poems. It keeps me motivated. My ultimate goal is to us poetry, music, and acting as a tool to communicate important messages to all kinds of people.
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Linda Nabasa(Nada) is a poet, a musician, an actress, and a writer. Her works have featured in many festivals, workshops and exhibitions, and she has performed in the Parliament of Uganda. She has received creative writing training from Bayimba (tutored by Deborah Asiimwe, a BBC award winning playwright) and from Writivisim CACE, where her mentor was Richard Ugbede Ali, Editor in Chief of Sentinel Nigeria. She has recorded a music album with Herbert Kinobe, and is currently working on her first book of poetry, ‘Nipples, Dimples, and Pimples.’
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