Added: Jun 09, 2022

Iriama Sarah is my biological name and Sarah Lokong is my stage name. I am a Ugandan by Nationality, a
Karimojong by birth and living in Karamoja (Moroto city)
I do African contemporary music, and it entails folk, reggae, dance hall and has some acoustic aspect too in
both peace and gospel songs. Some of my songs are in reggae because most of the artist who advocated for
freedom sung their songs in that rhythm and Lucky Dube inspired me and made me realize that music can be
used as weapon/ instrument of peace in my region which is ranked as the number one in insecurity.
It also has the folk/ traditional sound because I realized Karamoja is also ranked as having the large number
of illiterate communities who are at the front of cattle rustling because they know it is the only way to survive
so in order to reach them with the message of peace, my songs should have a traditional beat that will call for
their attention while passing the message of peace at the same time.
My love for music started from childhood. I would sing in Sunday school in the 1980s, thereafter joined
church choir in the 1990s and then became individual singer in 2005 when insecurity in Karamoja was at its
peak and needed quick intervention through peace songs and gospel music. Nothing makes me happy and at
peace when I compose a song and my society gets the message of rebuke, correction, and reconciliation.
My style of music makes listeners emotional because I write it basing on what is happening in my society
like blood shade, cattle rustling and its effect on the land and development. I also have slow peace songs with
clear message, and it soothes diplomatic people who do not love quick music and at the end, the message
passed softly. Above all, I sing gospel songs to give my listeners hope that much as we are in a hopeless
situation, there is hope in God.
My music has had greater influence in my society for example the first peace song I composed in 2005 called
Karamoja made my people realize that whatever word mentioned in that song after handing over the guns to
the government came to pass like good harvest, animals multiplied, freedom of movement without fear, many
NGOs came to develop the region. From 2005 to date, that song has never lost demand. Most of the listeners
appreciate the music and have encouraged me to produce more educative peace songs.
I present my songs at the peace dialogues, audios played on FM radio stations, I have had radio interviews by
the presenters and my recent interview was on the 6th/06/2022 in Etoil a Karamoja FM, Moroto radio
presenters of Ateker FM request to have an interview with me because there is high demand for the recent
song I released called Ayeini Ngikonirwa (God knows the end of your 40 days)
Currently I am planning for shows, do videography because I have never done so due to financial constraints,
have my own YouTube channel and link, composing more songs that will be recorded if a well-wisher would
come in to support my music project financially because I have been saving the little I would get to at least
pay the studio to have the songs out. All in all, the love to see my people change never makes me rest till I see
Karamoja peaceful because everything is meaningless without it.