On the Groove Cafe yesterday, Joseph Ategeka a.k.a Sir Jose revealed that he learned to play the saxophone by himself.
Sir Jose grew up playing musical instruments in a school brass band. However, he only played percussions, side drums, and symbols. Later, he got to play the trumpet, trombone, and other instruments.
He got introduced to the saxophone through a village band where he played as a teenager.
“I was about 15 when it was added to the band, but I never played it right away. I looked at it from 2002 to 2009. So one time, a friend came around and was surprised that no one was playing it. He encouraged me to play it, showed me a few notes, and left the rest for me,” he recalled.
Sir Jose continued that he slowly picked up on his own even though it was hard at first. "Of course, it was challenging at the start, but the more it challenged me, the more I got intrigued to discover more about it. So I continued playing for 1 year, 2 years and now it’s been 12 years.”
Sir Jose added that he got inspired by instrumentalists such as Kenny G, Mzee Moses Matovu, and Isaiah Katumwa among others. In 2008, he made a brave step of making it his full-time job.
“When I started, I wanted to be like those guys. I started to practice while copying them, listening to jazz, and then after four years, I decided to take it on as a personal job. It was very scary at first, my heart raced almost every time I went on stage, but with time, I got used because I also had the support from my audience, friends, and family.”
Sir Jose admitted that even though music has enabled him travel to different parts of the country and the world, his expectations of it are yet to be met.
“I think it will be after the release of my album. I started working on it last year, and it's called Cheza. When we started working on it with my colleagues, we thought it would take a few months, but it has taken like 8 months now. It's fun though,” he said.
The album comprises African stories, beats, and a fun feel. Sir Jose said that as a son of the African soil, he is inspired by the African culture.
“I love Africa that's why I am making it African. I want people to have fun, and to know me because I am a happy and lively person who wants to showcase that in my music.”
The Cheza musical album will be released in July 2022. Some of his music will be displayed on the social media pages of @ate.joe on Instagram and Facebook. It will then be followed by a massive musical concert.
The Groove Cafe with Crystal Newman airs every Weekday from 4-5 pm on RX Radio.
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