Mad Ice
| Mad Ice | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ahmed Mohamed Kakoyi |
| Born |
8 October 1980 Masaka, Uganda |
| Origin | Ugandan artist based in Tanzania and later in Finland |
| Genres | Raggamuffin, Afro-pop, Afro-soul, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Kokwa Records, Tanzania Mwamba Records, Finland Edel Records, Finland Recordhouse Music, Finland |
| Associated acts | Miikka "Mwamba" Kari (producer) |
| Website | www |
Ahmed Mohamed Kakoyi (born in Masaka, Uganda on 8 October 1980) better known by his stage name Mad Ice is a Ugandan singer and songwriter of Raggamuffin and at a later stage with Afro-pop and Afro-soul music. He gained fame in Uganda, Tanzania and throughout Eastern Africa, later settling in Finland and developing a distinct world music career still singing mostly in Swahili and Luganda with some additional lyrics in English. Considered a world music performer from East Africa, he has appeared in jazz, world music, pop, rock and fusion festivals and has released studio albums Baby Gal, Mad Ice and Maneno and EP Maisha.
Mad Ice was born on 8 October 1980 in Masaka and moved to Kampala when he was one year old. At age 7, his family moved to Tanzania coming back to Uganda when he was ten. His first experiences were with Dancehall/Ragga Muffin music in Uganda starting in 1995. In 1999 as a young 19-year-old, he relocated back to Mwanza, Tanzania and eventually to Dar es Salaam to pursue better opportunities as an MC and performer on various shows and venues. In his formative years in Tanzania, he was trained and supervised by Canadian musician Corry Morriarty and Tanzanian musician Richard Mloka and learned to play guitar. Influenced mostly by mid 1990s Caribbean sounds of Chaka Demus & Pliers, Shaggy amongst others, his first recording was "Wanadamu" that found airplay time on some stations and was a hit in Tanzania. Encouraged by its success, he released the follow up single "Baby Gal" that exploded throughout East Africa. His debut album Baby Gal was published in 2003 with some further success. He says in an interview: "I was born in Uganda, but I spent some years in Tanzania. There my career as a singer really started. Since I sang mostly in Swahili, the majority has always taken me as a Tanzanian artist". The 2003 album was produced in Tanzania by Finnish record producer based in Tanzania called Miikka "Mwamba" Kari. It included soca beats, African rhythms, with touches of Ragga, Soul and Pop, and songs sung in Swahili, Luganda and English.
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