Herman Basudde

Herman Basudde was born on December 5, 1958 to Eria Katende and Dimitiria Namyalo. He attended Kibanda Primary School and Kitenga Primary School, and is said not to have gone beyond primary school.

His brother, Timothy Sserunjoji, said that the reason he did not go further with his studies may have been a lack of funds to facilitate his love and passion for music. One of Bassude's classmates in school said that he was a quick learner with a passion for art and graphic design. In addition, he was a member of the school choir.

The legacy of Basudde in the field of music can be traced to a friend of his father, Eria. The late Mark Makumbi, a former Bukedde TV and CBS Radio presenter, spoke about Basudde while giving some background on kadongo kamu singers.

Brown Rodgers, a friend of Eria during World War II, gave him a guitar as a way to remember him after the war, and his son took an interest in the instrument. The guitar quickly took up much of Bassude's time, and his mother Dimitiria was dismayed that he spent less and less time doing housework or schoolwork. However, Eria insisted that Bassude keep practicing as he might prosper in a musical career. The guitar, along with the absolute poverty in which the family lived, pushed Bassude to drop out out school.

Bassude quickly became something of a local legend. Whenever there was a party in the village, he entertained the guests with his guitar and his music, receiving money in return as a token of appreciation. However, this was not looked upon favorably by others. Some youth wanted to force him out of the area, jealous that he was earning presents and gifts for his services.

One day, Bassude was entertaining at a local Catholic church, where he sang a song called ”Amajjiini ngetala luno" (The Rampant Demons). The priest liked it so much that he told him to play it again and again, and paid him generously. This troubled Bassude's rivals, and they secretly planned a way of taking him out.

In the area, there was a rebel group called “FEDEMU” which had captured most of the part of Southern Uganda. Peace was now in their hands. Basudde's rival youth approached them informing them that Basudde had a gun. Immediately, they searched his father's house. and the entire place. They grabbed him and took him for interrogation, torturing him unceasingly while asking for the whereabouts of the gun. He was later brought back home almost dead. He was taken to Masaka Referral Hospital where he was treated for many days. He later returned home and recovered there. As he gained energy, his father advised him to leave the village or else he would lose his life.

In the mid 1980s, he was picked by Eria Katende and brought to Kampala.