Ulanda | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Mama Makossa |
| Born | December 31st Limbe, Cameroon |
| Genres | Makossa, Soul, Pop, R&B, and Afrobeats |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Labels | ULA ULE Entertainment |
| Website | ulanda |
Ulanda also known as "Mama Makossa", is a Cameroonian-born singer-songwriter known for her advocacy of women and children’s rights and her contributions to the makossa genre.
Early life
editUlanda was born on December 31st in Limbe, Cameroon, where she completed her primary and secondary education.[1] Both of her parents were singers. At a young age, she formed a singing group with her sisters called "The Bessong Sisters," performing at various events with their elder sister acting as their coach. In 2008, she participated in the Muzique Competition, reaching the semifinals.[2] Ulanda attended a boarding school called “Saker Baptist College”. In August 2011, Ulanda relocated to the United States but later returned to Cameroon at the end of the year 2020 to officially launch her music career.
Career
editUlanda officially started her music career with the release of her debut single, "One Day," in December of 2020. She followed this with several other singles, including "Na Me O," "In My Heart" featuring Tzy Panchak, "Ngo Ngo," and "You and Me" in 2021. Her work continued to evolve, and in 2022, she released "No Way" featuring Askia, "Beautiful," and "Doing Me Well" featuring Cleo Grae.[3]
Her single "Mon Mari," released in 2023, addresses the topic of domestic violence.[4] The song won the Best Music Video award at the Cameroon Music Evolution Awards,[5] presented during the third edition of the awards in Buea.[6] "Mon Mari" has garnered over 1.9 million views on YouTube, 1 million streams on Boomplay, 100,000 streams on Spotify and more than 15000 on Apple Music. It also charted on the Shazam charts for over 6 months in different parts of the world.[7] The video also charted on YouTube charts on number #45 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.[8]
Ulanda held various seminars and conferences in the southwest of Cameroon (Limbe and Buea) discussing the issue of domestic violence with women in the community. Seminars featured notable figures in the entertainment community like Caro (Mbeng Lilian), Aunty Feli (Kwoh Elonge), Aura foundation’s Adamma Anywawu and Emily Miki of DAF foundation.
Ulanda also founded “Mother Helen” a non-profit organization that focus on advocating for and assisting single mothers and pregnant women. Ulanda's music is characterized as contemporary, blending elements of Makossa, Soul, Pop, R&B, and Afrobeats. She also released her debut album, "Making Mama Makossa," in 2023, which stands out as her first body of work and represents her contributions to the Makossa music genre.[9] The EP focuses on childhood trauma, women’s rights and heartbreak and features Cameroonian artist Locko and producer TeddyBeatz. The EP was accompanied by a self-help book with 8 chapters tackling different topics like hygiene, dreams, love and relationships with lessons based on Ulanda’s life growing up as a young woman in cameroon.[10]
Discography
editSingle
edit- One day 2020
- Na Me O 2021
- In My Heart (feat. Tzy Panchak) 2021
- Ngo Ngo 2021
- You and Me 2021
- No Way (feat. Askia) 2022
- Beautiful - Single 2022
- Doing me well (feat. Cleo grae) 2022
- Mon Mari 2023
Albums
edit- Making Mama Makossa 2023
EP
edit- Otiogbu Intro
- Man Go Hang
- Mon Mari
- Remember Yourself
- E Don Tay Ulanda, Locko
- International Ulanda, TeddyBeatz
- Beautiful
Appears on
edit- Ain't Nobody (feat. Ulanda) by Fragile Ferron
References
edit- ^ https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/05/ulanda-shines-light-on-domestic-violence-with-hit-song-mon-mari/
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20221031081914/https://enowdigital.com/artiste-profile-ulandas-biography-career-personal-life/
- ^ https://priscillaphilips.com.ng/mag/ulanda-popularly-known-as-mama-makossa-turns-new-age/
- ^ https://akumradio.fm/mon-mari-ulanda-et-coco-emilia-convoquent-francismvemba/
- ^ https://tribuneonlineng.com/ulanda-shines-light-on-domestic-violence-with-hit-song-mon-mari/
- ^ https://mimimefoinfos.com/ulandas-mon-mari-wins-best-music-video-award-for-advocating-against-domestic-abuse/
- ^ https://www.instagram.com/ulandaulanda/p/CzyTxKSgU5B/?locale=sl&img_index=1
- ^ https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/05/ulanda-shines-light-on-domestic-violence-with-hit-song-mon-mari/
- ^ https://nexdimempire.com/ulanda-reinvents-makossa-in-her-new-album-making-of-mama-makossa.html/
- ^ https://237showbiz.com/music/music-videos/video-download-ulanda-mon-mari-prod-by-teddybeatz/