Wake talks poetry music and life experiences

GORDONS GOOD MUGODA aka Wake the Poet, 30, is a poet, gospel music rapper and spoken word artiste.

One of his poems, Rails of Hope, graced the staircase of the Global Health Centre in Geneva, which encouraged people to uptake vaccination against Covid-19. As a gospel artiste, he is behind songs such as Magero and For the Saviour, which he sang with Coopy Bly. He sat down with Quick Talk for an interview.

Could you tell Quick Talk about yourself?

My name is Mugoda Gordons Good, though most people know me by my stage name Wake. I am 30 years old and I am a poet, music producer, spoken word artiste, rapper and a pastor at Worship Harvest Ministries.

You are most known for your poetry; how did that journey start?

Well, I studied literature for six years at high school and it was during this period that I first got introduced to poetry. I started writing my own poetry [in A-level].

When I joined university, I started doing the whole spoken word and poetry thing. I would spare time to attend an event called Open Mic Uganda. I used to go as a rapper, but I watched a lot of amazing poets on stage and got inspired to start speaking my rap lines.

Particularly, there’s a poet called Maritza. Hearing her poem and the power that she had to move my soul with her words gave me the thought that maybe I should stop rapping my lines over beats and just speak them.

So, Maritza [famous radio host] inspired you to become a poet?

Yes, she did.

What has been your biggest breakthrough as a poet?

Working with organisations such as Kira Motors, Water Aid… I have also worked with some alumni from the Mandela Washington Fellowship. But I think the biggest stage I have had as a poet is when my poem Rails of Hope was published on the staircase of the Global Health Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

How did you feel seeing that?

It felt surreal. When writing and practicing that poem, I didn’t see it going that far! I was grateful.

Would you say that poetry comes naturally to you?

Well, I would say there is a deposit of it, but I think I’ve been nurtured by school and being exposed to the craft. I have learned from other poets such as Maritza, Mark Gordon, Jason Taro, Peter Kagai, Beverley Nambozo… Those people sort of helped me find my own feet. So, I wouldn’t say that it’s just the raw talent.

On to your music; how has it been like in the Ugandan industry?

It hasn’t been easy because of the kind of sound that I do. It’s not a quote-and-quote mainstream sound. So, it’s been a challenge. But it has also had its ups. I released an album Mwotty, which went on to win an Album of the Year award at the Vine Awards last year. So, there’s been a journey of learning and unlearning, a journey of discovering myself as a musician and finding my voice as a musician.

Do you know how to play any musical instrument?

Well, they say that the voice is an instrument. So, I can play my voice. I can fumble my way around a keyboard. I also can play the jembe and I can also play instruments of rhythm.

What has been your biggest hit rap song?

Well, to go by the statistics on Spotify, my biggest song is For The Saviour, a remix with Coopy Bly.

What was your childhood like?

I lost my mum at a really young age; so, I grew up with my dad – the best dad ever. He took me to the best schools and he has really been there for me despite being a single parent. I was privileged to have access to many things many children didn’t have access to, such as education. I also really liked growing up around my dad because he liked music.

So, which are those ‘best schools’?

I started at Elgon View Nursery school, then Rock-view primary school in Tororo. I studied at Hormisdallen primary school, Kirinya where I completed my primary education then I went to St Mary’s College, Kisubi for four years. For my A-level, I went to St Mary’s SS Kitende then on to Makerere University for a bachelor’s degree in Development Economics. Recently I also did a short course at the Harvest Institute, School of Leadership.

Development Economics and rap music/poetry…?

Such is life. I have a poem titled Education, that can answer that question. Sometimes the purpose of you going to school is not that you’re going to benefit from the paper, but maybe you’re going to benefit from the experience of going to school.

So, that experience has helped me even in my rap life. Like the knowledge of accounting has helped me. The people and friends that I met in that course, some of them are still my friends today and have opened doors for me in certain places. So, I think the course helped me.

Given a chance to rewind the clock, what course would you have studied at the university?

I would probably have done something around creative writing. Because words are things that come naturally to me. I love words. If I had studied creative writing back then, maybe my poetry would have had a greater impact than it already has.

Currently, I am trying to do my master’s degree in creative writing; I would also love to do a master’s degree in audio engineering.

Hmm, you are very talented!

Thank you, Quick Talk! I appreciate that.

So, where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I started the Word Weavers Academy, which is a space for poets, spoken word artistes, and songwriters. I started that to help give form to this incredible thing of word weaving, because the things we study in school and the things that are in the market are slightly different.

So, in 10 years, I see the academy becoming accredited, becoming a full academy with a physical space where students can actually come to just specifically focus on their gift. That’s the major one I see.

What keeps you moving?

That’s very simple; it’s God. Every single day is a blessing, every single day I am grateful that God has given me that day. I know that I’m not here for a long time, so every chance that I get to do what I have to do and hopefully add value, I am grateful for it, and that’s what keeps me going.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a boy from Pallisa who, by the grace of God, had impact beyond Pallisa, beyond Uganda, and beyond Africa. And by impact I mean a person who spread the love of God, who spread the light of God, who spread the grace and reached many people.

How do you balance family and work?

I’m right in the middle of figuring it out, because I am newly married. My wife and I are making 11 months, so, it’s a new experience for us – and we are still figuring it out, but I’m grateful that I have a wife that understands, and she’s also in the same field.

So, we already understand the dynamics that involve the craft that we’re in. We don’t have kids yet, which brings about a whole different dynamic, but when we get there we will figure it out.

What do you do in your free time?

I make music. I really like music. So, if I’m not making music, I listen to music a lot. One thing that I also do in my free time is play video games like FIFA and strategy games like chess. Plus, I love swimming which I haven’t done in a long time due to my busy schedule.

What’s your favourite quote?

It is an African proverb that says, patience can cook a rock. That, and a verse from the book of proverbs that states that “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

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