It was on such a day (8 June 1984) that Exodus, original name George Lubega Timothy was born to an Acholi mother, the late Doreen Lamwaka and a half caste father, Mortage Matovu.
When he was 10, his mother passed on. The singer says he was then taken up by his polygamous father. Rejected, physically and mentally abused, Exodus left his father for the streets of Kampala.
He started feeding in dustbins, smoking marijuana, sniffing petrol and pickpocketing for a living around Katwe, Dewinton road and Owino market which was his base.
Meeting Christ
In 2001, he left the streets for Nakulabye in Kiyaaye where together with a friend, Dan Kimuli, began a new life.
It was Kimuli who suggested that he visit pastor Robert Kayanja’s Miracle Centre church.
“I wanted to taste this Jesus that was preached that day, and the following week I went back and gave my life to Jesus”
The man he has become
Despite the challenging past, the 33-year old has grown to become somebody. He is married to Brenda Mwanje Lubega with whom they have a child.
“I am a philanthropist, and a social worker. I work with a charity organisation in the country, The Irene Gleeson Foundation that was started by my adoptive mother. We take care of ex-child soldiers.”
Gospel music
After meeting Pastor Kayanja n 2002, in 2004 he became a leader and singer in the church choir. It is the same year that Isaac Rucibigango (Rucci) recruited Exodus and two others, Bahati Nsereko and Kenneth Tusubira, to form the Sauti band that toured the Great Lakes region.
He toured Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya. While in Kenya in 2007, he left Sauti. In 2008, he released his first song Ganjaman. The song later became very big and it took over Uganda and beyond. He followed that single with Addicted, I am Walking and his biggest hit yet, Igwe.
2016-2017, he has released such songs that include Tosumagila, Happy and Nyinimu, which song raised controversy due to its video concept.
Elsewhere, we have lost count of his awards.
Dealing with tabloids
“Every relevant person is always attacked. You become a target for criticism and attacks. And it is important not to dwell on that and stay focused. Honesty, I just laugh it off, because 99 per cent of what is written in tabloids are not true, it’s to sell the paper. These are business people, out to make money.”
Learnt something? Most certainly hope so.
