Ugandan singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kyle Simbwa is entering a new chapter in his career after being selected as the latest artist to join Apple Music’s Up Next programme in East Africa.
The recognition places Simbwa among emerging artists being highlighted by Apple Music for their distinctive sound and creative potential, giving the Kasangati-born musician a platform to reach audiences beyond Uganda and the region.
Simbwa’s music is shaped by an unusually broad collection of influences. His sound draws from ‘90s R&B and soul, ‘80s synth-pop, A.O.R., Disney television, as well as the Afrobeats and Hip-Hop he grew up listening to.
Rather than keeping those influences in separate boxes, he blends them into an Afrobeat and Alté sound that has increasingly become his own.
“Being selected for Up Next East Africa by Apple Music means a lot because I'm part of a generation of African artists building something uniquely ours. I want people to hear my music, feel where I'm from, and see how far it can travel,” Simbwa told Apple Music.
“For me, 2026 is about taking everything I've been building and pushing it further. More records, pursuing bigger ideas, and continuing to represent Uganda and East Africa on a wider stage. Mwebale nnyo.”
Simbwa is also an artist deeply involved in the making of his music.
He writes, produces, records, mixes and engineers his own work, giving him the freedom to experiment with sound without having to rely entirely on outside producers or studios.
That approach was evident in his debut project, Person, released in 2025. Since then, he has continued building his catalogue with songs including Mwana Gwe, Love Me or Don’t and East African Girl.
His profile has also been growing on the live circuit, with headline performances at Xpressions and appearances at Afro Urban alongside artists including Mike Kayihura and Kohen Jaycee.
Now, Simbwa is using the momentum to introduce his next chapter with East African Summer, a seven-track EP exploring love, nightlife, freedom, movement and the everyday experiences shaping a new generation of East African youth.
The project moves between Afrobeats, R&B, Hip-Hop and alternative African sounds, drawing inspiration from carefree moments, late-night adventures, road trips and relationships.
While the project is rooted in Simbwa’s Ugandan identity, its influences are deliberately wide-ranging reflecting the increasingly borderless way young African artists consume, create and share music.
As the newest Up Next artist in East Africa, Simbwa will be featured across Apple Music’s Up Next playlist, which showcases emerging artists selected by Apple Music editors from different parts of the world.
The programme has previously featured artists who went on to build significant international audiences, including Billie Eilish, Khalid, H.E.R., Burna Boy, Rema, Tems, Megan Thee Stallion, Daniel Caesar, Summer Walker, Bad Bunny and 6LACK.
For Simbwa, however, the latest recognition is less about arriving and more about what comes next.
His journey from Kasangati to an Apple Music global platform is another indication of how Ugandan artists are finding new ways to take locally rooted stories and sounds to wider audiences.