Ugandan artist Suzan Kerunen reissues Acher Achera album

First released in 2014, the collection was only available exclusively on CD. Acher Achera, meaning ‘I have resurrected’ in Luganda was written, recorded and composed after the artist lost her father.

“It defines a special season in my life. The memory of my loving dad, and celebration of new life,” Kerunen said. Themes of sisterhood, celebration, resilience and self-esteem run throughout the six-track offering.

“Drawing from real experiences, Kerunen puts her best foot forward and shares perhaps her most personal work to date, opting to be an inspiration for those undergoing grief, personal trials, and need some solace,” Kerunen’s team said.

Production is largely handled by Jude Mugerwa of Little Penny Studios who fuses Afropop and world music to share Kerunen’s story and showcase her range in African and Ugandan cultural music.

Hailed as the ‘Alur Queen’, Kerunen is a multilingual artist singing in local Ugandan languages, Swahili, English, French and Arabic.

Her music is a cultural statement through which her ancestral influences come to life. Listeners will also pick up on a blend of East African and West African ambience, through teasers of zouk, Congolese music and Afro-soul grooves combined with colourful Ugandan rhythms.

“It’s amazing it’s been 10 years since Acher Achera came out and I have lots of more great music unreleased digitally, and I would like my fans to get all of it as much as I am planning to play a physical concert soon,” Kerunen said.

Kerunen started her music journey in a group called Soul of Africa with her two sisters. She later went on to launch a solo career with her debut album Nimefika, a Swahili word meaning ‘I have arrived’.

She was nominated at the KORA All Africa Music Awards and performed on stages such as Sauti za Busara, ACCES, Bayimba Festival and Safaricom International Jazz Festival.

Kerunen has also committed herself to numerous causes that are close to her through her art, including the Pearl Rhythm Foundation, a Ugandan music and creative organisation that organises the Pearl Rhythm Festival to showcase new talent.