A career that started while at Nabumali High School over a decade ago has seen the 27-year-old Police Officer release eight songs on his first album, a talent he now plans to strengthen to make a decent living. Fred Hidula reports.
Zachary Ochom was inspired by Nigeria’s singing duo P’ Square while at Nabumali Boarding Primary School. He took part in co-curricular activities especially Music, Dance and Drama. Ochom’s desire to join the entertainment industry was further manifested in high school as he continued to take part in inter- house music competitions.
He began writing music in 2007 while in senior one but because he had no money to produce it, he kept his lyrics. In 2015 he hit the studio to release his first single song: ‘Why You Wanna’. The love song is based on a true story depicting a Ugandan soldier who went to Somalia and on return discovered that his wife had fallen for another man, and despite attempts to repossess his wife the estranged soldier failed to win her back.
At a cost of Shs150,000 only, Hinterland Studio in Makindye produced Ochom’s audio. The song immediately gained ample airplay not only in Uganda but also in Kenya and Nigeria. It was also prominent on Urban Television and Magic TV; and the singer was profiled in some newspapers in Uganda.
Ochom has so far released eight songs including Ekatau, Angel, Omwoyo, Lose My Mind, Marry You, Happy Birthday, Omutima Neguyaayana and Will You Be With Me? He once performed with Coco Finger in Mbale and Soroti districts in 2017. For this he claims he was never paid. Ochom also says his interest was not to make money but build his career as a musician.
Opportunities
Zac Wayne, for that is Ochom’s stage name, has made many friends in and out of the entertainment industry. He has gone on to gain connections with different personalities of all walks of life through his involvement in the music world.
Way forward
Ochom’s plan is to concentrate on music as a means of making money. This, he thinks, can only come true when he completes setting up his personal studio.
“The equipment will be vital because I intend to continue writing my own music. I also want to study a course in audio and visual production,” he revealed during an interview. His target is to raise about Shs20m as startup capital to be able to achieve his desired career goal.
Cost of shooting music videos
Ochom’s music video ‘Why You Wanna’ was done by producer Czar in 2017 at a cost of Shs1.2m. Ochom says this was a low budget video shoot. But he is quick to add that he believes the sky will be his limit when he finally shoots the videos for his remaining songs.
This is his greatest target. This way, Ochom says, he will be able to reap from his sweat because he believes he has got the talent and music.
More challenges
Ochom’s other challenge is balancing his work with music since the two are demanding at all times. He is also unhappy with ‘bigger’ artists whom he blames for ‘conniving’ with producers to ‘rob’ young artists of their efforts.
He, however, plans to hire a manager who can help him with bookings for shows, among other things, so that he can be able to reap from his talent.
What friends say
His friend and workmate, commonly known as Czar, says Zac Wayne is hard working when it comes to music.
“He is very creative.
We plan to do a song together,” Czar divulged. Zac Wayne further plans on shooting videos for all his eight songs and fully market them before engaging himself in collabos, new songs and videos for his record label termed T World Wide Entertainment.
Joining the Police Force
Currently, Ochom is a Police Officer attached to the Counter Terrorism Unit in Kampala. He joined the force in 2013 after completing his senior six. He did the training at Kabalya Training School in Masindi District having been recruited from Mbale District.
He decided to join the force after his late father John Gress Ochom was critically ill. As the first born child, he saw no future of furthering his education. He therefore joined the Force to fend for himself but also to support his siblings. But he had music at heart.
Background
Zachary Ochom was born on December 12, 1992 in Serere District to Betty Alupo and the late John Gress Ochom who was a teacher by profession.
He is a born-again Christian and plans on embarking on sole gospel music albums. He is also the first born in a family of five. He attended Nabumali Primary School, Nabumali High School for his O’ Level and Masaba SS where he completed his A’ Level in 2012.
