Afrobeats artist Omah Lay recently reflected on how his brief incarceration in Uganda has impacted his life and music career.
In December 2020, Omah Lay and Tems were held for three days after performing at a concert that breached COVID-19 restrictions.
In a new interview with Amazon Music, Omah Lay spoke about how his time in prison shifted his views on freedom.
He shared that his time in jail led him to value freedom more deeply, a sentiment that now informs his music.
Omah Lay mentioned that this experience has heightened his appreciation for liberty, which he reflects in his songs.
“After being in that cell for three days, I just love my freedom so much now that I fight for it with every record… I don’t want to give Uganda so much credit for locking me up, but that shifted my perspective about freedom,” Omah Lay said.
Omah Lay had previously opened up about his experience in a Ugandan prison. In a recent interview with The Beat FM in London, he described the ordeal as an “amazing time” despite its difficult nature at the moment.
He remarked:
“My ordeal in Ugandan prison was an amazing time for me. Although it was rough at the moment now looking back at the whole thing, it had to happen. It gave me the relationship I have with Tems and her manager, Muyiwa [Awoniyi] today. He [Muyiwa] was in the same cell with me.
“We were in Uganda for a show during the pandemic. We had paperwork to perform but for some reason, we got arrested after performing. And we are sent to jail. We were in jail for two days.
“It was just a very horrible experience. I wouldn’t want anybody to go through that. They were going to cut my hair, I wore a prison uniform. They were so close to cutting my hair but the person who was in charge of the prison was a fan of my music. He got us a nice spot in jail and took care of us.”
