Lady Jaydee

BIO

Lady Jaydee is arguably Tanzania's most popular singer. Her electrifying lyrics, sing-along melodies and a dash of true African womanhood gives her a well-deserved recognition throughout East Africa and beyond. Born Judith Wambura, Jaydee started shining at the age of seven in a church choir in Shinyanga. After completing her secondary education she joined Tanzania's most popular radio station Clouds FM as a presenter.

In early 2000, while still working as a radio presenter, Lady Jaydee released her first single 'Nakupenda' which hit No.1 on various radio stations in Tanzania. It was followed by another hit single, 'Mpenzi Wangu.' Jaydee gave up radio presenting to become a full-time musician. The gamble paid off when she released 'Machozi' (Tears) – soul food to many of her fans.

In 2000 she was the first Tanzanian female artist to launch a solo album and subsequently spent two busy years performing, touring and enjoying success. Early in 2003, Lady Jaydee returned with two controversial hit singles 'Usiusemee Moyo' and 'Wanaume Kama Mabinti'. She soon released her second album, 'Binti' (Daughter), containing 12 new compositions including another smash hit, 'Siri Yangu'.

In 2005 she released her third and most successful album to date, 'Moto' (Fire), featuring a stellar line up of guest artists including Samba Mapangala (DRC), TID (Tanzania) and Titi (Uganda). Hits from the album include 'Rafiki Wa Mashaka' and 'Distance', a song in which she sings in seven languages (Kiswahili, English, Zulu, Lingala, French, Chinyarwanda and Chiganda). It spent almost a year on radio and TV rotation and remains one of her best-loved hits.

Jaydee's albums continue selling extremely well and she is recognized as the top selling artist in Tanzania. She has won numerous awards, including Tanzania Music Awards and Channel O Awards, and was nominated for Koras for Best Female East African artists from 2003 to 2005. In 2012 she released 'Ya 5. The Best of Lady Jaydee.'