Joshua Baraka, the voice coming out of Kampala
Joshua Baraka has become one of East Africa’s most talked about singer songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Born and raised in Kampala, he started making music as a child and sharpened his craft playing drums in church and studying music while growing up in Bwaise and Kawempe. His sound blends Afrobeat, R&B, dancehall and Amapiano, and he has steadily built a reputation as a sensitive vocalist and clever songwriter who can deliver intimate moments as easily as upbeat jams. He has also collaborated with notable producers and seen several singles cross regional playlists, turning him into Uganda’s fastest rising music export.
A year of success
After having a wonderful year leading to his album release, Joshua Baraka is undeniably the leading face of East African music right now. Let’s take a look at his 2025 in numbers: “Wrong Places” sparked 6 BILLION TikTok views, inspired 12M TikTok creations since its May release Peaked at #1 on the Global Worldwide Shazam Chart Performed at AfroNation Portugal Nominated for Artist of the Year at the TikTok Awards Co-headlined Blankets & Wine Festival in Nairobi with Tems. Add to that, his album amassing over 14million streams within 48 hours of its release.
Juvie, at a glance
Juvie is Joshua Baraka’s full length project released on Friday, November 28, 2025. The album arrives after a string of successful singles and EPs and positions him as an artist known for emotional honesty and melodic craft. The project is brief and focused, built around concise songs that fold modern Afropop production into intimate lyricism and moments of live instrumentation. On streaming platforms the release was promoted as his debut album and has already appeared on editorial playlists and new release highlights which shows how seriously the industry is taking this chapter of his career.
The sound
Juvie glides between soft guitar driven moments, bright percussion and modern electronic textures. The producers who shaped the record root it in contemporary Afrofusion while allowing Joshua’s voice to remain the emotional anchor. Instead of overwhelming arrangements, the album keeps things tidy and soulful so that melodies and small production details stand out. Collaborations add colour without distracting from Joshua as the heart of the narrative. Early singles such as Wrong Places and Still Young already hinted at his balance of vulnerability and melody.
Themes and message
At its core the album feels like a coming of age story. Juvie explores the space between ambition and belonging, the lessons of difficult moments and the quiet hope that love and creativity can reshape a life. Joshua rarely uses grand statements. He prefers small image rich lines about people, places and the quiet moments between the noise. This style makes the record feel confessional, almost like a private journal that listeners are invited into. Growth is the album’s recurring thread. Every mistake, longing or brief triumph forms part of the journey rather than an interruption.
Standout moments
Some of the strongest moments in the project are the soft ballads where Joshua’s voice floats on minimal production, as well as the more energetic songs that tap into Afrobeats and dancehall grooves while keeping a pop friendly approach. There are moments where a simple guitar riff sits beside a soft harmony and suddenly the song feels luminous. The production choices favor space and breath which makes the entire record feel alive and intentionally crafted. These are the kinds of moments that have already helped the project gain attention beyond East Africa.
For Joshua Baraka, this album is a significant leap from promising singles to a clear artistic identity. Releasing a cohesive album in a streaming dominated era signals a commitment to longevity and craft. For the wider East African scene, the album is another sign of how artists from the region are creating records that stand up in global Afropop spaces while keeping their local stories and textures intact. The balance between organic instrumentation and modern production places Joshua firmly among artists shaping the new wave of Afrofusion.
Conclusion
Juvie is an intimate and carefully made debut that presents Joshua Baraka as an artist ready for a long and thoughtful career. Released on Friday, November 28, 2025, the project highlights his strengths as a vocalist, writer and storyteller. If you are new to his music start with the quieter songs to feel his lyricism, then explore the brighter moments to experience how he rides contemporary Afropop production. Juvie offers warmth, honesty and craft in equal measure and sets the stage for whatever Joshua Baraka creates next.