This interview is exclusive to Monitor
His story
Introduce yourself
My name is Edwin Katamba, a father, husband, journalist, chief executive officer, a businessman and a hustler.
How many children do you have?
I am a father of six lovely children. Three sons and three daughters.
How and when did you meet Fille?
I met Fille through mutual friends at Buzz Teeniez Awards (BTAs) back in 2013
What went through your mind the first time you saw her?
I saw this cute girl, who was around artistes but kept quiet all the time. I got attracted to her and I asked her friend to interest her to come to Club Rouge later on. I just thought I needed a good friend because I was going through a bad relationship. She was decent, quiet and behaved like a lady. I wanted to take her out for a drink.
Did they honour the invite to the club?
Yes, they came to Club Rouge and I was short of words the whole night to tell her. I was scared. I wanted to ask her what her interests were but I could not ask. I only managed to ‘steal’ her number from one of the friends.
Was it just the cuteness and quietness that had struck you about her?
Just those two traits.
So what was your next move after getting her number?
I started calling and texting her, almost every minute, telling her where I was and what I was doing.
Did you also tell her how much you like her?
Of course, I fused that in. I did not see or meet her for the next three weeks. She was busy in church and she told me so, sometimes I thought she was trying to avoid me.
After how long did you get to close in on her?
It took me about two months. I told her I needed a friend. She allowed to meet me but with her friends. She invited me to church, at Rubaga Miracle Centre, a couple of times. Then, people started telling her all sort of things about me. Hell broke loose.
What were people telling her about you?
They were telling her that I have 20 children, 30 women I am bad company. Even friends in church judged me, and said a lot of untrue things but she didn’t believe them. She said she wanted to know me more. As friends, I opened up to her about the real me. We started hanging out more often. This went on for four months and she got to trust me. With time, I told her that I wanted us to be more than friends because she made me happy and she never judged me.
How would you describe the real you?
People judge me because of what is written about me in papers, and for the mistakes I have made but they too have things under their beds. I am a humble, loving and caring guy. I am not pretentious.
Are you as much a womaniser as media portrays you?
No, the industry blinded me but that is not the inner me. I got into the industry at a young age with no parents to guide me. I hustled, saw things on my own, and made mistakes here and there.
What are the biggest mistakes you regret?
Having children early, drinking a lot and learning to smoke.
How many woman do you have children?
With six women.
Was this an issue when you started dating Fille?
I had told her all about the women.
What was her reaction?
She expected 20 children, so it was a bit okay after telling her my story.
What story did you tell her?
The truth about me.
How did you transition from friendship to dating?
I started by calling her more often. When she was at church, I went to attend. I could talk to her most of the day and tell her what was hurting me and what made me happy. This was before I even knew she could sing. Then I started sleeping over at her place. One thing led to another
When did you realise you had won her heart?
She gave me time. She often moved out with me and introduced me to church and her friends.
When did she move in?
I moved in. I was going through a bad experience at home.
Tell me about it...
I was at very bad terms with my baby mama so I left the house for her. I just got my clothes and left, to get some peace.
What is your relationship like with the mothers of your children?
It is good because we have to raise our children.
Do you take care of them as your women or have they moved on to other relationships?
They moved on.
Tabloids have reported break-ups between you and Fille...how true are they?
They are false
Did you plan for the baby?
Yes.
How has her arrival affected your relationship with Fille?
She loves her way too much. Sometimes she forgets about me…ha ha ha
What do you do to get her attention?
We work together so I get it then and we hang out together most times.
Have you officially visited her parents or guardians?
So many times because that is where we leave the baby when we are going for shows out of town.
How receptive was her family towards you?
It was not good at first.
What plans do you have with Fille?
I would like to raise a good family with her and grow in our careers.
Her story
How are you doing?
I am doing fine.
How would you describe your boyfriend?
He is patient with me, he is understanding and caring but most of all, he is very loving.
When was the first time you met him?
It must have been in 2013.
How did you meet?
We met at a youth event around November 2013. It was at Buzz Teeniez Awards (BTAs).
What did you think of him the first time you saw him?
I thought he talked too much.
What had you heard about him?
I knew nothing about him so I did not hear anything about him
Did you openly welcome him into your life?
Not really. I gave him quite a hard time by the way.
Why did you make it hard for him?
I do not know. I guess I needed time to know him more.
What happened when you gave it time?
I got time to really know who he is
What did you find out?
He is patient and loving.
At what point did you make up your mind to date him fully?
I wouldn’t estimate but it was a couple of months before we started dating.
How receptive was your family towards him?
My family welcomed him
How did you feel when he was welcomed?
It felt good because family comes first.
What is it like dating when you are both in showbiz?
At first, it was tricky but now it is normal. We do not mix pleasure with business
How do you manage to do that?
I know when it’s business and I know when it’s personal so I behave accordingly.
How do you spend your time away from work?
I spend most of my time with my daughter when I am off work
Do you and Kats have the opportunity to have ‘couple’ time?
I am with him most of the time, so yes.
How has he helped you in your singing career?
A lot, quite a lot. I would not be here if it was not for him and his efforts
What has he done to help your career?
He has helped promote my music plus he is my manager so he books shows and interviews for me.
Where do you draw the professional line from being lovers or a couple?
I know when its business and when it is personal. I cannot explain it really
What challenges do you face as a couple?
Sometimes we have to work together even when we have personal issues.
How do you handle your differences?
We first of all speak the truth, confront the matter, pray about it and go past it.
How is motherhood treating you?
It’s mixed emotions. It is a little challenging since I am a first-time mother. It is also exciting and amazing.
How are you coping?
I am coping perfectly well
How is Kats as a father?
He is a great father
How does he play his role as a father?
He is a caring man who provides and makes sure we are all happy.
What being in a relationship has taught us
What challenges do you face?
Kats: Working together, especially where emotions get involved while at work. Some decisions I make are sometimes good for work but not for her. When we get a misunderstanding at work, it affects our relationship at home.
Resolving conflict
We pray a lot and we have learnt to give each other space so that we don’t say a lot when angry.
Dealing with her family
They had heard the talk of me having 25 children, 15 women and that I drink and smoke too much. No parent would want such a son-in-law but Fille had my back because she had seen the real me.
Proof of love
Kats: I proposed to her twice. The first one was to ask her if she could date me and the second one was the real one.
How different is Fille from the other women you have dated?
She is my friend, she is God-fearing, not pretentious and loves all my kids. She is loyal.
How would you describe her?
She is reserved around people she is not familiar with. She is jolly, hates stress, respectful, hardworking and God-fearing. She is real.
What achievements have you made together?
We want that private.
Come on Edwin…
She will be pissed but basically, we have invested in land, boda bodas and cars
You are both in showbiz, how do you handle that?
We try so hard not to clash in each other’s businesses. We respect each other’s jobs. We plan for our finances together. If we have gigs at the same time, we separate to avoid colliding.
How do you define love?
Trust, patience, forgiveness and loyalty.
Which couple do you look up to, and why?
I don’t have any because our problems are unique.
Do ladies still hit on you?
Yeah, women like settled men.
How do you deal with them?
I tell them up front but some say they don’t care, so I avoid them.
You mean you have not cheated on Fille since you met?
No comment.
[H/T: Daily Monitor]
