Philly Bongoley Lutaaya

Full name	Philly Bongoley Lutaaya
Date of birth	19 October 1951
Country	Uganda
Date of death	15 December 1989

Philly Bongoley Lutaaya was a legendary Ugandan singer, multi-instrumentalist, and humanitarian who became one of East Africa’s most celebrated cultural icons. After rising through Kampala's live music scene, he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, in the 1980s. There, he created his signature album Born in Africa, which fused traditional Ugandan rhythms with global Afro-pop, and recorded a classic Christmas Album that remains the definitive festive soundtrack in Uganda. In 1989, at the peak of his career, Lutaaya became the first prominent African public figure to openly announce he had contracted HIV/AIDS. He spent his final months touring communities to preach compassion and recording his poignant farewell album, Alone and Frightened. By choosing openness over secrecy, he broke the stigma surrounding the epidemic and helped shape Uganda’s early public health response, leaving behind a lasting legacy of artistic excellence and immense personal courage.