Meet Handsome Jimmy, the Chinese who found love on Ugandan reality

TV WU YIMING aka Handsome Jimmy is a Chinese social media sensation who sings better in Luganda than a regular Kampala dweller.

He is a musician and businessman based in Uganda. Recently, Handsome Jimmy met the love of his life on the Ugandan reality TV show, Hello Mr. Right.

Quick Talk met him at Star Times offices and had a chat with him.

What is your real name?

My name is Wu Yiming [Quick Talk struggles pronounce his name]. I have given up expecting people to get it right. But you can also always call me Handsome Jimmy.

How did the name Handsome Jimmy come about? [Laughs hard] Okay, I will be honest. I gave it to myself.

Wu Yiming was causing people pain trying to pronounce it. I watched people’s faces twist like they were lifting weights every time I introduced myself. So, I decided to make life easy for everyone.

I am handsome, the name is Jimmy, and here we are. The internet agreed and that is all that matters.

How long have you been in Uganda?

[Sighs, as though trying to remember.] Uhmmm… Fifteen years! I have been here so long, I sometimes even dream in Luganda [now, there’s an image…Note to self: don’t backbite a foreigner in Luganda.]

However, some people always assume I just landed from Beijing last Tuesday, but no, I have been eating matooke and dodging boda bodas since before some of your readers finished primary school.

Actually, Quick Talk thought you only came recently!

No, but I get that a lot. I think it is the face maybe. It stays fresh. Uganda has been good to me. For the time you have spent in Uganda, what is your favourite food?

Matooke and groundnut sauce is my favourite [smiles]. That combination is undefeated. But for breakfast, the rolex is like religion [for the uninitiated, rolex is a popular street food consisting of an omelette wrapped in a chapatti].

In fact, whoever invented that deserves a monument on Kampala Road. I always tell my friends back in China about it and they think I am exaggerating.

We learned that you own an IT company. Please tell Quick Talk more about it.

Yes! I own IGold Software and we deal in point-of-sale systems (POS). So, whether you run a small shop in Kikuubo, a supermarket, a wholesale store or a restaurant, we give you the software that handles your transactions, manages your inventory and also tracks your sales in real time.

Basically, I help Ugandan businesses stop losing money and start counting it properly.

You also sing! You have Asirizizza, the crowd favourite Bamulete and the collabo with Khalifa Aganaga – Body. What makes you enjoy singing in Luganda?

[Laughs] Look, when you live somewhere for fifteen years, that place enters your blood. I have walked these streets, eaten this food, laughed with these people; Luganda was the natural next step.

I will not claim I speak it perfectly. My manager, Shaz, sometimes looks at me during rehearsals like he is second-guessing all his life choices, but the fans love it and honestly, so do I.

There is something powerful about singing in a language and watching the crowd light up because you respected their tongue enough to learn it.

Who writes your lyrics?

My lyrics are crafted by a team led by my manager, Shaz. He is the brains. I am the face and the voice. It is a very efficient partnership.

Which female Ugandan artiste would you like to collaborate with? [Sighs] Maybe Spice Diana or Sheebah. I say both, because I genuinely cannot choose.

Both of them bring an energy and style that I think would complement what I do very well. If either of them reads this, my manager’s number is available. Call us.

Recently, you found love on Hello Mr. Right. Tell us about that experience.

You know, I always say love is the original motivation for human beings; everything else comes after. So, I went on that show with an open heart and I found Shamim. Beautiful, warm, wonderful Shamim [blushes as he speaks about his lover].

She has completely changed the colour of my days. I went looking for a connection and came back with a whole future. Additionally, I loved the hampers given to me on the show, but specifically the V&A Sherry.

I am not usually one for liquor, but that one had character. Shamim and I finished it together; so, you could say it contributed to the romance.

From your association with Shamim, what have you loved about Ugandan women?

A lot, by the way. Ugandan women are kind in a way that feels very intentional [stammers as he tries to connect his English].

They are open- minded and the respect they carry themselves with, is something else. Shamim, especially, has shown me that. She is not just beautiful on the outside. Infact she is solid and I feel very lucky.

What should your fans expect in the near future?

More music, definitely. I have things cooking that I think people will enjoy. And also, I am planning a concert. I keep saying “maybe” but let me be honest, it is becoming a “when.” Kampala, start stretching. Handsome Jimmy is coming to a stage near you.

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