Fred Masagazi (born 1937, died 2009) was a prominent Ugandan musician, singer, composer, and Afrojazz artist who maintained a career spanning over fifty years. He began his music career in 1955 as a singer in a Congolese band called "Tinapa," performing songs in both Congolese and Luganda. Masagazi is widely considered a pioneer of recording local music and a "God father" of the Kadongo Kamu genre, a style of Ugandan music often characterized by the prominence of a solo guitar. His brand of music was known for its "educative singing" and he was among the few musicians associated with Uganda's independence in 1962.
Masagazi's breakthrough came with his song "Kolazizo" in 1963, which holds the distinction of being the first Ugandan song ever played on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London. His popular early songs include "Atanawa Musolo," released in 1961 before Uganda's independence to urge people to pay taxes, "Osaana Okole" in 1962, and the love hit "Lucy Tuula" in 1963. He founded his own band, the "UK Jazz Band," in 1963, though it later disintegrated, leading him to perform with various groups like "King Jazz Band" and "The Cranes Band." Masagazi was known for his comprehensive talent as he could sing, play the guitar, and dramatize his music on stage. He passed away in March 2009 at the age of 71-72 after a short illness.