Priscilla Zawedde (born Feb 2, 1996), known professionally by her stage name Azawi, is a Ugandan Afrobeat and Afro Pop singer-songwriter and dancer signed under Swangz Avenue since 2019.
Azawi became the first female Ugandan act to appear on the New York "Times Square" and Los Angeles billboards.
Priscilla Zawedde was born on February 2 1996 in Kampala to the late Walusimbi Samuel and Nakamatte Mary. She went to Buganda road primary for her early education and later went to Mother Kevin Primary school in Mukono district, where she completed her primary seven from. She went to St Henry’s college in Ggangu Masajja, Lubiri secondary school, London college in Nansana, St Janani Luwum secondary school for A-level and later on proceeded to Makerere University where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Azawi’s career began in 2005 as a dancer in a group called Kika dance troupe. As a group, they performed on many stages. Four years later, she joined another dance group known as Crane Performers and all this was done while still in school. After realizing that she was failing in school, she stopped dancing. She nevertheless traveled twice to China to perform with her troupe.
In 2011, she started writing songs, first as a hobby, before realizing she could make money from it. Her father died in 2012 and she had to help her mother to cater to her and her two siblings hence concentrating on making money from songwriting.
At her young age, Azawi began writing songs and her songwriting skills got her a meeting with Eddy Kenzo who eventually connected her to other artistes. She has written for artistes like Nina Rose, Lydia Jazmine, Carol Nantongo, Vinka, and Eddy Kenzo.
Azawi later on joined a band in 2015 while doubling as a waiter at a restaurant her mother had just started.
After she had quit her job as a waiter that she wrote "Quinamino," with an intention of selling it but when she walked into Swangz Avenue for the first time in August 2019, she got an offer to become part of the label instead.
Her breakthrough came in January 2020 after releasing her first single titled Quinamino.
In November the same year, Swangz Avenue management signed and unveiled her and she released her first single under the label in January 2020. She's still under the same record label and now has over 20 songs.