Rising singer Neliah says she earned Shs200,000 for providing back-up vocals on Sheebah Karungi’s hit song ‘Boy Fire’, a project that has since garnered nine million views on YouTube.

Released five years ago, the song brought together Sheebah and Selecta Jef, with Neliah contributing her vocals to the project.

For her, the payment was a memorable milestone that opened her eyes to the money-making opportunities behind the scenes of the music industry.

Speaking about her journey, Neliah admitted that she had never imagined that singers could earn money simply by backing up another artist in the studio.

She was particularly excited when Selecta Jef handed her Shs200,000 after successfully completing the job.

I have not achieved the things I would like to achieve yet, but I can see that there is something promising. I started working with producers like BIT and got opportunities to work with big artists. I never thought you could get paid for backing up artists. I did back-up vocals on Sheebah’s ‘Boy Fire’ and got paid Shs200,000 by Selecta Jef. I was very happy with the payment because it was my first major back-up job.

Beyond Sheebah’s project, Neliah has also had the opportunity to work with singer Bebe Cool, although her experience with him has mainly been on stage rather than in the recording studio.

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According to Neliah, performing back-up vocals for Bebe Cool has not only been financially rewarding but has also helped her improve her craft, with the singer offering valuable lessons on vocal delivery both on and off the stage.

“I have done back-up vocals for Bebe Cool on stage, not in the studio. He pays well. The last time I backed him up, he paid me Shs700,000. Working with Bebe Cool taught me a lot because he taught me how to sing both in the studio and outside the studio.”