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Uche Yara

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Uche Yara
At Rencontres Trans Musicales 2023
At Rencontres Trans Musicales 2023
Background information
Born
Uchenna Yara Katzmayr

Linz, Austria
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • record producer

Uchenna Yara Katzmayr,[1][2] known professionally as Uche Yara (stylized in all caps), is an Austrian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer living in Berlin.

Early life and career

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Music has accompanied Yara since her earliest childhood. At the age of seven, she began playing classical percussion[3] and later composed her first small pieces for marimba and percussion.[4] At 13, she took electric guitar lessons. Three years later, she wrote her first original songs.[3] Uche Yara is in 2026 a 21-year-old artist with Nigerian roots, who grew up in Linz in Austria and who is now living in Berlin.[5]

Musical career

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After graduating from the Pop BORG in Linz, Yara moved to Berlin in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] She initially uploaded her music to SoundCloud – including the song "Tango," which was also played on the radio but was not available on the usual streaming platforms or in stores.[6] Even before her first official release, Yara played her first concert supporting Bilderbuch at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.[7][8] However, she had already gained stage experience earlier – including as a guitarist with Mavi Phoenix.[9]

For the ReBoot Culture series by YouTube Music, Diffus, Google Arts & Culture, and Initiative Musik, Yara played alongside Esther Graf at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna in June 2022.[10] Just one month later, she performed as support for The Rolling Stones at the band's concert in Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.[11] The following year, Yara finally released her first official single Www she hot,[12] with which she performed on shows such as Inas Nacht. The accompanying music video was directed by Mala Kolumna and Florin Elbel and was nominated for the Austrian Music Video Award at the Vienna Shorts 2024.[13][14]

In May 2024, Yara was named FM4 Soundpark Act of the Month and also released her first EP, Golden Days.[15] At the 2024 Amadeus Awards, she was nominated in the Alternative category. In the same year, she won the VUT Indie Award for Best Newcomer.[16] As part of the online format A Colors Show, she performed her song "Zuu (zoo)", which was also released by ColorsxStudios along with the video.[3][17] Her second EP, Honey, was released in December 2024.[18]

In January 2025, Yara was one of five winners at the Music Moves Europe Awards.[19] In June 2026, she released "Bodyscanner", the title track for her debut album, as a single.[20] The album is scheduled to release on September 25, 2026.[20]

Discography

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EPs

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  • 2024: Golden Days (Goldendays FM)
  • 2024: Honey (Goldendays FM)

Singles

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  • 2023: "Www she hot" (Goldendays FM)
  • 2023: "Sophie" (Goldendays FM)
  • 2024: "Yesterday I was in London // homesick" (Goldendays FM)
  • 2024: "Sasha (wake up!)" (Goldendays FM)
  • 2024: "Zuu (zoo) - A Colors Show" (ColorsxStudios)
  • 2024: "As I left the room" (Goldendays FM)
  • 2026: "Bodyscanner" (Goldendays FM)

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Music Moves Europe Awards 2025 MME Awards Herself Won [21]

References

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  1. ^ "Bandseite von Uche Yara". sra.at.
  2. ^ Rainer Elstner (January 27, 2025). "Von Oberösterreich in die Pop-Welt" (in German). Ö1. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Leonie Projer (June 10, 2024). "Uche Yara bricht Sexismus-Stereotype mit ihrer E-Gitarre". 20min.ch (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Sebastian Fasthuber (November 13, 2024). "Uche Yara: DAS österreichische Highlight am LIDO SOUNDS 2025". oeticket.com (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  5. ^ Stichting Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS-Festival). "UCHE YARA". esns.nl. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
  6. ^ Lisa Schneider (December 30, 2023). "FM4 Rewind mit UCHE YARA" (in German). FM4. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  7. ^ "Uche Yara: Mit Hype und Seele". MDR (in German). January 10, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  8. ^ Helene Lindenbauer (April 24, 2022). "Gelb ist das Feld – Ein Konzert wie es im Bilderbuch steht". subtext.at (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  9. ^ Gerhard Stöger (May 3, 2022). ""Anton Bruckner wäre heute stolz auf uns"". FALTER (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  10. ^ Pia Schneider (June 29, 2022). "ReBoot Culture: Esther Graf und UCHE YARA spielen Live-Sessions im Belvedere Museum Wien". DIFFUS (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  11. ^ Cordelia Lam (December 13, 2023). "Uche Yara belongs to the stage". NME. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  12. ^ Nils König (September 8, 2023). "Multiinstrumentalistin UCHE YARA veröffentlicht Debütsingle: www she hot". tonspion.de (in German). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  13. ^ Sophia Olesko (May 21, 2024). "Nominiert für den Österreichischen Musikvideopreis 2024: "www she hot" von uche yara" (in German). MICA (MUSIC Information Center AUSTRIA). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  14. ^ "Österreichischer Musikvideopreis geht an Grazer Regisseur". Kleine Zeitung (in German). June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  15. ^ Melissa Erhardt (May 3, 2024). "Uche Yara ist unser FM4 Soundpark Act des Monats" (in German). FM4. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  16. ^ "VIA – VUT Indie Awards 2024: Das sind die Gewinner*innen!". ByteFM (in German). September 20, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  17. ^ "UCHE YARA - ZUU (zoo) I A COLORS SHOW". YouTube. April 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Shuttleworth, Alastair (December 6, 2024). "Uche Yara – 'Honey' review: a woozy, yearning EP sizzling with ideas". NME. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  19. ^ "Österreichische Künstlerin UCHE YARA gewinnt europäischen Musikpreis "MUSIC MOVES EUROPE AWARD"" (in German). MICA (MUSIC Information Center AUSTRIA). January 17, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Hussain, Shahzaib (June 17, 2026). "UCHE YARA Details Debut Album 'BODYSCANNER' | News". Clash Magazine. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  21. ^ "These are the 2025 winners!". Music Moves Europe Awards. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
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