Stay local? Joshua Baraka trolls King Saha

Singer Joshua Baraka has fired back at fellow musician King Saha after the latter advised him to conquer the local music market before dreaming of international stardom.

It appears Baraka is not interested in being a big fish in a small pond. He has his eyes on the ocean, and apparently, he wants to be the shark.

A few days ago, King Saha weighed in on Baraka’s international ambitions, advising the young singer to first impress his home audience before setting his sights on the global market, which he suggested might be too big a bite to chew.

But Baraka is having none of that advice. During a live TikTok broadcast, the Wrong Places singer expressed disappointment that some of the people young musicians are expected to look up to have what he described as shallow mindsets.

He suggested that while some artists are comfortable ruling their little ponds, he has much bigger ambitions.

“It is sad that some of the people we are supposed to look up to have very shallow mindsets. They want to be kings of the pond. I want to be the king of the ocean. I want to be a shark,” Baraka said.

And he did not stop at the aquatic comparisons. Baraka also questioned the preparedness of some local musicians to compete on the international stage, pointing to what he considers a lack of exposure to modern performance technology, including electronic in-ear monitors (IEMs).

He appeared to take a swipe at artists who still rely on traditional CD-based performance setups, questioning how they expect to compete with international heavyweights such as Burna Boy.

In Baraka’s view, going global requires more than having hit songs and a sizeable local following. It also demands technical competence, modern equipment and an understanding of the international music business.

King Saha may be comfortable defending his kingdom at home, but Baraka appears to have packed his bags for deeper waters.