Uganda’s music will be saved by attitude
Dec 02, 2004
Local music awards have rejuvenated the Ugandan music industry in the past few years. But nothing less could be expected of an initiative to award local talent and creative effort.
Sebidde Kiryowa
Local music awards have rejuvenated the Ugandan music industry in the past few years. But nothing less could be expected of an initiative to award local talent and creative effort.
The past two years have seen the advent of the Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards, The Impact FM Annual (Gospel) Music Awards (IAMA) and The TOP National Music Awards. The latter two are Gospel music awards.
However, after this year’s PAM Awards, some artistes were disgruntled with the results, blaming them on structural weaknesses within the organising ranks, something PAM Award organisers denied vehemently.
“Although the project’s objectives as stipulated in print stand out to benefit those in the industry, its implementation strategies are believed by many not to have been arrowed towards the achievement of it goals,†said Richard Kawesa, a local musician and director, Phat! Music Entertainment (U) Limited.
Phat! through the Uganda Music Week conceptualised and organised the first ever music forum that would bring artistes and PAM Awards organisers together to sort their differences out at Hotel Equatoria last month.
The Uganda Music Week is a “platform meant to create an enabling environment for the development of the Uganda music industry into a professional, transparent and profitable business via the focused cooperation of all industry stakeholders.
These include musicians, producers, promoters, distributors, consumers, government and donors.
The first-ever Uganda Music Week will be held at the Kampala Rugby Club, Lugogo for four days from December 16 to December 19.
As a music week objective, the forum was graced by PAM Award organising committee members Isaac Mulindwa and Aga Sekalala.
Others were Simon Iga, the director of Kampala Music School, Sempijja Nicholas who represented Music Dance and Drama department, Makerere University, director and Martin Didier, director, Alliance Franciase as well as a representative from the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity. Also present were representatives of Kora All Africa Music Awards.
The artistes’ community, however, never registered a satisfactory attendance with just a few artistes showing up. Most of the discussion centred around how PAM Awards categories could be streamlined to involve all stakeholders and adequately incorporate all material. Others were certification of the awards beyond the current process of certification by a profit-driven organisation and the issue of artistes being allowed to campaign for votes.
In response, PAM Awards organisers not only agreed to reward all winners with a sh500,000 cash prize, but also asked the musicians to go and sort themselves out, get five people and give him a feedback on the criteria of nomination they desire before December.
Granted, awards have boosted the spirit of competitiveness among our local artistes hence creating more and better music. But the most pertinent issue in developing our music fraternity into an industry is much bigger than awards — it is the attitude our musicians have towards this move.
As artistes reap bigger dividends from their sweat, it is important that they do not let vanity choke these achievements. As a young and frail music fraternity, when artistes start thinking more about each other than their personal glorificationthen we shall truly be headed towards progress.
When Bebe Cool teamed up with Slyvia Kyansuti, Yvette Seguya or Halima Namakula, when Jose Chameleone teamed up with Tikita or Emperor Orlandoh; when Bobi Wine teamed up with Julianna Kanyomozi, the results were unquestionably successful.
That is why the second Music Forum, which will be held on November 16 during the Music Week is of extreme importance.
The music week, according to Kawesa will "provide an opportunity for the Uganda Music Industry (e.g musicians, producers, promoters and distributors) to interact and market their goods (albums, merchandise, autographed posters) and services like performances to the market.
Local music awards have rejuvenated the Ugandan music industry in the past few years. But nothing less could be expected of an initiative to award local talent and creative effort.
The past two years have seen the advent of the Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards, The Impact FM Annual (Gospel) Music Awards (IAMA) and The TOP National Music Awards. The latter two are Gospel music awards.
However, after this year’s PAM Awards, some artistes were disgruntled with the results, blaming them on structural weaknesses within the organising ranks, something PAM Award organisers denied vehemently.
“Although the project’s objectives as stipulated in print stand out to benefit those in the industry, its implementation strategies are believed by many not to have been arrowed towards the achievement of it goals,†said Richard Kawesa, a local musician and director, Phat! Music Entertainment (U) Limited.
Phat! through the Uganda Music Week conceptualised and organised the first ever music forum that would bring artistes and PAM Awards organisers together to sort their differences out at Hotel Equatoria last month.
The Uganda Music Week is a “platform meant to create an enabling environment for the development of the Uganda music industry into a professional, transparent and profitable business via the focused cooperation of all industry stakeholders.
These include musicians, producers, promoters, distributors, consumers, government and donors.
The first-ever Uganda Music Week will be held at the Kampala Rugby Club, Lugogo for four days from December 16 to December 19.
As a music week objective, the forum was graced by PAM Award organising committee members Isaac Mulindwa and Aga Sekalala.
Others were Simon Iga, the director of Kampala Music School, Sempijja Nicholas who represented Music Dance and Drama department, Makerere University, director and Martin Didier, director, Alliance Franciase as well as a representative from the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity. Also present were representatives of Kora All Africa Music Awards.
The artistes’ community, however, never registered a satisfactory attendance with just a few artistes showing up. Most of the discussion centred around how PAM Awards categories could be streamlined to involve all stakeholders and adequately incorporate all material. Others were certification of the awards beyond the current process of certification by a profit-driven organisation and the issue of artistes being allowed to campaign for votes.
In response, PAM Awards organisers not only agreed to reward all winners with a sh500,000 cash prize, but also asked the musicians to go and sort themselves out, get five people and give him a feedback on the criteria of nomination they desire before December.
Granted, awards have boosted the spirit of competitiveness among our local artistes hence creating more and better music. But the most pertinent issue in developing our music fraternity into an industry is much bigger than awards — it is the attitude our musicians have towards this move.
As artistes reap bigger dividends from their sweat, it is important that they do not let vanity choke these achievements. As a young and frail music fraternity, when artistes start thinking more about each other than their personal glorificationthen we shall truly be headed towards progress.
When Bebe Cool teamed up with Slyvia Kyansuti, Yvette Seguya or Halima Namakula, when Jose Chameleone teamed up with Tikita or Emperor Orlandoh; when Bobi Wine teamed up with Julianna Kanyomozi, the results were unquestionably successful.
That is why the second Music Forum, which will be held on November 16 during the Music Week is of extreme importance.
The music week, according to Kawesa will "provide an opportunity for the Uganda Music Industry (e.g musicians, producers, promoters and distributors) to interact and market their goods (albums, merchandise, autographed posters) and services like performances to the market.