Ugandan music icon Mesach Semakula has some harsh words for the state of the industry, and he's pointing fingers straight at local radio stations. During a juicy interview on CBS radio, the Golden Band star didn't hold back, blaming these stations for the rampant profanity and adult content in today's hits.
Semakula is seriously worried. He says the rush for instant hits and fast cash is destroying the soul of Ugandan music. "It is sad; our music is growing on the one hand but also being destroyed on the other," he lamented.
“People are too fixated on making hits. When we were coming up, our focus was on releasing a good song whether or not it becomes a hit. It was a question of, does it have a message, is it touching someone?”
Taking a trip down memory lane, Semakula recalled the good old days when radio stations had some serious standards. Songs were screened meticulously, and any hint of vulgarity meant a swift rejection. He shared a personal story about his song “Tukwegomba Bangi,” which had to be edited before it could hit the airwaves.
“We used to bring our music to the radio station, and if they picked even the slight semblance of a bad word or profanity, they would drop the song,” Semakula recounted. “When I was doing
‘Tukwegomba Bangi,’ the chorus had the line ‘kino kitwale nti kunyamba.’ The person on the radio told me, that word doesn't sound right, we are not going to put it on the radio. I was forced to go back and change the lyrics to ‘Kino kitwale nti kyama.’”
Fast forward to today, and Semakula is horrified by what’s getting airplay. “Someone brings a song to the radio, and in the song, they are talking about the body parts found on his children and his parents, and they are all in the song. All radios are giving it airplay and celebrating it. This is wrong!” he exclaimed, shaking his head.
He didn't stop there. Semakula reminisced about a DJ who used to be the ultimate gatekeeper, breaking CDs in front of artists if their music wasn’t up to snuff. “This practice needs to be revived,” he said, clearly yearning for a return to stricter standards.
His comments have set tongues wagging across the industry, with many wondering if the old guard's strict standards could make a comeback. Semakula’s critique highlights a glaring issue in the Ugandan music scene: the need for a balance between creative freedom and maintaining cultural and ethical standards.
With his bold statements, Mesach Semakula has sparked a debate that’s sure to keep the music industry buzzing. As Uganda's music landscape continues to evolve, it's clear that this veteran artist believes in a future where quality and meaningful content should be king.
