Dancehall star Ziza Bafana has expressed concern over the direction of Uganda’s music industry, warning that it risks having “no future” if artists continue producing songs that fade within weeks.
In a TikTok video, Bafana urged local musicians to evolve and focus on creating timeless music with international appeal, rather than chasing short-term hype.
“Even the likes of Burna Boy once made music like ours until they figured it out and moved on — now they are world stars,” he said, stressing that Ugandan artists must learn from such examples.
He criticised the trend of “comedy and gimmicks” in the industry, arguing that it undermines progress and prevents Ugandan music from gaining global recognition.
“We need to wake up,” he warned. “We can’t keep making music that only entertains locally. We must aim higher.”