Ugandan singer A Pass has said a culture of constant criticism from local audiences is one of the biggest reasons many Ugandan artists struggle to break into international markets.
Speaking during a TikTok Live session last week, the Tuli Kubigere singer said Ugandan creatives often face discouragement at home whenever they attempt something new, making it harder for them to innovate and compete globally.
According to A Pass, the problem is not necessarily the industry, funding, or access to markets, but the mindset many people have towards local talent.
“It’s difficult to go global in Uganda because we hate our own,” he said during the live broadcast.
The singer explained that whenever an artist attempts something unique or different, the reaction from audiences is often negative rather than supportive.
“Someone will see you doing a unique thing and they won’t find a negative aspect to it. They will always find a bad thing out of the good,” he said.
A Pass added that the tendency to criticise creative work discourages artists from experimenting with new sounds or ideas that could help them stand out on the global stage.
According to the singer, the problem goes beyond the entertainment industry and reflects a wider national attitude.
“We have a negative mindset and it’s in everything — in politics, in business, everywhere,” he said.
He believes that for Ugandan artists to succeed internationally, the local audience must learn to support and celebrate their own talent instead of focusing on faults.
While artists from other countries often benefit from strong national support, many Ugandan creatives, he said, struggle to gain the same backing from the audiences they hope will champion their music abroad.
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