Swangz Avenue singer Elijah Kitaka has shared his perspective on the challenges he believes continue to limit the Ugandan music industry from gaining strong international recognition.
Kitaka made the remarks while discussing the barriers affecting music exportation from Uganda and why only a few artists have successfully represented the country beyond its borders.
According to the singer, lack of unity among artists remains one of the biggest setbacks facing the industry.
First of all, unity is very little. We have focused so much on other issues. Music is released, but there is no real music movement. There is a very big gap among artists that we must fill, and we can only do that through collaboration and working together.
He reflected on earlier eras of Ugandan music, particularly the period dominated by Mowzey Radio & Weasel alongside producer Benon Mugumbya, noting that collaboration and harmony among artists helped shape memorable hits like Mr DJ.
Kitaka explained that teamwork previously allowed multiple artists to grow simultaneously, drawing comparisons to international trends where collaborations helped expand audiences and strengthen music movements.
When I think about the Radio & Weasel era, there was harmony. Collaborations helped many artists grow at the same time.
Today, we are no longer focusing on the music itself. We lost that focus long ago and instead clash over money and other issues, yet we still have an audience waiting for us.
The singer also pointed out that industry rivalries once played a positive role in promoting Ugandan music.
He cited the famous competition among Bebe Cool, Bobi Wine, and Jose Chameleone, saying it helped transition musicians into full entertainment brands while keeping fans engaged.
The only beef that was healthy for the music industry was between Bebe Cool, Bobi Wine and Jose Chameleone. That period pushed music into showbiz and entertained people while growing the industry.
Kitaka further praised past collaborations between the Goodlyfe Crew (Radio & Weasel) and Swangz Avenue artists, saying such unity created a strong musical force capable of competing internationally.
However, he expressed concern that today’s industry lacks collective direction.
“If we still had that kind of force, we would not fail to reach the international market. Right now, artists are scattered and the focus has changed. Everyone is concentrating on different things,”
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