Gospel singer Mungu Feni has shared his views on why many Ugandan gospel musicians struggle to maintain long-term careers.
He stresses that financial challenges and outdated perceptions about gospel music are the biggest obstacles.
Speaking about the issue, Mungu Feni explained that many people, including event promoters, believe gospel artists should perform for free simply because they sing about God.
As a result, many gospel musicians rarely earn enough from performances to sustain their careers.
He noted that producing quality music requires significant investment in recording, music videos, promotion, and other production costs.
Without consistent financial support, many talented artists release a few successful songs before disappearing from the music scene.
The challenge is the mindset that gospel music is free. Gospel artists are struggling because it’s quite hard to find one who performs and gets paid. That’s why many come with good music and then disappear simply because they fail to finance their projects.
Producing good music and videos requires money. For someone to stand out as a gospel artist, they have to work extremely hard because the support is limited. There is a belief that gospel music is supposed to be free because you’re singing to God.
He also pointed to the changing music landscape, arguing that Uganda’s gospel industry has been slow to adapt to the tastes of younger audiences.
According to Mungu Feni, gospel music in Uganda is still largely expected to follow traditional styles, yet the country’s youthful population consumes modern sounds such as Amapiano and Afrobeats.
He believes gospel artists must embrace contemporary production styles if they are to effectively communicate their message to the younger generation.
In Uganda, there’s a mindset that gospel music should be done in a certain traditional way, yet times are changing. We’re in an era dominated by the youth, and about 70 percent of Ugandans are below the age of 30. To get the message across, you have to adapt to what the world has embraced.
Today, Amapiano and Nigerian music are booming everywhere. You can’t keep producing the same old sound. Adults may appreciate it, but the youth will ignore it and instead listen to secular music. That’s one of the biggest challenges facing gospel music today.
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