Ugandan music has found commercial success, but Bien believes its sound has not kept pace.
The Kenyan singer and Sauti Sol member made the observation during an appearance on the Let the Cake Podcast, where he reflected on Uganda’s music industry and how it differs from others in the region.
Rather than question the industry’s ability to produce successful artists, Bien pointed to what he described as a business model that allows musicians to keep riding the momentum of a hit song.
Uganda has a very unique business model that works for Ugandans. When you land a big song, like I have with ‘Finale,’ you do a Finale Tour. You go to Kisumu for the Finale Tour, Eldoret for the Finale Tour, Mombasa for the Finale Tour, and then you drop another hit and do a tour for that as well. That is their business model, and it works for them.
He later turned to Uganda’s music itself, saying local audiences continue to embrace it while insisting the sound has seen little change.
Ugandan music is big to Ugandans, and you have to be in Uganda to realize it. They live in that bubble, and they love it. The sound does not evolve much, but they love it there.
Bien ended by saying anyone hoping to become part of Uganda’s music industry must embrace the country’s way of doing things.
If you want to be part of it, if you want to f**k with them, you have to go and be in their system.