Veteran Kadongo Kamu musician Willy Mukabya believes Uganda’s oldest mainstream music genre still has plenty of life left in it.
Speaking in a recent interview, Mukabya rejected claims that Kadongo Kamu has become outdated, insisting the genre continues to resonate with audiences of all ages.
He pointed to his 1992 hit Kayanda as proof.
More than three decades after its release, the song continues to attract listeners and has found a new audience on TikTok, where many young people use it in their videos.
People who downgrade Kadongo Kamu music are wrong because even up to now my Kayanda song that I released in 1992 is still trending.
For Mukabya, that kind of longevity is no accident.
He encouraged younger musicians to borrow from Kadongo Kamu, arguing that songs rooted in the traditional genre stand a better chance of lasting for generations instead of disappearing after a few months.
The veteran singer also urged television stations to give Kadongo Kamu artists more airtime, saying broadcasters now focus heavily on younger musicians while overlooking the pioneers who helped shape Uganda’s music industry.
The biggest challenge we face as Kadongo Kamu musicians is that TVs no longer play our music. They only play music of these young people.
Willy Mukabya believes greater media support would not only preserve Uganda’s musical heritage but also introduce Kadongo Kamu to a new generation of listeners.