TShaka Mayanja
When CBS and Radio Simba FM Stations were opened, this is when the slippery slope began. A vast number of Dramatists joined the stations as presenters, becoming very popular.
The skits were even more popular than the local Music played on the stations. A lot of power was amassed by Theatre groups who now had a national platform to promote their works.
The next thing that happened was Theatre groups delving into Music and creating “bands”. This was the proverbial Pandora’s box.
Intrigue, camps and divisions started in a Music fraternity that before then, was so united with camaraderie. Knives, backstabbing and hate started rearing its head in Music. Huge sums of money from sponsors created more havoc.
This is when talks about “witchcraft” started coming up and getting manifested. People couldn’t even sit in the same room any more. Drama (Katemba) had finally fully infected Music.
I couldn’t believe what was going on until a very good Musician/Instrumentalist sat me down and gave me a thesis on this. It was mind-blowing.
I recall that these were the final two years of my friend Paulo Kafeero’s life. That story will one day be told, that’s the beauty of time and truth; they never hide forever.
I remember inviting an incredible songwriter and friend, a Real Legend of the industry (the term legend is bundled about so easily these days by the way). He wanted me to write and produce a song for him in English.
He entered my bedroom where the Keyboard was, I offered him a chair, he said he felt comfortable on the floor. We worked out some ideas, then he left.
I noticed that he hadn’t so much as touched the glass of juice I had offered him. This is how much distrustful of each other Musicians had become. I was in shock.
After so long, I gave him a call two days ago, he was so overjoyed, he shed a tear. The few things he told me were so disturbing.
I also remember those Music Forum meetings at Calendar Rest House were such a mess. I remember attending one where groups of so-called Musicians couldn’t sit together and sat across the room from each other coz of witchcraft fears!
From what I have witnessed, I agree with Mwami Alex Mukulu who said that it was Dramatists who destroyed the fabric of the Music industry in Uganda.
His view was that they destroyed both their Drama groups/Theaters and the Music because they wanted to control everything simultaneously. They ended up losing/destroying both.
The more folks became popular, the more the intrigue increased. People make the mistake of thinking popularity and quantity beat quality, honesty and humility.
If you look intently at the people from the Entertainment industry who are now delving into Politics for the last twenty years to date, almost all of them have a Drama/Theatre background; Bannakatemba.
To me, this is not a surprise and I think it’s a good thing; they make the perfect Politician, they are a perfect fit.
In fact, they’ll have fantastic Political careers in that game of backstabbers, intrigue and dishonesty. Music here could then regain its ‘innocence’.
Once the purity of The Spirit called Music is mixed with intrigue, mistrust and hate, you’ll lose it all.
Music will then leave, and live elsewhere.
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I feel the author had more to say but chose to restrain himself. How I wish he could go deeper to address the “why” of this article.