TAKEAWAYS

• Fred Sebbaale says radio and television reduced airtime for lengthy Kadongo Kamu songs.
• He explained that cassette tapes once encouraged 10-minute storytelling songs that audiences appreciated.
• He believes growing media influence over airplay shifted attention away from talented Kadongo Kamu artists.

Veteran musician Fred Sebbaale has opened up about the factors he believes contributed to the decline of Kadongo Kamu as one of Uganda’s most influential music genres.

Speaking on the Shalom 256 YouTube channel, Sebbaale said the emergence of radio and television significantly changed how music was consumed, making it difficult for the traditionally lengthy Kadongo Kamu songs to thrive.

According to him, broadcasters often played songs only during program breaks, meaning listeners rarely got to hear the full versions.

“During their programs, songs were played during breaks and not entirely,” he explained.

Sebbaale noted that classic Kadongo Kamu songs often stretched to around 10 minutes because they were built around storytelling, life lessons, and entertainment.

“Kadongo Kamu was mostly about teaching, story telling and entertainment,” he said, arguing that meaningful stories cannot easily be told within today’s standard three-minute song format.

The singer also reflected on how music was distributed in the era of cassette tapes. He explained that artists carefully structured their albums to fit the format, with each side of a 60-minute cassette carrying about 30 minutes of music.

“A tape had 60 minutes with 30 minutes on each side. So you had to make sure that each song is at least 10 minutes long so that you have three songs on both sides,” he said.

He added that audiences at the time had the patience to listen to complete songs, allowing them to appreciate lyrical depth and distinguish genuine talent.

Sebbaale believes technological advancements eventually changed those listening habits and shifted the power of determining successful artists from fans to media outlets.

According to him, radio and television stations increasingly influenced which musicians gained popularity by repeatedly playing certain songs, regardless of audience demand.

“Someone would be sitting somewhere and they play an artist’s music even under no request,” he said.

He argued that artists who enjoyed stronger relationships or greater influence with media houses received more airtime and exposure than equally talented counterparts, a trend he believes contributed to the gradual decline of Kadongo Kamu.