TAKEAWAYS

• Fik Gaza says politics has dealt a major blow to Uganda’s music industry.
• He says he cannot pick sides because he needs both NRM and NUP supporters.
• The singer says political divisions can now affect musicians’ concerts, careers and fan bases.

Ugandan singer Fik Gaza has blamed the growing intersection between politics and music for the difficult times artists are facing, particularly when it comes to staging successful holiday concerts.

Appearing on 97.7 Record FM, Fik Gaza was asked whether politics intertwining with music has negatively affected Uganda’s music industry. He said there was no doubt that it had, arguing that political divisions have dealt a major blow to the industry.

According to the singer, emerging musicians are increasingly expected to choose political sides, a situation he believes can negatively affect their careers and limit their ability to attract a wider audience.

Fik Gaza said artists need to maintain relationships with supporters across the political divide, particularly because musicians depend on different sections of the public for their careers to thrive.

“As a ghetto youth, I cannot pick sides. I need both NRM and NUP.”

When asked which side he supports, Fik Gaza maintained that taking a political position could hurt his career because he needs fans from both sides of Uganda’s political divide.

The singer was also asked when he believes the politicisation of Uganda’s music industry became a major issue. However, he declined to go into detail, saying doing so could create problems within his fan base.

“I don’t want to go deep into that because it will bring problems in my fan base.”

It should be noted that politics and music becoming intertwined began a few years ago after NUP leader, Bobi Wine acively joined politics.

The issue has recently been highlighted by controversies surrounding concerts held by some Ugandan musicians. One example is Swangz Avenue singer Vinka, whose concert attracted calls for a boycott from some NUP supporters on social media.

Some of her critics accused her of siding with the government after she publicly supported her husband during his campaigns for MP in the previous general elections.

For Fik Gaza, such incidents demonstrate how political divisions can spill over into entertainment, potentially affecting an artist’s concerts, fan base and commercial prospects.

His comments come at a time when Ugandan musicians continue to rely heavily on concerts and live performances as major sources of income, making a politically divided audience a potentially serious challenge for artists seeking to fill venues.