Uganda’s music scene has hit a sour note with General Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), who has publicly called out local artistes for delivering substandard work.
In a dramatic letter addressed to the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) and Uganda Musicians Association (UMA), the outspoken General didn’t hold back his frustration.
At the center of his discontent is Omulangira Suuna (OS), who was contracted to produce a song about OWC but delivered what Saleh bluntly labeled as an “advert,” not a proper song.
On Christmas Day, Saleh revealed he had shelled out a hefty $3,000 (approximately UGX 10.8 million) for Suuna’s project, only to be left bitterly disappointed.
“I decided to pay OS for his work as an advert for OWC, not a song,” he wrote, clearly unimpressed.
The General urged the music fraternity to compare Suuna’s work with a previous OWC-themed track by Nabasa, produced by Michael Fingz, which he hailed as a superior effort.
For years, Ugandan artistes and Gen Saleh enjoyed a symbiotic relationship, with OWC pumping cash into the music industry to use songs as a vehicle for communication. But this recent fallout has brought cracks to the surface.
Saleh’s scathing critique raises questions about the standards in Uganda’s music industry and whether some artistes are prioritizing quick payouts over quality work.
