“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”…
Goes the cliché which implies that if you are passionate about something, even if you were not paid money to do it, you would never mind. Because you derive priceless pleasure in doing it.
At the initial stage of their music career, most singers find consolation in this theory. Only to realize later as they progress that the music business is a capital-intensive venture.
Music is ruthless, straining, and is a product that requires immense marketing, especially at a time when the market is saturated with a lot of talent. That’s not to mention the add-on expenses that relate to the lifestyle that a celebrity must lead.
So, is it possible to make a living in music? Is the stereotype held two decades ago which held that singing wasn’t a career worth pursuing, compared to other professional jobs – medicine, law, teaching, accounting etc – still relevant today?
Uganda’s redundant copyright law has seen singers rely on stage performances as their main source of income. And some are raking in.
But for a service like entertainment which is not easy to quantify, what yardstick do you then apply to convert say a 40-minute performance into monetary terms? What determines the varying price tags that our artistes carry?
There was a time when awards meant so much to an artiste’s brand and portfolio. If one had bagged a couple of PAM awards Artiste of the Year accolades or had their song playing on WBS TV, Channel O, Sanyu FM or Capital FM, they were a hot cake. Today, nobody, especially the artistes themselves gives a rat’s arse how many awards you have.
Parameters have tilted towards how many of your songs are on rotation on the mainstream media, how many of your songs are on people’s playlists, how long is your catalog and how many of those songs are timeless. Heck! TikTok is singlehandedly making hit artistes. Branding is another key aspect and so is the kind of crowd your concert has pulled.
That said, the music business shares similar variables with other business. You invest and hope to earn. Except theirs is many times a gamble. It’s hard to determine with precision a hit song.
Every full-time artiste has an ecosystem that makes their brand what it looks like. This involves everyone from a manager, writer, audio producer, video director, stylist, distributor, digital managers, marketeers among others. This is on top of other bills like rent, utilities, meals, medical, transport, security etc that they require to survive.
These are some of the costs they incur. The costs that then get factored in the figures they charge for performances.
SO, WHO’S EARNING WHAT AND WHY?
(Figures are based on findings from different promoters, and they aren’t standard but rather the least)
Winnie Nwagi
Winnie Nwagi is the absolute testament of what a successful concert means in terms of branding an artiste. Especially in a country where performances remain the main bread winner for singers. For the longest time, Winnie has been the easiest (in monetary terms) to get of all artistes in the Swangz Avenue roster. Never mind that she had the longest catalogue and was also very popular.
Earlier in the year, Winnie could perform for Shs 3m around Kampala. But since her September concert which proved she was widely revered, her performance fee has shot up to Shs 5m.
But (apart from good music) there’s something else that has made Winnie popular. Her personality. Even though it has sucked her into controversy a good number of times, many find her to be real. And men like her physical features, and what she does with that both online and stage.
Jose Chameleone
Jose Chameleone represents the pioneers of Uganda’s Afropop sound. He was here before everyone. Before the cut-throat competition. Before the internet came and releveled the playing field. Some argue, at some point, the ambitious Chameleone lost his way.
It is easy to be in a random bar minding your business and suddenly you are gifted with a performance from Chameleone. But that spontaneity can hurt a brand that big. Others have had his management (rather his attitude towards his management) to blame.
The ‘Music Doctor’ has had a good 2022 having had Forever on rotation along with the rendition of Kuma Obwesigwa whose video got good reviews. Forever is off his album I am Joseph which has been delayed for 2 years now. Indomitable as his brand is, when he performs, it’s his yesteryear hits that get the crowd hyper.
Perhaps that’s why the legacy artiste can still perform for as little as Shs 6m and a double-digit figure that some would argue befits his stature.
The criticism he took in 2021 when he knelt after a businessman gifted him a car, revived questions around the singer’s legacy and what it ought to reflect.
Madoxx Ssemanda Sematimba
There’s no artiste that has proven that (good) music is timeless like Madoxx has. He is the litmus paper if anyone ever sought to prove whether you can still be relevant even when your creative juices have run out.
In his heydays, Madoxx penned down some of the most captivating lyrics and gave them a well-mastered sound. Mostly, he dwelt on love, a theme that is timeless. But he hasn’t released a new song since 2006. Neither has he rode on PR stunts and scandals to keep in the news.
Yet, he is still among the most expensive (he won’t perform for anything less than Shs 6m) and most booked artistes in Uganda.
Bebe Cool
Bebe Cool shares a lot of things with Chameleone. He started his career slightly earlier than Chameleone. But they both are still recording artistes. However, the legacy that comes with 20 years of singing at the level they have been at should translate to certain perks and expectations.
Inflation gets factored in commodity prices all these years later but an artiste’s service cannot? Maybe it has. Maybe what hasn’t is them evolving with market dynamics. For artistes like Azawi, Rema (who was groomed by Bebe), Winnie Nwagi and Kenzo to be charging in the same region with Bebe Cool certainly raises questions.
Madoxx earns Shs 6m to perform even when he has not recorded music in 16 years. If legacy and the timelessness of music were the rationale, then Bebe Cool who still releases music to this day, would have greater advantage over Maddox. But does he?
Contrary to Chameleone, the brand Bebe Cool has been resilient. Not even the political controversies that have threatened his career in the recent past have forced him to cow into compromising his brand. He has still been booked on the merit of his music.
Bebe Cool also has a cult-like following of fanatics (Gagamel Family). They go at greater lengths to promote events he’s featuring. And this factor has given him a crowd-puller status that event organizers yearn for.
In addition, he is intentional on where to perform and when. It’s impossible that you will book Bebe Cool to do a show 3 days to d-day even when you can afford the Shs 7m that he charges. He has maintained a certain level of virtue that doesn’t project him as desperate.
Azawi
In 2022, Azawi continued to reap the fruits from her successful 2021 album (African Music). Swangz put all their stakes in promoting this album far and wide, also using marketing tactics considered unconventional.
It was also time to start cashing in on the streams generated during lockdown. Azawi was among the most consumed artistes during lockdown having broken out around the same time.
The label has also ensured that Azawi’s music is well positioned to catch the attention of streamers beyond Uganda.
Is that why an artiste that has only been around 3 years is already in the same league with names that have been in the industry 20 years? An argument can be made that an artiste under a label of Swangz’ repute is sustained by a much bigger ecosystem than a self-managing artiste. The promoter shoulders that cost.
Azawi represents a trend of young artistes suddenly blowing out simply because they have a unique sound and great management. Julius Kyazze of Swangz maintains that rather than create a Ugandan sound, Uganda should work towards creating what he calls an African sound so as to tap into the bigger audience that East Africa and the wider Africa presents. And the label’s experiment with Azawi is paying off.
To book the Quinamino singer, you must cough up at least Shs 7m.
Juliana Kanyomozi
It’s been a while since Juliana had a hit song. Doesn’t take away the fact that she has churned out a long list of songs (favorites for many) over the last 20 years. The birth of her second child took her into a long hiatus musically. Then she returned this year with a concert (after 8 years). A concert that was highly billed (normal tickets going for Shs 150k). All of a sudden, she was in the news again.
But despite excluding several of her fans during the Serena concert, she didn’t hold any other show for the lower tier audience. Typical Juliana. She has traditionally branded herself as the rare star. And this creates demand.
Her rare-occurrence character reflects even in the bill she will slap you for a booking. And her demands can be uncompromising. Say she might not be open to performing on CD. And she will be particular with which band she’s playing with (it’s not going to be an ordinary band). Then she will ask for Shs 12m (with a deposit of 50%). It’s a take it or leave it offer.
Some would argue it makes economic sense if you are getting booked at Shs 5m weekly than getting two gigs in a year at Shs 12m each. Except that’s not Juliana’s way of doing things. She thrives on not being so accessible.
Eddy Kenzo
Some artistes needn’t struggle to justify their demands. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that you should cough up at least Shs 8m if you need a BET award winner to perform at a show. Now that he has recently joined the league of the GRAMMY-nominated, his rider is likely to change. This year, he further boosted his portfolio with another first – a music festival. Moving into the new year, it is likely his demands will move into a two-figure charge.
Rema Namakula
How is it that Rema is at the same level with Kenzo? Well, they have a history of sharing a lot more than just performance charges (LOL). Rema has slowly worked her way up the hierarchy to become the most sought-after female singers in Uganda. She is a charming vocalist and has a long catalog of hits that make her a crowd puller. And on top of that, she seems to read from the same notes with Juliana Kanyomozi.
Rema understands that in order to be a star, you must be rare. Her stage appearances are measured. And that’s why you need at least Shs 8m to book her.
Afrigo Band
Just like Madoxx, Afrigo Band still relies on music they released very many years ago. In 2025, the band considered the longest surviving in Uganda, will make 50 years. Fife decades of music that has transcended generations.
For a group that no longer spends on studio sessions or videos, why are they expensive? You can’t have Afrigo perform at anything less of Shs 7m.
Moses Matovu says cost dynamics of a band are different from solo artistes. The obvious one being, they do live performances. For any gig they play at, Afrigo has to move with at least 20 people. This includes a team that carries the equipment (sound and backline) and sets it. Afrigo always does a sound check prior to showtime. The transport logistics for all these people and equipment is factored into the Shs 7m.
Unlike many artistes who perform for an hour or less, Afrigo’s average set lasts 3 hours. This has a cost implication too. There are other overheads such as maintenance of equipment, welfare of members and marketing. To keep members contented as a unit and not taking any other gigs (with other bands) except Afrigo is not by accident, Matovu says. The management incentivizes them in many ways.
The other cost comes with rehearsals. The band practices for 3 to 4 days for a gig. Each session lasting at least 4 hours.
Sheebah
Sheebah has fought her way up to a point where she’s top-of-mind when you are naming the top female artistes in Uganda. Joining the industry at an early age and early enough gave her an advantage. But an ambitious management (under Jeff Kiwa) made sure she created music that won hearts. And in their long partnership, they gave us a good chunk of hits.
She has also been a beneficiary of media attention (usually stories that pit him against other artistes or her persona). What this does is it keeps your brand closer to people. Some sympathize with you.
After Bebe Cool, Sheebah probably has a legion of the most aggressive fans (Sheebaholics).
Prior to her concert this year, her charge was Shs 5m. Afterwards, her management will demand an extra Mil to book her.
Fik Fameica
Fik Fameica is also high on the list of the new school artistes that are earning considerably high from performances. Like Azawi, Fik Fameica broke out with a completely alternative sound to what the market had always defined as the Afropop. It was a fusion of rap, hip hop and pop.
His writing was also catchy. Over the years, he was made strategic collabs that have expanded his audience. Today, his performances are billed at not less than Shs 4m.
Weasel
Weasel represents the notion that ‘You reap what you sow’. Good music earns you good fruits. None of the songs he has released since the demise of his singing partner – Mowzey Radio – has stood out. No single song of his has the top-of-mind element. They have all been lackluster.
As if that wasn’t enough, this year, his name was shrouded in allegations of beating up his girlfriend Sandra Teta. There were calls both in Uganda and Rwanda to have the singer reprimanded and for event organizers to cancel him. And many did.
It appears local celebrities are yet to appreciate the threat that the cancel culture poses. A bad reputation hurts brands. The allegations against Weasel left a sour taste in the mouths of music consumers. And without demand, promoters have no business booking you.
Radio was no angel (some attribute his death to his short temper) but at least nobody contested his song-writing and singing prowess or even his stage performance. But even with all their catalog at his disposal, Weasel fetches a meagre Shs 2m.
