Dokta Brain Says Many Ugandan Hits Are Wrongly Written

Appearing on the Ugandan Boy Talk Show, singer-songwriter Dokta Brain shared his views on what he believes is currently Uganda’s greatest musical strength.

According to him, the focus in Ugandan music today leans more toward vocals and production, while lyrical depth is often overlooked or misunderstood.

Uganda’s music strength for now is more vocal than lyrical. We have very little intellects that can really understand the music and how it has been written. Even Luganda songs; these people do not know what they are dancing to.

He argued that while many songs gain popularity, a good number of them are not written well.

Their success, he said, comes largely from strong vocals and catchy beats rather than lyrical substance.

There are a lot of wrongly written hits. It is more led by the grooves in the beat and the vocals. Kids are learning to respect vocalists for real. Lyricists are being treated in the most unfair way.

Dokta Brain also highlighted how public perception can be influenced by visibility and attention rather than artistry.

He pointed out that some artistes are seen as better simply because they have attracted attention, not necessarily because of the quality of their writing.

Someone can deliberately think that they are bigger than A Pass because they have acquired a lot of, maybe, forced attention. People have not yet developed the confidence to say that someone is better than me, however much…

He believes the lack of respect for lyricism stems from a broader lack of understanding.

They cannot respect what they cannot understand.

Even so, Dokta Brain acknowledged that there are still many artists doing meaningful lyrical work.

He urged listeners to pay closer attention to those who focus on writing and expression, naming several artists he feels are worth following.

But if you happen to listen to a lyrical artiste like A Pass, people who know Luganda should look out for Jim Nola. People who love lyricism in general should look out for Dokta Brain, Ruyonga, Shina Skies, Elijah, and Azawi. A lot of great artistes are growing lately.

Also read: Dokta Brain Urges Self-Reflection Over Blame in Music Industry