Joshua Baraka Speaks Out on Why Ugandan Music Is Not Going Global

Singer and songwriter Joshua Baraka has opened up about what he believes is holding Ugandan music back from achieving global dominance like Nigerian and South African music.

Speaking on the In My Opinion podcast, Baraka explained that much of Uganda’s music is created without considering the global audience.

One of the biggest problems, he said, is that Ugandan music is often deeply local in its appeal.

“Most of our music, you have to be Ugandan to get it. If you are not Ugandan, you will not really understand it unless, of course, you are a lover of music and you are listening for other things like the flow or the bounce,” he said.

Baraka shared that he has played Ugandan songs for people in different countries, including music from artistes like Alien Skin.

While the songs are appreciated for their feel and rhythm, the meaning often gets lost on international listeners.

This, he believes, is where Nigeria holds an edge over everyone else.

He explained that Nigerian music is designed in a way that makes it easy for people from all over the world to relate to it, no matter where they come from.

Baraka also pointed out that the issue is not about language but rather the production quality and sound design.

“If we change a few things, and it does not necessarily have to be the language because we listen to a lot of music in languages we do not understand. We just need to tune our production to match what the world is listening to,” he added.

To Baraka, if a song sounds good, crisp, modern, and fits in with what the world is vibing to, people will listen to it even if they do not understand the words.

Also read: Joshua Baraka on Pursuing Music Against Family Expectations