Navio Warns Musicians Against Going Quiet for Too Long
Ugandan rapper Navio has warned musicians against staying away from the spotlight for too long, saying the fast pace of Uganda’s music scene can quickly push artists out of relevance.
Speaking during an interview on NBS Kurt, the “RAW” hitmaker, born Daniel Lubwama Kigozi, noted that long gaps between releases can make it difficult for artists to remain visible in the industry.
With the pace of things in my country, going quiet as an artiste for six or seven years can be a problem.
Beyond long breaks, he also raised concerns about the role record labels sometimes play in slowing down artistes instead of helping them maintain momentum.
I have seen a lot of artists who even got signed after me. They release a song, then 14 months later they release another one.
To illustrate the point, Navio referenced rapper Keko, who signed a multi album deal with Sony Music Entertainment Africa in 2012 after the success of her hit single How We Do It.
Despite the high profile deal, her career did not grow in the way many people had expected.
Navio suggested that record labels sometimes focus their attention on the most popular artists of the moment while others receive far less promotion.
They use the hotter artistes at the time and sometimes sideline the minor ones. She may not have received the promotion she deserved.
Even so, he believes record labels should not shoulder all the blame, saying all stakeholders have a role to play.
There are a lot of things labels do that are weird, but we cannot put the penalty on the labels. We need to put the penalty on us, the fans, and our royalties collection.
