Tushi Polo Questions Why Foreign Validation Drives Ugandan Music
For rapper Tushi Polo, the challenge facing Ugandan music is not talent. It is timing.
She believes local artistes are often embraced only after they have been validated beyond the country’s borders.
Speaking during a sit down on Next Radio, the socially conscious lyricist questioned why outside recognition seems to matter more than homegrown belief.
I feel like Ugandans do not really support Ugandan music because it comes from within. Ugandans do not love themselves enough. Ugandans also have a habit of waiting for an artiste to blow up in another country before they claim them.
Her comments echo a long standing debate in Uganda’s entertainment space.
Years ago, Jose Chameleone sang about appreciation coming after one is gone in “Basima Ogenze.”
Tushi sees a modern version of that same pattern, where applause arrives only after international co-signs.
Yet she is not discouraged.
She argues that the music industry can grow stronger if audiences demand more depth and substance from what they consume.
I believe that there needs to be more hip-hop listeners and artistes in Uganda. A lot of people are celebrating escapism in the media, but there is a real need for more socially aware music. The media plays a huge role in how people consume music, and we need to make sure that Ugandans have access to music that reflects their own experiences.
Her career reflects that commitment.
She has graced stages at the Bayimba International Festival of the Arts and the LaBa Arts Festival.
She also collaborated with Austrian producer Wolfgang Schlögl on a project showcased at ImPulsTanz 2018.
Through songs like “Bitter Past,” “Mpita Tushi,” “Kajanja,” and her 2024 release “Bother Me,” Tushi Polo continues to center empowerment and social awareness in her work.
I do not just make music for myself; I make music for the people who are tired of being ignored. I want people to hear my music and feel something, to reflect on their own lives, and maybe even find strength in my lyrics.
