Monica Ahimbisibwe
Priscilla Zawedde a.k.a Azawi, a Ugandan song writer and musician expressed her dissatisfaction with the way the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) an umbrella organization that represents the interests of musicians in Uganda for being discriminatory in the way it extends loans to musicians.
Azawi took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice her frustrations regarding the loaning practices of the Uganda National Musicians Federation. In her posts, she expressed surprise at the differences in loan amounts between established artists and struggling/upcoming artists.
She stated the fact that established artists received larger sums of money without the obligation to pay back while struggling artists received lesser amounts that they were required to repay.
Moreover, she questioned the consequences that artists might face if they fail to repay the government money, including the potential risk of losing their entire music catalogs.
She wondered if these artists borrowing money had thoroughly thought through it.
“Do these struggling artists know the repercussions of failure to payback government money? What if the government takes their entire music catalogue, are they ready for that?” She asked.
It is rather disappointing that a Federation founded to promote the talents of musicians in Uganda would do something so detrimental to their careers.
The UNMF’s objective is to bring together musicians from various genres and backgrounds, including traditional, gospel, pop, and hip-hop across the country. UNMF provides a platform for them musicians to network, collaborate, and share resources.
The federation’s main objectives include advocating for the rights of musicians, promoting professionalism in the industry, and creating opportunities for members to showcase their talents.
