The future is bleak for shy music producers

While many Ugandan producers have chosen to live under the radar and their incomes still comes in through working with new, younger artistes, they have kept the veterans around, even though some claim veterans don’t pay.

What veterans bring, though, is buzz and hit songs that attract other customers to work with the producers. This model has worked for some time now, but the fangs of the future are threatening this kind of model.

For instance, some producers that noticed earlier tried to venture into active singing – for example, Nigerian producers Young John and Pheelz, Ugandan producers Daddy Andre and Bomba, among others – but they realized it is not only about singing, because there is a thin line between success and failure; balancing two careers is tricky.

Then enter Nessim Pan Production. A legendary producer who has produced not less than ten hit songs since 2011, giving us hits such as Gutamiiza by Goodlyfe ft B2C, Gutujja by Rema Namakula ft B2C, and more recently, Toma by Vyroota.

Nessim Mukuza had lived a low profile life despite his works topping charts for years, but recently he has featured in music videos of songs produced by him; for example, in Toma by Vyroota, but even more strangely, he popped up to play piano for Vinka at her Live and Loud concert as she performed Lalala, her most recent hit song.

Producing aside, Nessim’s keyboard/piano skills are considered some of the best around. This type of branding and outing his face for the public, in one way or another fosters Nessim’s brand into the minds and hearts of Ugandans.

The producer also has an active social media presence, where he does content breaking down beats and sometimes ‘behind the scenes’ clips of producing some of the biggest songs.

Now, following Nessim’s template, young and trending producer Bassi Boi has gone over and beyond to do something new: the new kid on the block is going on tour as a producer, doing production door-to-door.

This move will not only give artistes who can’t come to Kampala a chance to work with the new hit maker, but will enable Bassi Boi make money and promote his brand further. The competition among producers just heated up; a shy hit maker with little innovation just might be left in the dust.

If UK and USA producers are taking branding and presence seriously, who are you to remain in the shadows anymore? Benchmark Los Angeles-based Producer Mastard who has produced music for Drake and Kendrick Lamar, among others, or UK-based Producer Jae 5 (worked with Burna Boy, J Hus among others).

They don’t just sit in studio; both have transitioned from being behind the scenes, to carrying equal weight with the artistes they work for.

isaiahsaviomukisa@gmail.com

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