Ugandan singer A Pass has disagreed with the notion that artists must record songs in Luganda for them to become successful in Uganda, arguing that good music can connect with audiences regardless of the language used.
According to A Pass, the most important ingredients are the melody, feeling and message of a song rather than the language in which it is performed.
He pointed to his collaboration with Lilian Mbabazi, “Memories,” as an example of an English-language song that managed to become a major hit among Ugandan listeners.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters most is the melodies. If you have nice melodies that align with the people, language doesn’t matter for the song. It matters with its feeling,” A Pass explained.
He also cited several Ugandan artists who have successfully released English songs that resonated with local audiences, including Joshua Baraka, Navio and Michael Ross.
A Pass further referenced Juliana Kanyomozi’s early career, noting that one of her biggest songs, “Woman,” was also performed in English.
“When you listen to most of Joshua Baraka’s songs, they are in English but you all listen to them and enjoy them. Let’s remember Navio, Michael Ross, so many people know that music. Juliana when she was starting… one of her biggest songs is ‘Woman’ and it’s in English, so the language doesn’t matter, it’s the message. Anything goes,” he said.