Ugandan singer Joshua Baraka says he does not consider himself an Afrobeats artist, explaining that he sees himself as a versatile musician who explores different genres rather than being defined by one sound.
Speaking on a podcast recently, Baraka said he makes Afrobeats occasionally but also explores dancehall, pop, reggae and other styles, arguing that making music in a particular genre does not necessarily make an artist belong exclusively to it.
“Afrobeats is a great genre, and dancehall is a great genre, pop too. I’m an artist; I make all that music. So, if I happen to make Afrobeats, it doesn’t make me an Afrobeats artist. If I make a reggae song, it doesn’t make me a reggae artist. I’m just an artist,” he said.
Baraka also weighed in on the identity of Ugandan music, arguing that the country still lacks a clearly defined signature sound that can distinguish its music from other African markets.
However, he pointed to Ekidandali as one of the sounds associated with Uganda, describing it as a blend of reggaeton and dancehall that he considers particularly exciting.
“For Uganda, we lack a specific sound, but there’s one called Ekidandali, which is a mixture of reggaeton and dancehall, and it’s a crazy sound,” he added.
The singer noted that discussions about African music genres and identity remain broad, partly because people often struggle to categorise artists from different regions of the continent.
“The conversation is very wide, but it’s because a lot of these people don’t know where to put artists from different regions in Africa. But for now, we shall make the music we make,” Baraka said.