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Tanzanian music icon Diamond Platnumz has urged Ugandan artists to take a stand against being used by the government and organisations for little or no compensation.
The Bongo Flava superstar over the weekend said musicians must reject giving up their hard-earned influence to push campaigns at no cost.
Diamond was speaking at a press conference ahead of his performance at the Coffee Marathon and Concert, which took place over the weekend at Africa Coffee Park.
The singer, who was joined by fellow artists Bebe Cool, The Ben, and Sister Charity, addressed the issue of local musicians being exploited in exchange for vague titles like ‘goodwill ambassador’.
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He expressed frustration over governments’ tendency to look outside the country for high-profile figures like footballers, while undervaluing the contributions of local artists.
Artists, he said, play a crucial role in driving messages across the country, and their influence should not be taken for granted.
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The government and all these organisations have to start recognising you as the local artist. This is not the time when they have to go outside the country to look for big footballers. They have to use us to achieve their goals
Now, I know that when the government wants to use an artist, they always say, ‘We want you to be our goodwill ambassador.’ It is a shame that the government wants to go to Europe and pay billions to a footballer, but when they come to a local artist, they want them to be a goodwill ambassador. So, how is the artist supposed to maintain their life?
Because, let’s be honest, even the leaders in government…they do not do charity. Our work as musicians takes a lot of investment for us to get this influence to the point where they want to use us to deliver their message.
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Diamond pointed out the inconsistency of governments paying billions to foreign celebrities while local artists are often asked to participate in campaigns with no financial benefit.
Government Partnerships Can Offer Financial Stability
For me, in my country, the government has understood, and I am already making a lot of money through such partnerships. So much so that I have started doing my own things now; I have started ventures like Wasafi Bet
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A Call for Change in the Music Industry
Several Ugandan musicians, including Bobi Wine, Joanita Kawalya, Hilderman, Rema Namakula, Ziza Bafana, and Pastor Wilson Bugembe, have previously taken up roles as goodwill ambassadors for various campaigns by the Ministry of Health and other organisations.
However, Diamond’s message calls for a shift in how local artists are recognised and compensated for their contributions.
Diamond’s advice is clear: it is time for Ugandan artists to be seen not just as goodwill ambassadors, but as partners in driving the country’s growth, tourism, and health initiatives.