DOADOA Live opens at ONOMO with spotlight on women artists

Four of Uganda's rising female musicians lit up the stage at ONOMO Hotel Kampala on Saturday night as the first edition of DOADOA Live at Onomo brought together music lovers, promoters and industry leaders for an evening that blended live performance with career development.

The free-entry event, which ran from 6pm until 11pm, marked the launch of a seven-part concert series aimed at creating more opportunities for women artists across East Africa.

Backed by a live band, Ninja C opened the show with a performance that quickly won over the audience. Her smooth vocals had guests singing along from the opening set, setting the tone for a night of original music.

Also performing on the night was Angel Kabera, along with Mbeewo and Shine Omukiga, with each artist delivering a distinct sound that reflected the diversity of Uganda's emerging live music scene. DJ Ri kept the audience engaged between performances, while host Khuhani guided guests through the evening.

The event attracted a strong turnout of music fans, creatives and entertainment industry professionals, reflecting growing interest in live music experiences that extend beyond mainstream commercial performances.

DOADOA Live at Onomo combines performances with networking and industry engagement. The programme is designed to connect artists with promoters, festival organisers, venue owners and other decision-makers who can help expand their careers beyond local audiences.

Speaking to Pulse Uganda, organiser Rasheeda Nalumoso of Live Traces Producing said the initiative is intended to strengthen East Africa's performing arts market while addressing the challenges female artists continue to face.

"DOADOA Live at Onomo is an initiative led by Bayimba Cultural Foundation, Live Traces Producing, Africalia and the Belgium Development Corporation. It feeds from the longstanding East African Performing Arts Market and we are reimagining it for this edition as a new series focused on women performing artists," she said.

"Cultivating sustainability rests on market access for women artists from Across Uganda and East Africa on stage, on screen, in studio. Intentional market linkages create new networks for musicians strengthening connections with the wider music ecosystems. We are intentionally looking for ways to get talented artists more bookings beyond the Doadoa Live at Onomo stage."

Nalumoso said organisers are also engaging promoters and venue owners to create more spaces for audiences to enjoy original live music.

"We also want to have a conversation with Ugandan music promoters on how to cultivate more spaces for audiences and artists where we can appreciate live music and original sound as opposed to purely commercial sound," she said.

"The focus on female artists is good for business, and even beyond the stage we need more women in other roles backstage, sound engineers etc because that ecosystem is not equal, so there is a need to be intentional around supporting opportunities for women to progress in this space."

The show organisers have been working directly with participating artists to identify the support they need to become performance-ready and secure more professional bookings.

"We have had one-to-one conversations with the artists. That kind of dialogue is on, 'do you have a band', how do we support your needs, what do you need to be performance ready? Are you ready to go if a booking comes through?" she said.

She added that the programme also seeks to address barriers that disproportionately affect female artists, including childcare responsibilities and limited flexibility when accepting bookings.

"Our success will be measured in repeat bookings for the artists, new interest to grow their network in Uganda with opinion leaders, industry leaders, promoters, and growing more opportunities for female artists to get paid," she said.

DOADOA Live began in Jinja and has now expanded to Kampala. The series will continue with performances at different venues, including the Uganda National Theatre later in August. Organisers plan to stage seven editions between July and October as part of the wider DOADOA East African Performing Arts Market initiative.

Free Entry                          

Dates: 

29 August - National Theatre

July 18, September 5th, September 19th and October 5th - ONOMO Hotel.

The events Registration link can be accessed here