Renowned musician Henry Tigan has expressed his concern about the state of conflicts within the Ugandan music industry. Tigan believes that the current trend of what he refers to as “fake fights” among artists is negatively affecting the industry’s vitality, with fans growing disinterested.
In an interview last weekend, Tigan, the melodious Abogezi singer, remarked that there is a noticeable lack of genuine disputes among artists. He expressed disapproval of the prevalent practice of minor physical altercations, stating, “Yet if it is about fighting, it should be a real fight; this business of pulling each other’s ears, we don’t want to see that.”
Tigan’s comments were prompted by a recent altercation between musicians Rickman and Grenade, reportedly initiated by their shared past relationship with Sheilah Gashumba. However, Tigan perceives such clashes, including this recent one, as trivial and unimpressive.
He reminisced about his time in Fire Base, emphasizing that in those days, a fight meant a real physical confrontation. He further emphasized, “We want to hear that someone gauged another person’s eye out, then we shall know that it’s serious business. I once saw an artist being reeled out of a show on a stretcher in Nakivubo stadium.”
While Tigan’s perspective may seem controversial, he believes that genuine conflicts, though unconventional, can sometimes garner attention and interest in an artist. He cited examples from countries like Jamaica, where artists wear their scars from real fights as badges of honor. Tigan recounted, “You find someone walking around with missing fingers….someone cut them off with pliers during the fight.”
For those Ugandan artists who are unwilling or unable to engage in such extreme confrontations, Tigan suggests they consider avoiding petty disputes altogether.
