The habit of copying other peoples’ songs in Uganda is growing every week, every month and every year. Cases of singers complaining that their colleagues in the music industry have duplicated their songs are found at police stations, courts and heard on radio stations. For example, a little known Ugandan artist, M Jeff last week called a press conference and alleged that singer Juliana Kanyomozi had stolen his song dubbed ‘e sanyu lyange.”

Singer M Jeff told the press that he released the song two weeks before Juliana duplicated his song. However when Juliana was asked by informers about the development, she said that some of the upcoming artists have a habit of claiming that well established singers have stolen their songs in order to make themselves also popular.

E Sanyu Lyange hit for Juliana was written by gospel artist, Silver Kyagulanyi while M Jeff’s version was composed by Omulangila Ssuna.

Juliana says that she is not the first one small artists are targeting to get known, other singers like Dr. Jose Chameleon have been targeted before. She says that recently an upcoming singer, Jenkins Mukasa accused Chameleone of stealing his Valu Valu.

By James Okello