The ongoing poking game between singers Cindy and Sheebah Karungi is the latest spark in an already highly charged year musically.
Following a series of concerts that opened the year, the rise and rise of Alien Skin and the controversy prompted by the formation of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF).
The industry has never been more competitive. And to stay ahead of the ever-revolving news cycle, you must stay relevant. For some, this means crafting a stunt.
So, when Cindy announced she intended to hold a concert on the same date (and same venue) that Sheebah had picked, many pondered what was going on. A month prior, the Ice Cream singer had revealed she planned to stage a concert dubbed ‘YOLO’ at Kololo airstrip on September 15.
For weeks now, the two who have been singing for over a decade now have been entangled in a verbal war.
Cindy cheekily accusing Sheebah of being “a dummy” whose entire career was bankrolled and engineered by her very tactful and efficient manager (Jeff Kiwa). And that she deserves credit because since quitting Blu*3, she has been grinding all by herself. Implying she’s self-made. One who has undergone baptism by fire.
While Sheebah claims she was the first to schedule her concert, Cindy claims she had no idea about this.
“I didn’t hear about her Kololo show. I have my own life. I am preoccupied with so many things. So, when my team and I set out to put together a show, we went looking for a venue. I booked the venue before she did. It is possible she announced her show before she booked the venue just so she could gage the temperature,” Cindy has said in one of the interviews.
Each of the two is pushing a narrative that they booked the date. And that the public should wait for the d-day to find out whose show will actually take place. What this does is create much needed curiosity with fans in either camp biting their nails in the buildup to the day.
To sustain the talkability both in the mainstream and social media, the two have boasted about everything from their catalog (who has the most hit songs), who has been in the industry the longest, their personal achievements and all that.
Cindy reminding us she wrote Sheebah’s first song Kunyenyeza, and that she went ahead to nurture the former Obsessions member into the independent artiste she desired to be. Which Sheebah does not deny.
When Cindy was asked what the prospect of an actual concert battle would look like, she said; “It’s something I wanted to do 3 years ago.”
“That (battle) would be easy, because battle is about the music. I have mastered stage. If there’s a promoter that is willing to bet their money on a battle, we can do it. It would be good for entertainment. It would also help prove to those who keep comparing me to industry newbies,” she said.
But Sheebah has tactfully skirted the issue of a battle.
“I don’t know about any battle. Kololo is too big. We both have fans. Her fans will take her side and my fans will take my side,” Sheebah said.
‘It is impractical the two can hold a concert on the same day at the same venue’. Is what many said when Cindy announced a concert with the same date and venue as Sheebah’s.
‘One of them is lying’.
What Plugged has since confirmed from chatter within reliable circles is – neither Cindy nor Sheebah is lying about a show at Kololo independence grounds on September 15. Only that it won’t be on two separate stages. They will both perform on the same stage. A music battle.
It has been a full decade since Uganda had the last music battle – between Goodlyfe and Bebe Cool. A 6-hour long battle of music, words, fashion, fans and placards that had the stage at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds separated in two using a wire mesh. Not only was it good for entertainment and an opportunity for the rivals to settle their scores, it was a good commercial opportunity for both the organizers and the artistes themselves.
Until Winnie Nwagi’s highly successful concert last year, the potential of Ugandan artistes solely pulling numbers to a concert was on a downward trend. And event organizers had turned to foreign acts to be able to make meaningful profit on concerts.
A source disclosed to Plugged that it was Nwagi’s September concert at the Lugogo Cricket Oval that gave Swangz Avenue confidence that local artistes still had the ability to rake in good money.
So, at the beginning of this year, the audio-visual production house conceived an idea. To revive the music battle-style concerts that once caused a pulsating rave in Kampala.
The commercial viability of betting on local artistes was sound. Compared to sinking upwards of Shs 1.5bn in a show headlined by a top tier foreign act. More than half of this sum going into production.
To make this battle possible, Swangz needed to identify which artiste to pit against which. And Cindy and Sheebah seemed like the perfect candidates, the source said.
The team at Swangz engaged both singers and interested them in the idea. The offer on table was Shs 200m, that’s Shs 100m for each of them. Sheebah was reluctant initially. Whether it was cold feet for her own insecurities, it is not easy to tell. But the excuse she gave was – the offer on table was not as enticing.
On the contrary, Cindy was in. The only hurdle at the time, she was pregnant. But by October, when the showdown was scheduled to take place, she would be in shape to perform.
“Sheebah must have weighed it and finally considered the offer. Her career has been stagnant ever since she dropped her management. Her recent concert wasn’t a success. This would be an opportunity for one last major show and for her to make decent money while at it. So, she needed it,” a source familiar with the details of the engagements intimated.
Industry players we spoke to have disclosed that no Ugandan artiste has got such an offer for a concert. For most of them, promoters offer in the range of Shs 30m to Shs 40m to buy out their annual concerts.
Another source, that preferred anonymity due to the nature of the subject, said only Radio and Weasel got paid Shs 60m for their 2013 ‘Battle of the Champions’ music battle during which they faced off with Bebe Cool.
In order to maximize the commercial value of the Cindy – Sheebah battle, Swangz embarked on building a solid campaign around this which would climax with the concert. A headline sponsor would be needed to help offset the costs required to execute the campaign from start to finish – marketing, promotion and production.
The campaign would begin with teasers in form of social media posts. Then Sheebah would trigger the idea of challenging Cindy to a battle. Later on, a promoter (Swangz) would express interest in organizing such a battle, and then a headline sponsor would announce they are putting their weight behind the battle.
Every little part of this series would unfold in a very meticulous and choreographed manner. Yet appear as organic as possible to the public.
The campaign would be so intense, it would split the general public and music industry into two factions – Team Sheebah and Team Cindy. This would drive up sales for branded merchandize and also activate music streaming battles. Everything had been drawn to the very last detail.
The actual concert would take a format of a battle in the literal sense. The concept of the stage was a boxing ring. And the show would be designed in three rounds. There would be judges among them some of the most acclaimed names in the industry – Jose Chameleone and Juliana Kanyomozi – who would ‘adjudicate’ the performances of the two sides. How their decision (or the lack of) would pun out too had been scripted with moment-by-moment precision.
At the heart of all this was the desire to redefine entertainment by creating an experience that would leave the audience captivated. And for the musicians themselves to entertain their fans while at the same time making a good buck out of it.
Then in one unprecedented twist, the campaign was launched prematurely. Before its curator could give the cue. Sheebah announced her YOLO festival for September.
And whether knowingly or unknowingly, Cindy followed Sheebah’s cue. The events leading to the September 15 music battle had now been set in motion.
Two theories could explain why the Nkwatako singer chose to trigger the campaign before Swangz did. It is possible she and Cindy upon hearing Swangz’s offer figured they were getting a raw deal and opted to organize the concert themselves with hopes they would make more money.
The other theory being, they landed a sponsor that was willing to offer them more than Swangz staked. Victoria University which had scheduled its graduation for September 14 at Kololo has since announced it is sponsoring the battle between Sheebah and Cindy. Sheebah is an ambassador of the university owned by business magnate, Sudhir Ruparelia.
“As Victoria University, we firmly believe that every situation presents an opportunity for positive change and growth. As an institution deeply committed to advancing our nation, we see the immense potential in harnessing the energy exhibited by these exceptional artistes into a meaningful and constructive direction for our country,” the university said in a statement at the beginning of the month.
“This foundation has inspired us to challenge Queen Sheebah Karungi and ‘The King Herself’ Cindy Sanyu to engage in a productive music battle, especially in light of recent media discussions,” the university added.
The University says it engaged each of the artistes upon seeing their confrontational exchanges online. Adding that “each of them on their terms have accepted the challenge”.
At the point Sheebah hijacked the initial plan, Plugged understands Swangz had finally locked in a popular beer brand as headline sponsor. It was only a matter of time before the sponsor could greenlight the agency to activate the campaign.
“When Swangz asked Sheebah about the YOLO festival, she told them she was under the impression that they had abandoned the project,” our source said.
Legendary radio host, emcee and voice over artiste, Omulangira Ndausi explains that the costs involved in organizing a music battle is why there has been a ten-year lag without having another one.
“This (battles) is just fun. It’s entertainment. And we need such things in the industry to wake it up. There’s been some dormancy in the industry. When we have things like battles, the industry gets some vibe,” Ndawusi told Plugged in an interview.
He says as much as they are necessary for the industry to thrive, battles are capital intensive considering the financial demands that the artistes involve tend to make. This is on top of the other hefty costs required to put the event together.
“Someone will say ‘I need Shs 100m’. the other one will also say ‘I need Shs 100m’. That’s Shs 200m. Then there is money you (organizer) will put into posters, TV, radio etc. It’s too expensive and organizers don’t get anything out of it.”
In Victoria University’s case, it is easier to reach an understanding with Sheebah since there’s an existing relationship, he says.
A source close to the Gagamel camp told Plugged that Bebe Cool got Shs 35m for the battle against Bobi Wine. The following year, he got Shs 41m to battle Radio & Weasel.
Ndausi was involved (as an emcee for Bebe Cool) in both the 2012 battle (Cool VS Bobi Wine) and the 2013 one between Cool and Goodlyfe. He describes some of the technical logistics of a battle as a disincentive.
For example, the physical stage for the previous battles was twice the size of an ordinary concert stage. This is because, they had to divide the stage into two. Then each side had to have its own backline (the amplifiers, speaker cabinets for guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and other electronic audio amplification equipment required for a live performance).
The production logistics would also go beyond what’s usually required for a concert where performers share the same stage.
In Ndausi’s opinion, Cindy and Sheebah are not the best candidates to face off in a music battle. The two are not equals musically, he says, rating Cindy better at live performance. For him, Chameleone and Bebe Cool would give Uganda the best battle ever.
In January last year, Bebe Cool revealed that he was set to face off with his contemporary, Jose Chameleone, in a music battle. He did not divulge much except that Chameleone had asked for the battle and that it would be held in Lugogo Cricket Oval. But 2022 ended and there was no battle.
“Bebe Cool and Chameleone. That’s a battle. This has failed to happen for many years just because everyone asked for Shs 500m which was very impossible. Balam (promoter) wanted to do it but he couldn’t because he couldn’t afford the money. And now it’s even more harder to do because they have since become wealthier, so, it has to be more than Shs 500m,” Ndausi said.
The only thing certain for now is there will be a concert between Cindy and Sheebah. Whether or not it will measure up to the concept of ‘battle’ that Swangz had initially conceived or even rake in the commercial value (for all parties involved) that the initial campaign had envisaged, only time will tell.
