Karole Kasita believes Uganda has developed a distinctive musical identity, but says the country’s sound still needs to make a bigger impression beyond its borders to earn wider recognition.
Speaking on Galaxy TV, the singer explained that Ugandan musicians often combine dancehall, Afrobeats and other influences to create music that does not fit neatly into a single genre.
“We fuse dancehall, we use Afro… like we do different things in one beat. I don’t know if that’s what makes the Ugandan sound,” Karole said.
Her remarks came during a discussion about Uganda’s musical identity, following comments by fellow singer Joshua Baraka, who recently questioned whether the country has a clearly defined sound comparable to Nigeria’s association with Afrobeats.
Baraka argued that much of Uganda’s music falls under the kidandali genre, raising questions about whether the country has established a musical identity that audiences can readily recognise internationally.
Karole offered a different perspective, suggesting that Uganda’s blend of musical styles could form the foundation of a recognisable sound.
However, she believes local popularity alone is not enough to establish that identity on the international stage.
For Karole, a major sign of success would be seeing musicians and listeners in other countries embrace Ugandan music and begin incorporating its elements into their own work.
“If our sound like the kidandali ever influences someone out there like the whites, South Africans, Jamaicans and want to copy that sound, that means it would then become our thing, but right now it doesn’t have someone it’s inspiring outside our country,” she said.
Her argument places the emphasis on influence rather than simply exporting music. In her view, Uganda’s sound would have a stronger claim to a distinct identity if artists abroad began drawing inspiration from it.
The debate touches on a wider question facing Uganda’s music industry: whether its strength lies in a single defining genre or in the ability of its artists to combine different styles into something recognisably their own.
Nigeria’s global association with Afrobeats provides a point of comparison, but Karole’s comments suggest that Uganda’s musical identity may develop through a different route.
Her remarks do not dismiss the country’s existing sound. Instead, they point to international influence as a measure of how far that sound has travelled and how much it has shaped music beyond Uganda.
As Ugandan artists continue seeking international audiences, the discussion over kidandali and the country’s broader musical identity is likely to remain part of the conversation about the industry’s global ambitions.