Ugandan singer A Pass has reignited the debate over foreign artists dominating Uganda’s concert scene after accusing Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platnumz of lip-syncing during his recent performance at Lugogo.
The singer questioned whether Diamond delivered a fully live performance, claiming that the Tanzanian hitmaker relied on miming rather than singing throughout the show.
A Pass made the remarks while continuing his criticism of local concert promoters for prioritising international performers over Ugandan musicians.
“He mimed so well, you didn’t see him? It’s not disrespect, it’s the truth. He was miming and not singing. The videos are there, he was miming and lip syncing,” A Pass said.
The singer maintained that his comments were not intended to disrespect Diamond but were simply his assessment of what happened on stage.
His criticism adds another dimension to the ongoing conversation about the treatment of Ugandan artists compared with international performers who regularly headline major concerts in the country.
A Pass has previously questioned why local promoters appear more willing to bring foreign musicians to Uganda while homegrown talent continues to raise concerns about opportunities and performance payments.
However, he also challenged Ugandan musicians to take greater responsibility for their own commercial value instead of placing the blame entirely on promoters.
According to A Pass, an artist’s ability to market themselves, build a recognisable brand and negotiate effectively plays a major role in determining how much they earn from performances.
“As a musician, you have to market yourself in a way that when you come to a show, you get paid what you are worth so that you stop complaining that another artist was paid more. It’s all about your bargaining power, it has nothing to do with a promoter, it has everything to do with you,” he added.
His argument suggests that Ugandan musicians should invest more effort in strengthening their brands and negotiating positions if they want to command higher performance fees.
The comments also place responsibility on artists to develop the business side of their careers rather than constantly comparing their earnings with those of international stars.
For Diamond Platnumz, the lip-syncing allegation remains A Pass’s assessment of the Lugogo performance. The supplied material does not include a response from the Tanzanian singer or independent verification establishing whether he mimed during the show.
Ultimately, A Pass is making two arguments: Ugandan artists deserve greater recognition, but they must also build the commercial power to negotiate what they believe their performances are worth.
The debate over foreign stars, local talent and concert money in Uganda is clearly not going away.