Ugandan singer Victor Ruz is calling for better treatment of artists at local events, arguing that musicians who operate professionally can sometimes end up being taken for granted.
Ruz criticized event promoters over what he described as inconsistent treatment of artists, particularly when it comes to the number of people they are allowed to bring to shows.
According to the singer, some individuals are permitted to attend events with large groups, while artists who arrive with small, professional teams face tighter restrictions.
“Why do you want to put us down, us who are calm? Because they know I’m sober and expect to explain things to me, they end up disrespecting me, and it’s why I turn off their invitations,” Ruz said.
The singer explained that his own team typically consists of just four or five people — including his manager, camera person, DJ, driver and himself.
Despite keeping his entourage small, Ruz said he has still encountered situations where basic considerations, such as parking, were difficult to secure, while artists arriving with larger groups received more attention.
“We decided to do things in a professional way, but they should respect us. I don’t move with useless people,” he added.
Ruz also shared a separate experience involving an unnamed Ugandan media house, describing it as one of the most disrespectful moments he has encountered during his music career.
Speaking on a podcast, the singer said he had been invited for a musical interview but was surprised when the programme played songs by other artists without playing any of his own music.
“It was a musical interview. They played every other artiste’s songs while I’m on set except my songs,” Ruz said.
The situation reportedly frustrated him further because some of the presenters involved are people he considers friends. He also noted that he had previously shared moments with them and received awards from the same platform.
“Some of the presenters are my friends and we have been together, won some awards from them, but that was too disrespectful and I hate it. It’s the worst thing I have ever experienced in the music industry,” he said.
Ruz did not identify the media house or the presenters involved, and he did not provide their response to his account.
He said he considered reacting immediately but ultimately chose not to create a scene, partly because he believed the incident could have quickly spread across social media.
“If I was someone who reacts right away, I was going to cause a scene. It would have surfaced on social media and trended because you can’t give me a programme to come and you fail to play a single song from my catalogue of five to six hits,” he said.
For Ruz, the two experiences point to the same broader issue: professionalism from artists should not mean they receive less consideration. His comments now put the spotlight on how performers are treated both backstage and in the media.