Xpressions UG Is Laying Fertile Ground For Amplification And Collaboration Among Uganda’s New Wave Creative’s

There is a crisis of infrastructure in Uganda’s creative sector. The country is brimming with youthful creative energy and talent across all mediums, but there is not enough institutional support, education, or platforms to support the new wave of innovative artists in meaningful ways. The journey of a Ugandan creative can be frustrating and isolating; navigating a mainstream culture that undervalues creative work and a lack of avenues to connect and collaborate with like-minded souls. This is tenfold for alternative musicians, who are up against a pop-music landscape that is notoriously hostile towards niche sounds and aesthetics. This is the concrete from which Xpressions UG has sprouted. Founded in February 2021 by Keith Lubega and Shari Mwanika, this collective has pledged to fill this void and be the go-to platform for music discovery and artist support for the new wave scene in Uganda. 

Each month, they work with 1 - 2 artists to produce live in-studio performances that are released on Youtube and circulated on Instagram and Twitter. They also host regular intimate concerts showcasing many of the same artists on their channel in an in-person setting. Xpressions is now one of the foremost discovery platforms for Ugandan new wave artists, having worked with the likes of mwami, Ill Gee, MAUIMOON, TaiDai and even Kenyan rising stars Xenia Manasseh and mau from nowhere. Beyond that, they have reinvigorated a spirit of community and collaboration within Kampala’s new wave artists as well as building bridges across the border in Nairobi. “Before I came back to Uganda I knew about Xpressions,” says MAUIMOON, a Ugandan producer and singer who recently moved back to Kampala after living abroad for some years. “[I’m] forever grateful for them introducing me to the amazing talent in Uganda which then led me to the wonderful  EA community.” 

Tai Dai performing for Xpressions UG

We spoke with founders Shari and Keith about their journey thus far and what calls them to do this righteous work.

How and when did Xpressions come to be? What inspired its creation? 

Friendship, a love for music and a desire to see this new wave of art in East Africa explode, inspired the creation. Xpressions UG officially started in February 2021, but the real real guys know the idea was born in late 2020. Following a series of conversations about how the heat from the new wave of young musicians in Uganda was completely missing a lot of people, Keith came up with the idea to be that platform, and from there he and Shari began to build the team. 

Who does the team consist of?
We are a collective of Ugandan youth with a diverse set of skills and perspectives that make sense as a whole. Some of us are musicians ourselves, shoutout mwami! At the moment our spaceship sits 9, filling various roles like Creative Director, Music Director, Marketing, Accounting etc. And we work in close collaboration with Dustville Records, Icon Lounge and Netstudios Africa, they make a lot of what we do possible.

How has the journey been so far?
Like any journey to the moon, the ride’s been a little bumpy lol. It’s hard to find one word to describe it. There’s been highs and lows, a WHOLE lot of lessons, even more good music, love, community, talent and growth. As a team we’ve learnt from each other and collectively bring an interesting perspective to this world we have entered, but we’ve also learnt quite a bit from the communities of artists that have beeeeen in the mix and that we’ve had the chance to collaborate with.

How has Xpressions been received by the community thus far?
There are people that attended the first Xpressions Live Session, when we barely had any idea what we were doing, and they haven’t missed a session since. That kind of organic growth and support is encouraging. When we started Xpressions, we knew we were attaching ourselves to what most consider a niche scene and to something new which can take time to be received when people are comfortable with and used to a ‘norm’. However it’s been amazing to see people connect with and join the mission, and to see our audience widen beyond our own social circles or acquaintances. We continue to do the best to get the word out there, and love platforms like TANGAZA that help us do just that. This thing needs to be a collective effort, and our focus is on building that force and energy, even when the numbers feel like they’re moving slowly. Overall the community has embraced us with open arms!

What do you think about the state of Ugandan music today? What gets you most excited? What do you think we need more of?

Ugandan Music is at a critical point and a shift in the narrative is happening. Growing up we always heard Ugandans only make 1 type of music (Kadongo Kamu). That narrative is far from the truth and we believe that this new age of young, hungry, innovative, creative artists are changing it. The industry is still young and needs development on the international stage and we believe Xpressions can be a trailblazer in this development, alongside the artists that work on their crafts day and night. When looking at what young Ugandan artists are doing in the scene be it photographers, videographers or producers, they are all bringing a different level of expertise and creativity to the music industry that hasn’t been seen in the country before. We are a young population and with this youthful energy we are seeing great strides towards making Ugandan music internationally appreciated and loved. We are seeing people in the region of East Africa coming to Uganda to work alongside our creatives and musicians. We are in an exciting time in our country and it’s only going to get bigger and better. We believe that Ugandan artists and creatives in the industry need 3 things -more platforms where they are celebrated & given the space to express themselves, funding & educational opportunities on music marketing and branding -the lack of access to funding is hindering the growth of so many artists and they are forced to turn their backs from their talent to pursue other opportunities because they need to put food on their plates. 

Can you speak to your relationship with Nairobi’s new wave creative community? How has it been collaborating with artists from that scene?
We’ve had the honor of working alongside a few of Nairobi’s new wave creatives such as mau from nowhere (who has two YouTube renditions on our platform), TANGAZA Magazine, and Furaha Collective with whom we organized a jam session and after party in collaboration with some of the Ugandan artists we’ve featured on our youtube platform. We also had the amazing vocalist Xenia Manasseh bless us with her presence on the Xpressions Live stage early last year. With each collaboration the energy has been just right, and we have felt the love and their belief in what we are doing. We are planning on bringing Xpressions UG to Nairobi and we can already feel the love the city has for us and its own creatives. But it’s also great to see how much Ugandan and Kenyan artists want to collaborate, provided the opportunity.

Lagum The Rapper performing for Xpressions UG

You were recently chosen to take part of NASE & UNDP’s Youth IDEAThon incubation program. Can you tell us more about that and what it entails?
NASE Africa alongside the UNDP hosted an IDEAThon early in 2021, the goal was to set out and find new and exciting innovations within Uganda in a multitude of fields. We applied under the creative umbrella and happened to be selected as one of the 1000 most innovative ideas. This selection was a great honor as they had over 5000 applicants. By being selected,we were put into an incubator run by the UNDP in order for us to gain skills in marketing, product development, band structure and more. We hope that this is only the beginning of our recognition on the national stage as well as an international stage. 

Can you speak about some of the hurdles you’ve encountered? How did you overcome them?
Starting an independent self-funded company isn’t easy, especially in the creative industry in Uganda. Pushing to deliver innovative and quality content can also be difficult with limited resources. And getting people to understand and support our vision has been a great challenge, however this is quickly changing as we are consistent and persistent in the strides we make. Xpressions UG is here to stay, and consistency, discipline, passion for what we’re doing and the support we receive from our sponsors have been essential to overcoming the hurdles. Closing our eyes and taking the leap, with the knowledge of what we were possibly going to face, was the best decision. 

What is the ultimate vision for Xpressions? 5 years from now what do you see for yourselves?
In 5 years Xpressions UG will be a household name within East Africa and would be responsible for showcasing a multitude of East African artists to the world. We long for a time when homegrown artists are headlining shows, even at home. Xpressions will have a studio where we will be able to produce and edit all our content as well as content to support other creatives in their marketing and branding. We see ourselves with the financial capability to curate spaces for East African artists to collaborate and learn across the region (artist residencies, studio sessions etc). Maybe even an annual festival, and a whole lot of ‘flowers’ to the talent we work with. The best part about a dream and vision, is it will always be two steps ahead of you, so we’re also excited to see the surprises that unfold as we continue on this journey.