Beyond the stage: How DOADOA LIVE is championing Uganda’s female music leaders

The Ugandan music industry is a vibrant, pulsating ecosystem—yet for women, the path to a sustainable career is often frustratingly short. While women represent over 55.8% of the creative workforce, the economics of the sector are wildly out of balance, leaving a female-driven industry largely underfunded and under-supported.

It is from this context that DOADOA LIVE emerges. Responding directly to these systemic inequalities, the initiative is dedicated to supporting women artists to not just survive, but to sustain, grow, tour, and thrive. By fostering a culture of music leadership, creative excellence, and high production standards, DOADOA LIVE aims to nurture Uganda’s music ecosystem, stimulate economic activity, and boost the market for artists.

Crucially, this work aligns with recent collaborative research. A project called Behind the Scenes, led by the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), has recently presented official recommendations across seven African countries to champion change on a national and continental level.

Here is a snapshot of the voices and experiences shaping this movement, as DOADOA LIVE puts the spotlight on the creatives driving it forward.

The artist’s perspective: Vini Mercy

Vini Mercy is a fresh voice fusing music, spoken word, and cinematography. Her recently produced short film, 'Some Ma’di Girl from Kampala', is a deeply personal project aimed at bridging the gap between her heritage and her present.

"My visual style captures different landscapes and ways of life between places, leading people to see a bit of Moyo, Adjumani, and Entebbe," Vini explains. "I’m inspired by creating an artistic way to share where I come from and provide inclusion of a culture they said was forgotten."

However, as a new filmmaker exploring the cross over between music and film Vini points out the stark gender disparity in the industry. "I’m constantly looking out for what those before me have done, and most or all of them are male. I have about one example of a young female filmmaker I know and learned from. We have to create our own stages and opportunities so that other people can jump on board. We will need the help of men to get on most platforms—which isn’t a bad thing. I will take any opportunity to be a woman in a space."

The manager’s perspective: Uncle Runo

While opportunities are emerging, Uncle Runo, Label Head of Runo Concepts, highlights a critical blind spot: the industry is failing to professionalize the business of management.

"Yes, there are some opportunities emerging in Uganda, but the bigger problem is that music managers still have to figure out the financial side largely on their own. The gap is very clear: most programs are aimed at artists or creative businesses generally, rather than the music manager as a business professional."

Uncle Runo argues that Uganda’s development planning has identified limited access to finance and business capacity as major constraints. He believes the industry needs to treat management as an actual enterprise, teaching essential skills like building sustainable management companies, drafting contracts, managing cash flow, negotiating sponsorships, and understanding royalties and taxation.

"I wouldn't say managers are completely forgotten anymore, but the ecosystem is still underdeveloped. The biggest shift Uganda needs is to stop viewing the manager as simply 'the person helping the artist' and start recognizing the manager as a creative industry entrepreneur running a business."

The ecosystem’s perspective: CMH Live

For the team at CMHLIVE, the DOADOA LIVE concert series has been a rare opportunity to implement a fully integrated 360-degree artist development ecosystem.

"These events have been an opportunity to showcase artists we have trained through the CMH Academy program, giving them a chance to share the stage with established names," says the team. "It is also a chance for us to strengthen our event production and curation services, offering other creatives the opportunity to gain much-needed experience."

The showcases have also added immense value to the existing ecosystem events hosted with partner Onomo Hotel Kampala including the Onomo Arts Experience. By featuring headline artists like Rachel Magoola alongside younger, emerging women artists, the initiative is actively connecting creatives across generations of experience.

Delivering value and facing challenges

Project delivery to date has yielded significant successes. The Live Showcases have connected artists to markets—not just through immediate bookings, but by building vital visibility, strategic contacts, and future networks.

Between July and September 2026, five industry showcases were delivered in Uganda, featuring fashion runways, DJs, and an evening lineup of women artists performing their own original repertoire.

The initiative has also expanded beyond the stage, engaging 100 young people at the University of Kisubi Inter-University Challenge, where the delivery team led masterclasses on professional development for student designers and models.

However, the road hasn't been without obstacles. A major challenge has been the lack of women instrumentalists.

"Challenges to working with a wider range of women instrumentalists reflect a wider ecosystem dominated by jobbing male musicians, resulting in a limited pool of women artists to form full bands around headline acts—even on a women-focused project such as DOADOA Live," the team admits.

Despite this, the momentum is growing, and the showcases are already outgrowing their current venue as the team explores new partnerships, including a recent collaboration with the Kampala Literature Festival.

A heartfelt testimonial

Perhaps the most powerful indicator of DOADOA LIVE’s impact comes from an artist named Akisa, who performed at the event:

"I wanna start by saying thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to perform at DOADOA Live. Where I come from, artists rarely get this opportunity to perform outside Gulu. I loved the opportunity you gave me to get my own band and create my own team. Giving me a rehearsal room and some refreshments was so heartwarming—we rarely get such kindness from event organizers. I definitely connected with the crowd that day and I believe I got a pretty good Kampala fan base that day. And yes, the Miss Uganda performance was such a big experience for me. It was quite a big stage, and I loved it."

The future of Uganda’s music ccene

As DOADOA LIVE continues to push forward, their focus remains on building long-lasting relationships with creatives to maximize networking, resources, advice, and mentorship. By shifting the narrative from just "talent" to "business sustainability," they are laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and economically vibrant Ugandan music industry.

DOADOA LIVE at Onomo is a Bayimba Foundation Initiative in partnership with Africalia and Live Traces Producing designed to showcase, connect and support women artists within East Africa’s dynamic ecosystem.