Ugandan artist Papa Cidy to stage maiden concert in Fiji

Papa Cidy is known for his 2012 smash hit 'Evalina' and is expected to perform songs from his forthcoming album Elisa at the concert. The 28-year-old musician said it was an honour to be invited to sing in Fiji and meet fans whom he would entertain at the concert. "I'm so happy to meet my fans and meet new people. I have never done a show in Fiji," he said of his maiden concert in Fiji.

The 'Island Vibes Homegrown Fiji Tour 2015' is planned to be the island’s biggest reggae, RnB and hip-hop music concert to date. According to the organizers, this is the first of its kind and will mainly feature established and upcoming local artists in their different genres. The Island Vibes concert will feature more than 25 artists covering every music genre in the country to give a more definitive idea on the type of music enjoyed by the locals. The tour will stage three shows — 2 October in Suva, Prince Charles Park on 30 October and Subrail Park on 6 November.

Speaking about the challenges within the Ugandan music industry, Papa Cidy said that it is not easy to gain recognition within the industry. “You need to struggle and put in much money for recording. An artist therefore needs to work hard, but once you make a hit song, you get recognized," he said.

Uganda has a vibrant music industry that plays a fundamental role in the social and economic lives of many. Music concerts, particularly album launches, are very popular. Many companies, mostly telecommunications and beverage companies, spend huge amounts of money on sponsoring these concerts. The emphasis on live concerts stems from the fact that relatively few artists make a worthwhile income from sales of their music on physical media. The lack of any distribution structure means that there is little to no incentive for capital investment in artist development or music sales.