Comedian Patrick Salvado has blamed musicians for contributing to the decline of Uganda’s comedy industry, explaining how the decision to introduce musical performances to comedy shows gradually affected the format and running of the events.
Speaking during an interview on Kasuku Live, Salvado admitted that comedians played a role in the situation but argued that bringing musicians onto comedy stages changed the audience experience and disrupted the programmes.
According to Salvado, comedy shows initially attracted large audiences, with musicians often approaching comedians for collaborations and opportunities to perform at their events.
We messed up. From the genesis, it was purely comedians, and musicians came to us for features. We would let them have the stage first, and events got full.
He recalled that as the shows grew, organisers moved their events to La Bonita, a venue with a capacity of approximately 1,300 people, raising concerns about how they would attract enough people to fill the space.
Salvado said one manager suggested introducing musicians to the comedy shows as a way of attracting larger audiences.
Kapere highlights dip in Uganda’s comedy industry
He explained that, at the time, they relied on Uganda’s biggest music stars, including Jose Chameleone, Bobi Wine and Bebe Cool, and occasionally Radio and Weasel.
However, the arrangement eventually created challenges for comedians, according to Salvado.
“The musicians were the curtain raisers, and remember, they move with their gangs, so they started discomforting the real comedy audience,” he said.
Salvado explained that organisers later changed the programme to allow comedians to perform first before musicians took the stage. However, this adjustment created another problem because musicians would often arrive late, leaving comedians reluctant to perform before the audience had fully gathered.
He said some comedians began insisting that musicians should perform first to attract crowds and ensure they were not performing to empty seats.
This, Salvado argued, disrupted the running of the shows, as disagreements over performance order made it difficult to maintain the programme.
@medhie2#kasukulive #foryoupage❤️❤️ #mddaily
♬ original sound – MD Daily🇺🇬
