Bien Denies Disrespecting Ugandan Artists

Musician Bien-Aimé Baraza, popularly known as Bien, has moved to clarify comments he made about Uganda’s music industry, insisting that his remarks were taken out of context and that he has no intention of disrespecting Ugandan artists.

The Sauti Sol singer found himself at the centre of controversy after excerpts from a recent podcast interview began circulating on social media and blogs, with some interpreting his comments as dismissive of Ugandan musicians.

In a statement shared on his social media platforms, Bien addressed the growing backlash, explaining that short clips and blog posts did not capture the full conversation.

“A few comments I made on a recent podcast are being shared without the full context,” he wrote. “I want to be clear: my intention was to share my perspective, not to disrespect Ugandan music or the artists who continue to shape and grow it.”

The “Inauma” hitmaker expressed disappointment that his words had been misrepresented, “If you’ve only seen the blogs or short clips, they don’t reflect the full conversation. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to listen to what I actually said. “Much love and respect to the music community. ❤️” he added.

The controversy stems from comments Bien made during a podcast interview where he discussed the differences between the Kenyan and Ugandan music markets. In the full conversation, Bien offered context about how the Ugandan music industry operates differently from Kenya’s. “In Uganda, one hit song can take an artist around the whole country. You have to be there to understand how that system works,” Bien said in the interview.

The comment was intended to highlight the unique structure of Uganda’s music industry, where artists can achieve national recognition and tour extensively within the country based on a single hit, a system Bien suggested was different from Kenya’s more fragmented market.