Singer Emmanuel Suuna popularly known as Omulangira Suuna has lately been all over news after he dragged three journalists to court over alleged offensive communication. Our writer Joan Murungi sat him down for an interview
Do you have beef with journalists?
I thank all Ugandans for standing with me. Apart from Robert Kyagulanyi, I am one other person that has gotten all Ugandans on his side because of a positive cause. I am not showing off but this is the reality.
How did you know that Ugandans are on your side?
Checkout social media. Read what is there. Even if have 60% on my side, that shows that am winning. I have 99% of the people on my side because even the platform that’s was used to abuse me is not supported by people at the moment. Ugandans are tired of people that keep on abusing their musicians’. There is giving information and insulting. Those two things are different.
Don’t you think arresting and dragging these journalists to court is going to create a huge gap between journalists and musicians’? Don’t you think that you will at one point need them?
People that show up on TV and say that I am not blessed amuse me. What is a blessing? Having people that believe in you is a blessing. Some were saying that people are persuading me to do whatever am doing. So long as am pushing my cause, that is okay provided am fighting for this music industry. I am sure that those journalists that are abusing musicians’ will have musicians’ backed up by them in the future. Those very musicians’ will find this rotten industry that has been spoiled by the likes of Kayz. They will be shocked by the rate at which we are abused. This should be done away with. We need to start investigative journalism. There is the law. Am the fast Ugandan to put the computer misuse act into action.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1445956814160515073
Anha
I respect honorable Muhammad Nsereko. You well know how this guy has abused and degraded Nsereko. But, he helped him to get bail. This is something that he wasn’t going to get. Did he at one time think that Nsereko will help him out at this moment. You are there jubilating about how Olaxess is free forgetting that his lawyers sat me down and asked what I wanted them to do. I told them that I have never intended to arrest anyone. It’s the law that arrests. Isma is Ugandan entitled to bail because that’s his right.
By the time all this saga started, many believed it’s a stunt? Mbu you were planning to release a song?
When I cried, that was the right time for me to release a song. I have very many songs in studio that I want release. I just decided not to. Of course I knew that I have use thing all thing promote my music. It is okay for you to say that musician so and so better than me because that is your opinion but they, you’re not allowed to abuse me. I have vowed to arrest every journalist that abuses me. Speak anything musical. Which human being says that someone has a curse because his parents died and yet they are still alive. That is how unprofessional some journalists have become.
Have you thought about forgiving these people? We need each other in the entertainment industry?
Has anyone ever hurt you deeply, refuse to apologize to you and then demand that you forgive. The four culprits do not seem to want to ask for an apology yet they demand that I should pardon them. What do you want me to do? Those that are not in support with my cause have it that am supported by someone to do this. That is very true and am proud to say that that person is God, my wife and mother.
To what extent are you intending to go with this all issue?
Like I said, am going to arrest every person that mentions by name and adds an abuse to it. I haven’t said that you should praise because there are bad things we have. Saying that my music doesn’t impress you is totally okay. Speaking about things that don’t exist is abusive. When you say that my show flopped simply because entry fee was 2k is abusive. That is down grading me. My fans will be like ehee…, you mean this guy is this cheap? It’s my business that you are abusing. Whenever you mess up someone’s brand, you are also messing up the lives of those that depend on him for survival. There is no journalist that is better than a musician.
So, what is the way forward. Those that see you say that you aren’t suitable to appear on TV?
Look are those saying that. When you ask for their credentials, they have never studied journalism. This is the kind of person that came from the village, God helped him come to Kampala, someone gave him shelter, starts watching TV and there after he is like, if I hold that microphone, won’t I make it? See how God blesses him and lets him hold the microphone. Those are people we call mediocre. Such a person doesn’t even know how to use the microphone. Such a person will wake in the morning and say don’t play so and so’s music. Already, government doesn’t care about this music industry. You should be the people saying that okay, let’s work hand in hand with the musicians to lift the music industry.
Why aren’t we supporting ourselves in this music industry?
This is because journalists want to become like musicians. When you start journalism with intentions of wanting to become a star, you become a mediocre like those who were taken to Kitalya. Some mediocre appeared on a national TV and said that they will stop playing our music and start hosting the likes of singer Beyoncé. I looked at the creature and wondered. Can that mediocre host Beyoncé? You have very many rotten beans in the media.
Let’s be calm.
I saw Prince Herbert Kyewalyanga the president of EJAU saying that we artistes should let people talk about us the way they want. He is also an artiste. I was shocked by what he said. He is the very person I sent a letter (intention to sue) seven days ago and told him that if nothing is done regards my issue, am going legal. He called me and told me that he has failed to handle the issue. He summoned these people but they refused to show up. They disrespect the association. EJAU hasn’t yet got the mandate to circle all problems. You need to form an association that has a tribunal. UCC also needs to scrap programs that are useless.
