UPRS Bans Live bands from performing Cover Songs

The Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) has banned live bands from performing without consent cover songs of music done by local artistes. UPRS says this trend is killing the value of the music industry in Uganda

The development was announced by the board chairperson of the body and singer Martin Nkoyoyo commonly known as YOYO,who said that the resolution was reached at after meeting with the owners of the different live bands that perform in different Kampala bars, restaurants and hotels.

The meeting between UPRS and members of the bands took place on Monday at UPRS headquarters in Kabalagala, a Kampala suburb

Nkoyoyo said that the decision comes after they received complaints from different musicians who argued that its unprofessional for live bands to perform songs from artises like Madoxx Sematimba, Juliana Kanomozi, Afrigo Band and other artistes for pay yet the owners of this music are still active in the music industry.

“ Going forward,we are going to register all live bands that perform at different places and they have to get licenses for them to be allowed to operate and they also have to seek permission to sing the songs from the different artistes that own the songs that they perform at their gigs,” he said

The meeting was attended by former UPRS chairman and Afrigo Band director James Wasula, who warned artistes against the unprofessional behavior of performing other artistes’s songs without permission

He said Afrigo Band has finalized plans of sueing dance hall artiste Khalifa Aganaga after he redid one of Afrigo Band’s songs without their permission