Tumbiza Sound musician accuses health ministry of not paying for song remix

Musician Eric Opoka alias Eezzy has accused the Ministry of Health of not paying for the remix of his popular song "Tumbiza Sound."  The musician said that ministry officials had asked him to withdraw the song and issue a remix that was less contentious than the original.

In a meeting held in December last year, the health ministry and officials from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) tasked Eezzy to create a remix of the Tumbiza Sound song and include responsible messages which would sensitise the public to observe Covid-19 guidelines.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/12/30/tumbiza-sound-to-be-remixed-to-create-awareness-about-covid-19/

According to the musician, he was to send the new lyrics to the ministry of health for approval and the ministry would in turn sponsor the audio and video of the new remix.

Almost two months later, Eezzy now claims that officials from the health ministry have since ignored him despite fulfilling all the conditions they set for him.

In an interview with NBS UNCUT, Eezzy said that he lost a lot of money because the ministry asked him to withdraw the song in anticipation of the remix which has since been stalled.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/12/27/ucc-invites-tumbiza-sound-singer-for-a-cappella/

 

"I was promised that that they will cater for the remix and asked me to pause the Tumbiza Sound. No one has called me yet yet I submitted the lyrics. I don't know what is happening," Eezzy said.

Eezzy said that his original song would have enjoyed more airplay if the ministry had not interfered. He said that the song would probably have enjoyed 4 million views by now instead it is stalled at 1 million views. He said that many fear to play the song because they mistakenly believe it was banned by the ministry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRru4znLUHQ

"Those views were bringing me money during the lockdown but they threatened people. I wanted to do the remix but they did not send me money. I call upon the government to look into my issues," Eezzy said.

However, the health ministry's spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona denied that it had promised the musician any money.

"We asked him to write the lyrics and submit them to us, which he did and we replied to him. We are now waiting for the song. There was nothing like finances involved. We did not promise him any money," Ainebyoona said in a phone interview.

Tumbiza Sound original version of the song had lyrics that urged the government to open and quarantine people in bars among other lyrics that the health ministry thought that preached against their message on Standard Operating Procedures.