Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), of the devotional variety, has undergone an interesting evolution in Uganda’s artistic context. For precision’s sake, we’ll avoid common words & phrases like “worship” or “church music” that are usually attached to this subgenre. It’s not because of some sinister agenda to erase its sources, but because we feel music is best served when it’s defined by its sonic traits than the purpose for which it’s made or prescribed.
That cleared up, one prominent feature of this scene’s evolution is the rise of collectives with a sleek urban-styled image, refined poppy songwriting & production, and genre fluidity; in the vein of their American & Australian counterparts like Maverick City and Hillsong Young & Free, respectively. One such Ugandan collective is, well, The Collective UG [peep their catalogue above & a clip below]
The Collective UG has morphed over the years, more so stylistically than in terms of overarching focus. They’ve come from exclusively aiming their songwriting at a congregational framework to an occasionally more topical approach, all the while still maintaining the devotional angle and the worldview in which it’s grounded. Sonically too, they’ve become more adventurous; adding a hippier gusto to their craft, as can be noticed on “I See a Wave”, a number from their 2023 album EP of the same title. They psych themselves into a hype chant on the track and there’s an artistic liberalness to it that indicates an expanded outlook to their craft.
The same and even more can be said of their mates, Bunjoville UG
Bunjoville UG are twice more intentional, especially with their image. From the choice of scenic aesthetics for laidback sessions to hippier apparel and snaps, and a more aptly curated social media presence, they up the hip with each release. They’re also more sonically liberal with collabs, which is great for an outfit in their subgenre.
This space has also seen a rise in multi-act platforms that also function as production collectives, around which each of the groups above have collaborated. One such medium is The Sandbox Ug
As the scene evolves, acts within it are faced with some challenges rather unique to them. For one, they’re more likely to be pigeonholed than their more mainstream counterparts. Constantly blanketing their music as “christian” or “gospel” robs them of artistic nuance in their diverse field, which hearkens back to the earlier point: Music is best classified by its sonic features. Regardless of lyrical focus, a piece that’s rhythmically agile and synth-driven is different from a stripped down devotional ballard. But such differentiation is lost in the broad categorization, stunting would-be cultural impact and trivializing any artistic territory that may be won over by such groups.
Be it the case, there’s admirable strides being made in this space. They’d even be further amplified if a well placed cultural visionary, with an eye for narrative, came along to redefine the scene. It wouldn’t take any compromise of substance. The music can still be focussed on the sacred, but they’d up their narrative from a vantage point of the mainstream, especially concerning categorizations of the music itself which is very consequential. It’d also involve some divergent artistic choices and very intentional image managing. An effective example of this was the segmenting of old school Hillsong into newer groups like the earlier-mentioned Hillsong Young & Free which has made forays into EDM with a congregational angle. That’s just one instance of a number of them.
Still, it’s delightful to see all these groups taking ownership of their craft and breaking ground. We look forward to witnessing what the future holds for the scene!
