KAMPALA; The battle lines are drawn; the date is set. Top female artists Cindy Sanyu and Sheebah Karungi will be facing off in a single-stage battle at the Kololo Independence Grounds mid next month.

The highly billed concert is being organized by Victoria University, where Sheebah currently serves as their brand ambassador.

Lawrence Muganga, the University Vice Chancellor confirmed today, August 1, that the concert battle will be taking place on September 15, 2023 as earlier communicated.

Over the past weeks there has been confusion after both artists announced the same date and same venue for their separate concerts.

The announcements sparked a fierce social media fight between the two artists and their fans, which even gravitated to petty name-calling.

But while speaking to the press today the V.C said the decision to have the two concerts merged into a battle was intended not to create a divide between the artists, but to bring them close together.

“I think we deserve credit for even attempting to bring these two together; because as far as I know, they don’t look eye to eye,” he said.

“Who would have thought that we would ever see Sheebah here and Cindy there battling? Bringing them to the same stage in itself is a big achievement and I think we are going to need more security that night.”

For those concerned about further divisions in the music industry, Muganga said the upcoming concert will be “just a music battle and not one of stones and bullets.”

“And since the two artists have decided to accept the challenge, we trust that they will know how to manage the tension.”

Meanwhile, Muganga also spoke out about King Michael, who has a show on the same date at Lugogo Cricket Oval.

The ‘Lido Lido’ singer complained recently that the two women, by choosing to ruin his concert, seemed to forget about their responsibilities as leaders of fellow artists.

Cindy is the President of the Uganda Musicians Association (UMA) while Sheebah is the Vice President of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF).

“What they have done, putting their concerts on my day when one is a leader of the association and the other of the federation, it is like they are ganging up against me as a mere artist. The fans are looking at this and it is not good,” he said.

Michael also accused Victoria University of trying to arm-twist him to reschedule his concert.

Asked about this, Mugunga denied ever engaging Michael on rescheduling his concert. He emphasized that as a University. they have no businesses with another artist holding their own concert elsewhere.

“Why would we be concerned about someone who has his own show at Cricket Oval when we are at Kololo? Why would we even be talking about compensating him? I am sure if bright here he can’t say those things,” Muganga told the press.

Credit: Pulse