Venice: Why does Ugandan rapper Bobby Wine want the world’s attention?

Many are familiar with the story of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s transformation from a television comedian to a political figure and front-page hero. But about 3,500 miles from Kyiv, in Kampala, Uganda, and almost completely out of the international media spotlight, there is another politician fighting for democracy and hoping to get the world’s attention.

Robert Kyagulani, better known by his pop star name Afrobeats Bobby Winn, was one of Africa’s most successful musicians and one of its most famous celebrities; he even had his own reality show. and the ghetto president – Until his turn to politics made the once “ghetto rapper” the face of opposition against Uganda’s authoritarian president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The history of wine is told in a new documentary, Bobby Wine Ghetto President, which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Instead of a poor boy’s family history, wine was grown in Kampala’s infamous Kamwokia, where he built his famous Firebase recording studio. the ghetto presidentDirectors Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp focus on Winnie’s political career.

It is not easy to divide between music and politics, between activist and entertainment. In the two decades before officially entering politics, with a successful bid in 2017 for an elected seat in Uganda’s parliament, Winnie has used her music to fight social injustice and push for reform.

His 2006 hit “Ghetto” was the opposition’s soundtrack to that year’s election. The 2014 reggae tune “Time Bomb” —with lyrics like “No sé por qué hay tanto corrupción/por que el precio de la electricity es tan alto”—is a blunt attack against government nepotism, corruption and high cost of living. .

“My music, my songs, have always been revolutionary, highlighting the plight of people, denouncing what is wrong in society and singing,” Winnie says in a video interview. THR from his home in Kampala. “Music is my biggest strength. If I have a political message, I’m going to put it in a song because I know a lot of other people will sing that song and that message will get lost.”

The musical messages of the wine flow the ghetto president As the film traces its “people power” revolution from 2017 to 2021, Winnie ran against Museveni in Uganda’s presidential election. Wine lost, though he and many international organizations and nations, including the US (Uganda’s main aid donor), disputed the official results, citing evidence of fraud and voter fraud.

The documentary draws a stark contrast between Museveni, 77, who has ruled Uganda since coming to power amidst an armed rebellion in 1986, and Wine, 38. The former is portrayed as the embodiment of a revolutionary turned dictator: “Our mentors become our torturers,” Vine sings in one of his songs, and we see the reggae star-turned-politician dance across the country for the 2021 campaign. In front of a wild crowd of supporters.

Vin, like Zelensky, is also a master of social media, regularly posting videos and music videos to his followers and using online platforms to spread his political messages. This is where his entertainment experience comes in handy. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wine recorded a song that later went viral, describing both the symptoms of a COVID-19 infection and recommended hygiene measures to combat the spread of the virus. Imagine a press conference by Dr. Fauci where you could dance.

For those who fear the power of social media to warp and distort democracy, the ghetto president it is a reminder of how valuable global online platforms can be in countries where, as Wynne says of Uganda, there is “state capture” of mainstream media.

“Social media is a lifeline and a life changer for us,” he says. “Here in Uganda, without social media, you will only see the image painted by the government. Through social networks we can show the real image in real time, without filtering. The main traditional media avoid talking about human rights violations, cases of military violations. The mainstream media does not publicize my words or, if they do, distort them to ensure that they support the regime. “

A sign of the power of social media in Uganda came ahead of the presidential elections, when the government shut down the internet altogether instead of allowing opposition messages to spread.

The wine’s enormous popularity made him a target: in 2018 he was arrested and charged with treason. According to him, the police beat and tortured him. When he was released, as shown in the film, Winnie could barely walk and had to travel to the United States for treatment.

The threat of violence is everywhere. One of Wynne’s drivers was killed by police in what Wynne said was an assassination attempt. A military police truck killed a personal guard.

“I have security at my gate and wherever I go they follow me on motorcycles,” says Vine. “I’m still in danger so I drive a bulletproof car and when I leave the house I have my personal bodyguard.”

The 2021 election results and subsequent government crackdowns left Winnie skeptical about the possibility of democratic change in Uganda without major civil unrest.

“The way things are, elections can do very little,” he said. “I believe that the transition of power can only happen when people rise up, without violence, peacefully, but with confidence. Unfortunately, we can only do that with the help of the rest of the world. If we try to do it alone, when we try to do it alone, the result is carnage.”

But the wine does not give up. to do the ghetto president and travels to Venice to promote the film, says he hopes to draw the world’s attention to Uganda.

“I want the international community to know that somewhere in the world, somewhere in Africa, in a country called Uganda, people are being killed for what they think,” he says. “But more importantly, I want people in the international community to know that their taxpayers’ money, their aid, is being used to undermine human rights and democracy in Uganda. But you can help us. You can help us by stopping supporting Yoweri Museveni. You can help us do the right thing by doing the wrong thing.”

Bobby Wine Ghetto President The premiere will take place in Venice on September 1 without competition.

This story first appeared in the August 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.