In a wide ranging and exclusive interview with The Observer, one of Uganda's most respected musicians, Ragga Dee, claims that plagiarism is a real problem in the Ugandan music industry. "Right now we are facing a serious problem of copyright infringement in the music industry. I'm sure you have heard of many young, unknown singers complaining that their songs have been stolen by some bigger artistes," he said.

"In Uganda, if a singer hears your song before it has been released to the public, they can take that song, rush to a studio and record their version of it before you can release it. They release the song and start singing it and it becomes their song and nothing can be done. You have had some of the accusations against some of the big artistes. It is happening a lot."

Ragga Dee criticised the music studios that abet this evil practice.

"The way studios are operating these days is not straight. Have you ever asked yourself why the way some singers sound on a CD recorded in a studio is very different from how they sound when they are live on stage? So different that you feel like they are cheating you?" He explained that this is because in some cases, someone else sings the song in the studio, and it's a different performer on the stage, "but few people can tell the difference."

Ragga Dee is also far from impressed with the unending fights, sometimes physical, among top musicians.

"I think the Ugandan music industry has developed, but the problem is that too much ego has gone to the brains of the artistes. The way people behave is now strange. If you are a good singer, that is not the end of the world. You might end up one day with your voice gone. Your voice is God's gift and you should not treat it like you made it. Humility is important."

Ragga Dee continued, "I count 21 years in music today. I see someone who has been four months in the industry saying "Ragga Dee has no song. I count hundreds of songs. Longevity is the answer in counting how powerful you are. I can say to a young artiste that I respect you but your behaviour is not right. Even if your father is short and you are tall, he remains your father, [whether] you want it or not."

Ragga Dee blames the media for the still elusive Uganda sound.

"We have been trying to work on having a Ugandan sound. But the problem is that every time we try to work on it, the press criticises it. The press is the cord to the public. If the press wrote today that Ragga Dee is a thief, all the fans would be off. It doesn't matter what really happened."

But he apportions some of the blame to his own.

"The artistes themselves also have a problem. They don't collaborate with each other to do something for Uganda. Right now they are playing to the Kenyan market yet the Kenyan market is not playing our type of music. Kenyans don't play our music unless you sing with a Kenyan artiste. In the end, their culture will overtake our culture. If you look around the world, everywhere people are turning back to find their culture, everywhere but Uganda."

The singer who has been on a six-month tour of the United States that kicked off in June 2008 and also took him through London and Scotland revealed, "I have 15 new songs ready for my fans. I'll finish shooting the videos in two weeks or so."

Bwoba nga Tonjagala, Mundongo, Ragga Dee Wakabi and Yesu are out already and enjoying fair airplay.