Rising singer Aroma has publicly called out seasoned events promoter and talents manager Abbey Musinguzi, popularly known as Abitex, for failing to compensate her after a performance she was booked for.
In a recent interview, Aroma recounted the incident, revealing that at the beginning of her music career, she was contacted by fellow promoter Balaam Barugahara to perform at a show. Once her fee was agreed upon, Abitex included her on the promotional materials for the event, which was held at Freedom City and turned out to be a sold-out success.
Despite delivering a well-received performance, Aroma says she was never paid.
According to her, Abitex only settled payments for high-profile artists and those with vocal or aggressive management teams. She was among a group of performers left waiting backstage, only to walk away empty-handed.
“I was so excited to perform, and the crowd’s response was incredible. We had agreed on the amount beforehand, and he wouldn’t have booked me if he didn’t think I was worth it and honestly, it wasn’t even a lot. Big promoters often avoid paying deposits, and because they’re experienced, you feel obligated to trust them. But after the show, he only paid those with pushy managers and ignored the rest of us. He kept dodging me, and to this day, I’ve never been paid,” Aroma explained.
When asked about the first promoter who ever paid her well, Aroma was quick to credit Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi.
“There was a show he organized at a beach along Entebbe Road. He paid me generously, and it was early in my career. That payment really excited me,” she recalled.
