Northern Uganda music star Lucky Bosmic Otim has called for stronger cross-border musical collaborations between artists from South Sudan and Northern Uganda, saying shared cultural identities, particularly among Acholi communities, offer an opportunity to promote unity and peaceful coexistence.
Otim is expected to perform in Juba on Friday, bringing music that has resonated with audiences across the border, where communities share historical and cultural connections.
Speaking on the Soundtrack programme Thursday morning, Otim said musicians from the two regions had missed opportunities to strengthen these connections through joint musical projects.
“The mistake that we singers of Northern Uganda and South Sudan did is that we didn’t engage ourselves so much into collaboration. We should have done more collaboration,” Otim said.
He explained that collaborations could bring audiences together by encouraging fans to appreciate artists from both regions.
“When the community of South Sudan see that their son or daughter is singing together with another artist from the other side, all these fans become to love us together. And that binds us together and brings unity,” he said.
Otim said such partnerships could help break barriers between communities, strengthen cultural exchange and promote mutual understanding across the South Sudan–Uganda border.
The cultural ties between Acholi communities in Northern Uganda and South Sudan provide a foundation for this collaboration, with music offering a platform to celebrate shared identities and encourage closer relations among communities.
Otim has previously used music in peacebuilding efforts during Northern Uganda’s conflict involving the Lord’s Resistance Army. He also won the 2007 Pearl of Africa Music Awards.
His Friday performance in Juba comes as he urges musicians to look beyond national borders and use their influence to strengthen cultural ties, unite audiences and promote peace across the region.
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