KAMPALA – Male music producers have been urged to stop sexual harassment on female artistes, to decrease the high spread of HIV/AIDS in the music industry.

This was said by female artistes under their umbrella Female Performing Artistes Uganda (FPAU) during a press conference in which they launched a campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the music industry.

According to Mariam Ndagire, a musician and the chairperson of the Female Performing Artistes Uganda, many upcoming female artistes complain about music producers who sexually abuse them in the name of helping them to get good vocal tunes and melodies to have a better song, which has led to the fast spread of HIV/AIDS in the music industry.

Joanitah Kawalya, a musician and a member of the group said female artistes who are sexually abused should come out in order for these producers to be punished.

According to Nalton Kasumba, a music producer, some producers sexually abuse female artistes under unclear circumstances. In most cases, the artistes who dress indecently while going to record their music seduce and tempt the producers.

"It would have been better if the committee of the Female Performing Artistes Uganda pointed out those producers who sexually harassed female artistes and they be punished instead of generalizing producers," Andrew Lubega, a music producer and an artiste at AZ studios said.

However, Kimera Raymond, a vocalist trainer at Kampala School of Music, put the blame on female artistes who insist to have their music recorded before getting proper vocal trainings which gives producers a chance to take advantage on them due to lack of knowledge.

He advised all artistes to first learn and move with their vocal trainers to the studios, and urged producers to stop night recording hours because they are so tempting.