Bryan White poses with the artistes he had signed to his Bryan White Foundation. COURTESY PHOTOS
Socialite Bryan White has stunned many Ugandans with the latest news coming from his ‘Podium’, the Bryan White Foundation. The self-styled tycoon has fired all the artistes he had signed to his foundation. His foundation started small shortly after the death of Mowzey Radio in February.
READ ABOUT HOW THE BRYAN WHITE FOUNDATION STARTED HERE: Bryan White signs artistes to foundation
He signed a number of artistes including Chameleone, Weasel, King Micheal, Pallaso, Cindy and Lady Mariam. It was not long before he also added comedians like Alex Muhangi, Madrat and Chiko and Teacher Mpamiire. Soon this big crew of entertainers was following Bryan White wherever he went. He had this seemingly unruly group wearing uniforms and tucking in their uniforms like good little school boys.
On stage: Bryan White, Weasel and Big Eye (Right) at the launch of the Bryan White Foundation in Mbarara. FILE PHOTO
ALSO READ: How Bryan White has taught our celebs some manners
He also enlisted the services of motor mouthed Facebook ‘blogger’ Raymond Soulfa alias Peng Peng as his internet spokesperson. With these ‘influencers’ in tow, Bryan White was a force to reckon with. Little wonder the artistes he signed released a song titled Kirimanyi (loosely translated to mean a powerful person or a champion). Soon after he was dishing out gifts to his foundation members.
It was one big happy family as they constantly posed for pictures with Bryan White, whom they referred to as ‘our generous boss’.
However behind the smiles, Bryan White was deeply disappointed and displeased with the artistes due to a number of reasons.
Weasel and Bryan White. COURTESY PHOTOS
OVER EATING
According to Raymond Soulfa, the artistes had turned Bryan White’s home into a hotel they visited to eat like “hybreed cows” and drink. They were also just enjoying expensive champagne, wines and eats more over in swanky hotels like Speke Resort and Serena Hotel.
“The boss was very disappointed in those musicians. They were just spending time at his home and cruising his rides. Letting go of them is something I saw coming because they were doing nothing,” Soulfa said.
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
He also said that the artistes had very unprofessional conduct while at the Foundation. While the general public was commending Bryan White for finally humbling the usually unruly artistes, it seems like the ‘moneybags’ expected more from them.
“They didn’t respect the boss. They used to come into interviews after smoking. They wanted people who were willing to give their lives for the podium yet the artistes were just eating food. Chameleone used to spend so much time smoking. They were just following the boss around but doing nothing for the Foundation,” Soulfa revealed.
Bryan White (Red cap) looking puzzled after being booed by audience in Mbarara. PHOTO BY BRIAN MUGENYI
STEALING BRYAN WHITE’S LIMELIGHT
Interestingly, though Bryan White had signed these artistes due to their celebrity status, he did not want them to steal the limelight from him especially during interviews. You might have noticed that even the Foundation held press conferences, the artistes (whom we all know to be very vocal) used to just sit and listen or were busy on their phones.
Soulfa says that some of the artistes at times used to forget that the show was only for Bryan White and put themselves in the picture.
“They wanted to be mentioned in all press articles mentioning Bryan White. Whenever he was doing interviews, these guys would push their faces in the cameras so they can also be captured. That was disrespect!” Soulfa spat.
POOR HYGIENE
Soulfa also revealed that the artistes had neglected basic proper hygiene practices like clipping their nails and combing or styling their hair in neat fashions. Their boss was not pleased that they would turn up for Foundation events looking shabby which also ashamed him.
SELFISH INTERESTS
The artistes were also reportedly on pushing for their personal interests and not for those of the Foundation. Soulfa says that they have been only focusing on side gigs and not giving the podium priority.
He also accuses the artistes of only targeting a hospital that Bryan White is yet to set up.
“All the artistes were targeting a hospital boss is going to build so they can bring their relatives to work at the hospital. Chameleone, especially was targeting that hospital…anti he calls himself Doctor Chameleone,” he says.
He reveals that even when tasked to promote Bryan White Foundation events, the artistes also used to include mentions of their songs or projects which did not go down well with the boss.
BRYAN WHITE FOUNDATION UNDERWEAR?
Now this is doubtable but Soulfa said that Bryan White had not only instructed the artistes to wear uniform shirts and shoes bearing logos of the podium, but also wear Bryan White Foundation underwear. Apparently, some of the artistes were not following this particular rule which put them in the Boss’ bad books.
“There are Bryan White Foundation bras and underwear we made but some of these people did not want to wear them. Lady Mariam stopped putting on her bra saying that she had been bewitched and her breast had gotten swollen so she could not wear bras. But she was wearing bras from different labels,” Soulfa said. But then again, when and how did Soulfa see Lady Mariam’s underwear?
However, comedian Alex Muhangi says that they were not fired.
“People are saying that we were fired but it’s not true. We had signed two months contracts with the Bryan White Foundation. The contracts were to expire on May 11 and we all knew it,” Muhangi says.
Although Soulfa agrees that it was a case of unrenewed contracts, he argues that Bryan White could have renewed the artistes’ contracts if it was not for their poor behavior on the Podium.
This was all discussed during a Facebook live video held by Raymond Soulfa on May 14.