Q: Who’s McCraft’s Bush Radio?
A: Aaaaaaaahhhhh, my real name is Ainebyoona Craft also known as McCraft, aged 23, a Ugandan journalist, content creator and gospel artiste.
Q: What’s the narrative behind McCraft Ainebyoona?
A: Thank you. I have played piano since 2013, something that made me get close to people in the entertainment leading to writing as well as recording my own songs (from 2019 – date) as well as pursuing my academics in media studies.
Q: How was your breakthrough into the Media Industry like?
A: My breakthrough into media? Well, having been on social media with the passion to see myself make it into the industry, I decided to create a TikTok account that I held for some months before starting on creating serious content. This was during late 2022 after doing my National Certificate in Journalism and Media Studies at Kakoba Institute of Commercial and Technical Studies (Rutagarama) – Mbarara.
I remember doing song challenges and some other videos in my own voice in English and Runyankole but could not fetch the online engagement as expected. So, one day, I decided to record a video in Runyankole talking about dirty jerryacans and wearing shoes without stockings and this had Kizz Daniel’s & Tekno’s Buga in the background.
This hit hard that I ranked it my breakthrough video. So far, I am frequently known for my Runyankole comic content that has been making rounds on social media where I have always done this – recreating a radio ambiance, calling it McCraft’s Bush Radio – Orikamire Akababi.
Q: Do you have any plans of moving ahead with studies?
A: Of course, not later than a year from now, I will have to report back for more papers.
Q: Why the name ‘McCraft’s Bush Radio – Orikamire Akababi’ and your costume?
A: Haha! This came in as a blessing in disguise! I can’t even remember how and why I came up with this! But all this rotates around the fact that I do my videos from the bush – and then Orikamire Akababi is a comical slogan. Just imagine swallowing a leaf! The two (name and slogan) have made me have an outstanding personality. And then I had to talk about my costume in the same way and add on that the name of my radio, slogan and the costume have played a vital role in branding me. By the way, I have not seen any other content creators in the same lane as mine when it comes to concept and content selection.
Q: What has made things hard in your content delivery?
A: My content seeks for persistence and versatility. I being in the same costume, environment, almost the same genre of music (oldies) and so on, I have to make sure that I revise, practice and deliver quality.
Q: Why that genre of music by the way?
I feel oldies music because it has live instruments. I being an instrumentalist makes me fall for it.
Q: What is the good side of content creation?
A: I have been able to acquire quite a number of things to do with social capital, endorsements, my face and voice have been uncovered to mention but a few.
Q: Tell us about the journalism career.
A: I have been in this career for the last one and a half years in which I’ve managed to work for different media houses including Sky TV and Vision Radio as a video/news editor and show host.
Q: You have done standup comedy before and it also falls under content creation. How is it there in the west?
A: I must say that we have the best content creators here in the west but the way our audience receives it makes us feel belittled! Yes, we may not be where we’re supposed to be but someone stands in front of hundreds of audience and one person gives out a cheer! This is so demotivating!
Q: We need motivation right away from our homes and onwards. What do you look up to in the next future?
A: I want to purposely embrace Runyankole, if I’m to do my content in any other languages, 80% of it should be in my language. But otherwise, we shall not test the depth of the river with two feet, content creation means versatility, only to move with the future.
Q: What lowers & raises your pace always in this industry?
A: I must say that looking down on me diminishes me and encouraging me wholeheartedly gives me hope to hold on.
Q: Any word(s) of encouragement to the other content creators out there?
A: I would love to say that we need to agree the fact that to learn, to relearn and to unlearn should always be at heart in order to have strong brands and maybe to add in that, let’s not mix chaos and politics with entertainment.
Tell us about your free time engagement.
I like being home doing online research and if not that, food and soft drinks have to fill my table. Haha!
