Fast-rising Ugandan sensation Joshua Baraka is living proof that some dreams really do take flight, literally. The “Wrong Places” hitmaker says he’s already ticking off items from the bucket list his younger self once scribbled down in hope.

“Most of the things I used to dream about, I’ve done them,” Baraka shared in a recent YouTube interview. “I always wanted to fly, now I travel often. I wanted to meet certain people, and today, some of them are my friends.”

Not bad for a boy who once only had melodies and ambition.

But Baraka, now one of Uganda’s most promising exports, insists his success isn’t just about talent but it’s about teamwork.

“Music is not a one-man job. You need a team to help you with different things,” he emphasized, crediting those behind the scenes for helping him shape his sound and vision.

Still, the singer remembers the struggle vividly. Breaking through as a young artist wasn’t easy and neither were the studio sessions that often cost more than a dreamer could afford.

“When I was growing up, there were very few studios, and the ones available were expensive and of poor quality,” he recalled. “That’s why I want to support young artists by building a high-quality studio they can use for free.”

It’s a promise that captures the heart of Baraka’s story, an artist determined not just to rise, but to lift others with him.

And while his sound continues to echo across borders, Baraka isn’t shy about pointing out what still holds Uganda’s music industry back: underinvestment.

“The amount of money our brothers from West Africa and South Africa invest in their music is on another level,” he said. “That’s why their industry keeps moving faster than ours.”

With his mix of humility, hustle, and heart, Joshua Baraka might just be the bridge between where Uganda’s music is and where it’s destined to go.