Uganda's Source Garland shares lessons from working with Sabinus

Garland, also known as Soosi, shared on X his admiration for the Nigerian skit maker. Sabinus, whose real name is Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, saw the post and responded, leading to their meeting.

Speaking to this reporter, Soosi said that Sabinus encouraged him to consistently use a single outfit during his video shoots and advised him on how to conclude his skits.

He also noted that working with Sabinus taught him the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

"Working with him, I observed how he collaborates with directors, camera operators, and other creators, which gave me insights into managing creative teams and ensuring that everyone's vision aligns to produce cohesive content," he said. "I learned so much that I can’t put it all into words, but I’m confident my content will improve going forward."

Sabinus also taught him the value of interacting with fans and how to make content appeal to a wider audience.

Source Garland also noted that working with Sabinus taught him the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Pulse Live Uganda

"The skit we created together showed me that while humour can be deeply rooted in one culture, there are elements that transcend boundaries. Sabinus’s method of integrating local Nigerian humour with universally relatable themes taught me how to craft content that resonates globally while staying true to my cultural roots," he said.

"Sabinus’s interaction with fans, both online and offline while we were shooting, demonstrated the power of direct fan engagement. It's not just about creating content; it's about building relationships."

Source Garland, born Shafiq Galandi, has been creating content for some time, amassing a large following, with 133.4k followers on TikTok (@sourcegarland), 57.5k on Twitter (@sourcegarland), and 14.5k subscribers on YouTube, where he goes by @soosiUG.

On the creators he admires, he named Anwar Jibawi, a Palestinian-American internet personality whose humorous videos have earned him 13.2 million subscribers on YouTube. He also cited Key and Peele, the American sketch comedians, as another source of inspiration.

"They really inspire me with the twists they add to their content, the quality of their work, and the time invested," said Soosi. "I know it’s just a matter of time and consistency, and I’ll get there eventually."

Looking to the Future

Source Garland says he aims to inspire Uganda’s next generation of content creators.

"By sharing my journey, challenges, and successes, I want to encourage more young people to pursue creative careers, thereby fostering a vibrant content creation ecosystem in Uganda that doesn’t just focus on short-term hits but creates timeless content," he said.

He said that he plans to do this "while maintaining my Ugandan identity – for example, blending content made in English with a theme song in Luganda."

Soosi added: "I aspire to reach a global audience, becoming a recognised name internationally, not just for entertainment but as a voice for African narratives. This would involve mastering content across different platforms, possibly leading to international collaborations or opportunities that highlight Ugandan talent and issues globally."

He said that he enjoys creating comedy and satirical content that reflects societal issues, politics, and everyday life in a light-hearted but critical way, inviting both reflection and laughter.

Source Garland expressed a desire to collaborate with Crazy Kennar, Degeneral, Nasty Blaq, Sydney Talker, Anwar Jibawi, and Key and Peele.