Ugandan music icon Bebe Cool, born Moses Ssali, believes the key to global success for East African artists lies in regional unity and collaboration. As he promotes his new 16-track album *Break The Chains*, Bebe Cool is using his media tour across East Africa to rally artists and fans around a shared cultural goal: taking East African music to the world.
While appearing on Kenya’s *The Trend* show hosted by Amina Abdul, Bebe emphasized the untapped power in East Africa’s population.
> “East African states, combined, have close to 500 million people. If just 10% supported our music regularly, we could create global stars with 20 million monthly listeners. We wouldn’t need to look for Coachella—they’d come looking for us,” he said.
He stressed that countries like Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, South Sudan, and Ethiopia have all the ingredients—talent, audience, and creativity—to dominate the African music space and beyond.
On July 7, Bebe Cool launched the Tanzanian leg of his tour in Dar es Salaam with a press conference hosted by Wasafi’s Lil Ommy. He reflected on the region’s cultural glory days from the 1980s to early 2000s, when East Africa was a cultural hub for music, film, and arts.
> “There was a time when Nairobi and Kampala were Africa’s cultural capitals. Big international acts performed here, and Hollywood films were shot in East Africa,” he recalled.
He credited his early success to moving to Nairobi, where he and Jose Chameleone found opportunities that shaped their careers. Many of Uganda’s hits in that era, including *One Time* by Peter Miles, were created in Kenya.
Bebe also highlighted his successful work with Kenyan group Necessary Noize, which led to the formation of the *East African Bashment Crew (EABC)*. Their songs like *Fire Anthem* and *Kube* dominated the airwaves and won Channel O awards.
Nazizi and Wyre, members of Necessary Noize, commended Bebe for bridging audiences.
> “Bebe introduced us to Uganda. In return, we introduced him to our Kenyan fanbase,” said Wyre.
According to Bebe Cool, regional momentum faded when artists became too comfortable in their home countries.
“We need to revive that energy. Let’s see Tanzanian artists doing tours in Kampala, Ugandans in South Sudan, and Kenyans in Rwanda. Collaboration is our strongest weapon,” he said.
Asked about whether East Africa has international stars, he answered confidently:
“Diamond, Alikiba, Harmonize, Zuchu, Joshua Baraka, Bien—these are all international artists. Let’s celebrate them.”
His new album *Break The Chains* features a diverse blend of Afrobeats, Afropop, Afrotech, and Afro-house. The project includes collaborations with Nigeria’s Yemi Alade (*African Love*), Uganda’s Joshua Baraka (*Cheque*), and UK-based Kenyan DJ Edu (*Games*).
Bebe Cool isn’t just releasing music—he’s championing a vision. A united East African music industry, he believes, could shape the future of African pop culture.
