By our reporter
When someone talks about controversial figures in Uganda’s music industry, Moses Ssali commonly known as Bebe Cool will be the number one suspect basing on his unrestrained heated statements he has been making since he joined the industry.
Bebe Cool is one of the celebrated local musicians which many young artistes look up to regarding his tremendous contributions towards local music.
The top reggae and raga singer started his music career way back in 1997 in Nairobi, Kenya, but a few years later he moved back to Uganda. Bebe Cool was one of the first artists affiliated with Ogopa DJs, a production house and record label in Kenya.
Bebe Cool is a three times winner of the Artist of The Year Award at the Prestigious HiPipo Music Awards and won several accolades at Pearl of Africa Music Awards (PAM Awards).He was nominated for the Kora All-African Awards in 2003 and 2005.
In January 2010,the singer was injured when a policeman shot at him but President Yoweri Museveni fully funded his treatment to the extent of flying him to USA for further treatment.
Bebe Cool performed Nelson Mandela 46664 concert at Hyde Park London and was also named by Nelson Mandela as the 46664 African ambassador. 46664 is a campaign of raising awareness against HIV /AIDS that was initiated by the late Nelson Mandela.
In 2014 Bebe Cool’s Born in Africa remix song was voted among Africa’s greatest songs of all time.The song came at number 15 in Fifty anthems for the African continent. BBC World Service listeners suggested the African songs that summed up the continent to them. This was to mark the 50th anniversary of the African Union – formerly the Organization of African Unity, From the suggestions, the BBC’s DJ Edu, who hosts a weekly African music show on BBC radio, compiled them into a special five-minute mix of 50 songs from 50 countries.
In 2013 Bebe Cool had a music battle with one of Nigeria’s top artists D’banj in a neutral place Glamis Arena Harare Zimbabwe.The show was organized under the theme Battle for Africa Bebe Cool put up a great performance at the battle.
Last year, Bebe Cool bowed out of any kind of Ugandan Music Awards following allegations that he was bribing Hipipo music awards organizers to always name him as the artist of the year. The singer declined the assumptions thus excluding self from future music awards.
The singer is married to Zuena Kirema and the couple has four children together;Beata Ssali, Caysan Ssali, Alpha Thiery Ssali, Deen Ozil Ssali but Bebe Cool has an older son Allan Hendrick who is also a musician.
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