By Ahmad Muto
Former Fire base crew singer, Buchaman has revealed that the reason singers Bebe Cool and Jose Chameolene never made the millennium song was Fenon Record’s Steve Jean. According to him, he bounced the singers from featuring in the celebratory song ushering in the year 2000 because he did not regard them as singers.
Chameleone and Bebe Cool were at the time hopping between Kampala and Nairobi, Kenya sketching their careers in music. He said Chameleone tried so hard when it was being unveiled to at least get to perform by covertly sliding one of his CDs to the DJ, but Steve Jean blocked him.
He explained that Jean said they were noise makers, not singers as they were claiming, adding that its partly what sent Chameleone back to Kenya to record Mama mia that is arguably one of the most endorsed songs in the history of Ugandan music.
“Steve Jean was in charge. He told us you people who just make noise will not be a part. You are hardcore people. Chameleone tried to put his CD of a song called Njigiri Njigiri that was big in Kenya, but Steve refused. Frustrated, he went back to Kenya and returned with Mama mia around 2001,” he explained.
He reasoned that Ugandans accepted Mama mia because they hate songs they understand.
“That it is 98% a Swahili song that many did not understand,” he said, adding it is why dancehall music and patois are popular largely because when people do not understand, they fail to criticise and just enjoy.
Juliana Kanyomozi who was an upcoming artiste then managed to make to the Millenium song list. It had Paul Kafeero, Mulindwa Muwonge, Rude Boy Devoh, Mark Rebel, Steve Jean, Emperor Orlando, Carol Nakimera, Kid Fox, Menton Kronno, Luther T, Chris Ireland and a few more others.
