When music star Moses Ssali, popularly known as Bebe Cool, announced a media tour to promote his new album Break The Chains, many assumed he would simply visit media houses in Kenya and Tanzania to discuss the songs on his album and similar topics.
However, the outspoken singer has proven that his mission was much bigger. Bebe Cool has visited numerous media platforms in Nairobi and now Dar es Salaam, promoting the idea of collaboration among East African artists as a way to build global stars by tapping into the collective audiences of the East African Community member states.
Bebe Cool believes East African artists have the potential to dominate the global music scene, but insists that a change in mindset is needed—both from the audience and the artists themselves. He has consistently called on East African music lovers and musicians to disregard borders, work together, and support regional talent.
While appearing on NTV Kenya’s popular show The Trend, hosted by Amina Abdi Rabar, the Motivation singer emphasised that East African countries—including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, and South Sudan—have a combined population capable of producing massive music stars, if the region deliberately supports its own.
He noted that the population across these countries adds up to about 500 million people. “If just 10% of that population deliberately streamed East African music, we would have some of the biggest artistes in the world. If Diamond or Bebe Cool has about 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify, we wouldn’t have to look for Coachella—Coachella would look for us because of our numbers,” he explained.
During his first stop in Nairobi, Bebe reminded the media that from the 1980s to the early 2000s, East Africa was a cultural hub of the continent, with Nairobi at the forefront of film, music, and literature.
The Tanzanian leg of his tour began on Monday, July 7, with a press conference hosted by Wasafi’s Lil Ommy at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam. The singer, who received a warm welcome from both local and international media, expressed his excitement at bringing his music to Tanzania, a country he described as playing a key role in elevating East African culture.
Bebe reminisced about the time when East Africa led the continent in culture—when it boasted the only regional music channel (East Africa TV), and when cities like Kampala and Nairobi had thriving nightlife scenes. Tanzania’s hip hop scene was booming, and Hollywood films were often shot in East Africa due to apartheid in South Africa and civil war in Nigeria.
He recalled seeing Jamaican artists, Pentecostal televangelists, and American pop and hip-hop stars performing in Nairobi, Kampala, and Dar es Salaam. Bebe cited a personal memory of the first time he saw Buju Banton perform in Kampala alongside a Kenyan dancehall artist. “When I saw the Kenyan artist—who was nearly as good and energetic as Buju Banton—I told myself, ‘If they brought this guy from Nairobi to perform with Buju, then I have to go to Nairobi and start a journey to be like him,’” he shared.
Bebe’s early career struggles and triumphs in Nairobi are well documented. Both he and fellow Ugandan star Jose Chameleone have often agreed that leaving Uganda for Kenya was one of the best decisions they ever made. At the time, many of Uganda’s biggest hits were being produced in Nairobi—such as Richard Kaweesa’s Hakuna Matata, Peter Miles and Menshan’s One Time, and debut albums from Bebe Cool and Chameleone.
In 2005, when MTV Base launched in Africa, two of its official launch parties were held in Kenya and Uganda, headlined by Jose Chameleone and 2Face Idibia. The first MTV Africa Music Awards in 2008 took place in Abuja, Nigeria, but had a significant presence of Kenyan and Tanzanian nominees and winners.
In recent years, however, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have not featured prominently on the continental cultural stage. Milestones in entertainment have been largely dominated by Nigeria and South Africa, with East Africa often playing a secondary role.
Nazizi, speaking during the Nairobi press conference, recalled how Bebe Cool brought the group East African Bashment Crew to perform in Uganda for the first time. She explained that what started as a single collaboration with Bebe on Africa Unite evolved into a full album project that included songs like Fire Anthem and Kube, the latter winning them two Channel O Music Awards.
“Bebe Cool took us to Uganda and introduced us to his audience, and in return, we introduced him to the Necessary Noize audience here in Kenya,” added Wyre.
That synergy helped build a regional music movement, with artists like Nameless and Redsan becoming regular performers in Kampala, while the East African Bashment Crew toured globally, showcasing East African culture. Cross-border collaborations flourished—Bobi Wine teamed up with Wahu, Chameleone worked with Professor Jay, Bushoke, Mr. Nice, AY, and many more.
But what went wrong? According to Bebe Cool, East African artists grew too comfortable and retreated into their home markets.
“We need to reignite collaboration. Tanzanian artists should be doing press tours in Kampala, Kenyans should be in Tanzania and Rwanda, and Ugandans should be collaborating with artists and media in DRC, Burundi, and South Sudan,” he urged. “Together, we are stronger. We just need to push 40 serious East African artists, and we will have at least 10 breaking into global charts.”
Wyre believes East Africa lost momentum because artists stopped collaborating and focused only on their local audiences. “Right now, it’s up to the artists. Collaborations are much easier today than they were 20 years ago,” he said.
When asked by a Tanzanian journalist whether he believes East Africa currently has any international artists, Bebe responded confidently: “Diamond, Zuchu, Harmonize, Alikiba—these are international artists. They’ve achieved great things. Bebe is international, Joshua Baraka is international, Bien is international—and there are many more.”
Bebe Cool is currently promoting his 16-track album Break the Chains, a vibrant blend of Afrobeats, Afropop, Afrotech, and Afro-house—genres currently defining Africa’s music landscape. The album features several collaborations, including African Love with Nigerian star Yemi Alade, Cheque with rising Ugandan sensation Joshua Baraka, and Games with UK-based Kenyan DJ and producer DJ Edu.
