Ugandan acclaimed artist and philanthropist, Moses Ssali, professionally known as Bebe Cool, released his highly anticipated album- Break The Chains, at a supremely glamorous listening party, last evening.
Top industry players, that included music stars, industry stakeholders, and the who-is-who of Kampala, thronged the plush Noni Vie Lounge, to be part of the event, that will go down in history as the first ever album listening party of its magnitude in Uganda.
Celebrated Nigerian media personality- Adesope Olajide aka Shopsydoo/ Energy Gawd, did an amazing job co-hosting the event with NBS TV’s Viana Indi, while Slick Stuart took charge of the decks, all the through the album listening session.
Adesope hosted the celebrant- Bebe Cool, through an engaging session as they spoke through the making and conceptualization of every song that off the album.
At the click of midnight, the skies at Noni Vie were filled with fireworks, to celebrate the arrival of The Break The Chains album.
The album is currently available on streaming platforms including Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.
With Break The Chains, Bebe Cool is adapting Afrocentric genres and sounds, which have been globally embraced as the new African sound.
As a musical innovator, it’s clear that he set out to provide a new and fresh perspective on an already impressive body of work, that aims to move the boundaries of music forward in an unexpected direction.
Fans will be thrilled by the artist’s versatility and ability to adapt different sounds, without forgetting what most of them loved about him- the artistry.
The Break The Chains album features sixteen tracks, rich in lush arrangements, and emotionally expressive melodies, bridging a variety of genres- from Afrobeats to Afrotech, a new electronic dance music, a sub-genre of house music and afro house, which originates and is predominantly made in South Africa. Unifying it all is Bebe Cool’s own performance, his signature hoarse voice, that most people have known.
“This is the beginning of a new journey for both African music and Ugandan music at large,” states Bebe Cool.
Fans were happy to discover that Bebe Cool pushed the envelope in unexpected ways, with collaborations with Uganda’s new kid on the block- Joshua Baraka, as well as Nigerian legend- Yemi Alade.
“With Break The Chains, I’m more focussed on driving numbers towards streaming platforms than to concert stadiums and music pirate platforms, as has been the norm over the years,” Bebe Cool added.
Baraka joined Bebe Cool on stage as their collabo- Cheque was played for the first time. “I grew up watching Bebe Cool, it’s such an honor to feature on this game changer album, thank you for the opportunity,” Baraka said.
Other top artistes, that included Juliana Kanyomozi, Azawi, Cindy, Apass, as well as legendary producer- Swangz Avenue’s Benon Mugumbya, all expressed not just satisfaction, but appreciation towards Bebe’s amazing body of work.
“I think I will sing until I die. You (Bebe) have set the bar so high, and this means we must keep working hard. This is an amazing album. I will definitely listen to it again in my safe spaces to really appreciate even more,” remarked Azawi.
Music lovers can now access the Break The Chains album across major streaming platforms including- Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Deezer among others.
