After two weeks in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam promoting his Break the Chains album, singer Bebe Cool has come out to highlight some of the key lessons he picked from the experience.
In a lengthy post, the Cheque singer expressed gratitude to his fans and the media in both Kenya and Tanzania for the welcome they extended to him during his tour.
He noted that when he started his career in Nairobi, Kenya, the East African region was a cultural force on the continent, prominent in creating cultural exchange.
He, however, expressed concern about the fact that things have changed over the years, and East Africa today remains in the cold as events shaping the continent take place elsewhere.
“Nairobi remains vibrant in 2025, but it no longer dominates the continent’s cultural scene. Areas like Johannesburg and Lagos have taken the spotlight, raising the question: how did we watch the spotlight move?” he asked.
Bebe pointed out that back in the day, artists from Tanzania, such as AY, Mr Nice, TID, and Lady Jaydee, as well as Kenyan stars like Necessary Noize, Nameless, and Redsan, always collaborated with artists from Uganda and across the region, making East Africa an entertainment powerhouse.
Nazizi and Wyre of Necessary Noize teamed up with Bebe to form the explosive East African Bashment Crew, one of East Africa’s biggest music groups of our generation, while Jose Chameleone had songs with Professor Jay, Bushoke, AY, and many more.
“I observed that the brotherhood that once fuelled artists such as Lady Jaydee, AY, Redsan and Nameless, or the synergy behind Necessary Noize and the East African Bashment Crew, has faded. For years, these collaborations united fans and amplified our regional sound. However, after becoming successful, we stopped working together, weakening the regional power that once turned East Africa into a force,” he says.
Bebe Cool says East Africa needs to reignite that spirit if they are to get the world to pay attention to their art.
He then turned to how East Africa can use its numbers to turn the streaming era in their favour.
“Together, our combined population exceeds 300 million. If just 50 million of us became music consumers, streaming; the world would have no choice but to take notice, given the strength of our numbers,” he says.
He applauded the media in Kenya and Tanzania for their professionalism. The Motivation singer said the media asked hard but right questions, exhibiting thorough background research. He was also amazed by how Kenya and Tanzania have embraced digital media platforms such as YouTube.
Bebe Cool called upon artists to invest in sectors that support the music industry, such as media. He applauded Tanzanian stars Diamond Platnumz and Ali Kiba, who own Wasafi Media and Crown FM, respectively.
Bebe Cool’s two-week-long media tour was well captured by several media platforms across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. He implored fellow artistes to make an effort and at least make an appearance once a year in every country in the region, to interact with the media and music lovers.
