Bebe Cool (real name Moses Ssali; born 1 September 1977) is an African

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

and

ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Smi ...

musician from

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

. He started his career around 1997 in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, but moved back to his native country a few years later. Bebe Cool was one of the first artists affiliated with

Ogopa DJs Ogopa Deejays are a Kenyan music production team and record label formed in the late 1990s who gained regional fame and popularity due to standards of their production work. Background The people behind Ogopa DJs are brothers Francis and Luc ...

, a production house and record label in Kenya.

Early life

Bebe Cool attended Aga Khan Primary School, in Kampala, Kitante Hill School, and

Makerere College School Makerere College School is a co-educational government aided O and A Level school founded in 1945 by Makerere University. In 1945 Makerere University was still a constituent college of the University of London. The school is located on the main c ...

, where he attended school studies, but dropped out of school one year prior to completion. At high school, he studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics (PCB/M). Bebe Cool (formerly Bebe Bunton) started his music career right from high school when he was acting as an entertainment prefect.

Music career

Bebe Cool is a three-time winner of the Artist of The Year Award at the Prestigious HiPipo Music Awards and won several accolades at

Pearl of Africa Music Awards The Pearl of Africa Music Awards (also known as the PAM Awards) was an annual national music award event held in Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan ...

(PAM Awards). He was nominated for the Kora All-African Awards in 2003 and 2005. He has toured in the United Kingdom and the United States. Two of his popular singles are "Fitina" and "Mambo Mingi". He also collaborated with Halima Namakula, a Ugandan veteran woman musician, on their crossover track "Sambagala". He released two solo albums, ''Maisha'' and ''Senta''. His lyrics are in Luganda, Swahili, and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Together with Kenyan duo Necessary Noize, Bebe Cool has formed a

group known as the

East African Bashment Crew East African Bashment Crew (also known as East African Reggae Bashment Crew) is a Kenyan-Ugandan reggae group formed by Bebe Cool from Uganda and his contemporaries. It consists of three members, Bebe Cool from Uganda, and the Kenyan duo Necessary ...

. They have released one album, ''Fire'', and two hit singles, "Africa Unite" and "Fire". The group was nominated at the

MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 The first annual MTV Africa Music Awards took place on November 22, 2008 in Abuja, Nigeria at The Velodrome. The show was hosted by Trevor Nelson. The nominees were announced on October 7, 2008. Nominations Artist of the Year *Aṣa *D'banj ...

. In 2013, Bebe Cool had a music battle with one of Nigeria's top artists

D'banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), better known by his stage name D'banj, is a Nigerian singer and rapper and the founder of Mo' Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. He has won several music awards, including the awards for ''Best A ...

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. In 2014, Bebe Cool’s remade Born in Africa remix song, a remake of the late Philly Lutaaya's 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. Bebe Cool has performed in the ''Big Brother'' house twice. From 2016 to 2018, there was rising controversy against Bebe Cool for being a chief organizer for

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...

, the then-president of Uganda who had been described by international media outlets as dictatorial. Ugandans at one time chased him off the stage in a show before he could sing. Bebe Cool won one Afrima award for the best East African male artist in 2018.

Personal life

In January 2010, he was injured when a policeman shot him in the leg. On 11 July 2010, Bebe Cool was performing at the

Kyadondo Rugby Club Kyadondo Rugby Club is a rugby union ground in Kampala, Uganda. It was built in 2000. Facilities include main ground, a training pitch and a club house. The ground is home to several club teams, among them Heathens RFC, a leading rugby club in Ug ...

when a bomb set by Somali Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab exploded (

July 2010 Kampala attacks On 11 July 2010, suicide bombings were carried out against crowds watching a screening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final at two locations in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The attacks left 74 dead and 85 injured. Al-Shabaab, an Islamis ...

). According to Cool, "Most people who died were just in front of me. The blast was so loud—the next thing I saw were body parts flying over."

Philanthropy

In 2008, Bebe Cool performed for the

Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute The Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute was held in Hyde Park, London on 27 June 2008 to commemorate Nelson Mandela's ninetieth birthday (18 July). The concert formed part of the 46664 concert series to promote awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemi ...

Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed major park in Westminster, Greater London, the largest of the four Royal Parks of London, Royal Parks that form a chain from the entrance to Kensington Palace through Kensingt ...

. He was also named by Nelson Mandela as one of the 46664 African ambassadors. 46664 is a campaign of raising awareness against HIV/AIDS that was initiated by the late Nelson Mandela. On 3 August 2018, at a concert called ''The Golden Heart'', Bebe Cool fundraised to sponsor five children with heart diseases to receive medical treatment in India.

Political life

Bebe Cool supported President Museveni in the 2021 presidential elections in Uganda.

Awards

Won: *2004

– Best Reggae Artiste/Group *2005

– Best Reggae Artiste/Group *2006

– Song of the Year *2007

– Best Reggae Artiste/Group *2007

– Best Male Artiste *2007 Channel O Music Video Awards -Video of the year *2008

– Best Male Artist & Best Reggae Artiste/Group & Best Ragga Artiste/Group *2010

– Artist of the Year 2010, Best Reggae Artiste/Group and Album of the year *2011

– Best Male Artist *2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Reggae Song with Rema (''Missing You'') *2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Artist of the Year *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male REGGAE Song : Love Letter – Bebe Cool and Irene Ntale *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male RAGGA-DANCEHALL Song : Kokodiosis *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best on Stage Performer : *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Artist on Social Media *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Artist *2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Artist of the Year *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male REGGAE Song : Love You Everyday – Bebe Cool *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Video of the Year : Love You Every - Bebe Cool *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Concert Performance - Best of Bebe Cool Concert : *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Most Active Fans Group - Gagamel Phamily : *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Artist *2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Artist of the Year Nominated: *2003

Kora Awards The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President Ha ...

– Best East African Artist *2007

MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...

2011 Tanzania Music Awards The 12th edition of the Tanzania Music Awards took place at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam, on Saturday March 26, 2011. Bongo Flava artist 20 Percent was the big winner of the night with five trophies out of seven nominations. The artis ...

– Best East African Song ('Kasepiki') *2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Reggae Song (''Ntuyo Zange''), Best Dancehall/Ragga Song (''No Body Move''), Best Musician on Social Media * Nominated in Afrimma Awards 2014 * Australia Radio Afro Song of the Year 2015 * Nominated in Afrimma Awards 2018 " Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa and Best African Rock categories" .

References

External links

Bebe Cool MusicBebe Cool Videos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cool, Bebe 1977 births Living people 21st-century Ugandan male singers People from Kampala People educated at Makerere College School