Bebe Cool Blames Audience Preferences for Rise of Nigerian Sound in Uganda

Following the release of Bebe Cool’s latest album, Break The Chains, critics and commentators accused the veteran artiste of trying too hard to emulate Nigerian musicians.

This backlash has sparked a new debate: if one of Uganda’s top artistes is adopting the Nigerian sound, what does that mean for the authenticity of Uganda’s own musical identity?

In response, Bebe Cool argued in the media that the shift is not entirely a matter of choice but one of necessity, driven by audience behavior.

“Ugandan fans are always buying and streaming Nigerian music. So, where do you think that leaves us, the Ugandan artistes and our sound?” he asked.

He answered his own question by explaining that Ugandan musicians have little choice but to align with the sound their audience consumes the most, which is Nigerian music.

“If that is the sound Ugandans want, then that is the sound we have to give them,” he said.

He also pointed out that Ugandan music charts on platforms like Spotify are dominated by Nigerian artistes simply because Ugandans stream their music more.

“In life, you must identify what your market wants. As an artiste, you may be driven by love and culture, but when the money market wants something else,” he added.

According to Bebe Cool, the Ugandan audience has clearly shown a preference for the Nigerian sound, and local artistes are adapting to it in order to survive.

Also read: Bebe Cool Explains Absence of Luganda in New Album Break the Chains, Teases Future Remixes With It