Bebe Cool Confirms Amapiano EP Coming Soon
Ugandan music icon Bebe Cool has always been celebrated for his signature reggae and ragga sound.
But in today’s fast changing music industry, even legends have to rethink their approach.
During a sit down with Nyasha Michelle, Bebe Cool opened up about why it is becoming harder for musicians to stick to their signature style, especially when it does not generate enough income.
His latest album, Break The Chains, saw him experimenting with an Afro inspired sound, a major departure from the rhythms that first made him a household name.
The move, he says, was not only creative but also a way to stay afloat in a trend-driven industry.
As times change, it is becoming tricky to say that you just want to keep your sound simply because you want to keep it. The truth is, it is expensive to hold on to a sound if you are not getting paid. Yes, we can keep it… We can keep it in a library, in the museum, but as the world has moved, everything is economical.
For Bebe Cool, music is as much a business as it is an art.
He explained that artistes need to embrace trending sounds if they want to improve their financial situation.
Musically, if there is a genre that is selling and working, then the advice is to move on to that, because your issue is not just to keep your style but to have money in your pocket, be able to take care of yourself, your family, and improve your economic situation. So, I have not been too much on the side of keeping my “Kidandali.” I have actually been advocating for all artistes to join, for example, right now it is all Afrobeats, Afro-Tech, Afro-Pop. Back then there was reggae and dancehall, and people could pay for concerts, buy the music, and radios could play it because that was what was trending. Now, what is trending? Afrobeats, Afro-Tech, Afro-House. Go, move… because it is all financial.
When asked if he would try Amapiano, a genre that is also trending strongly right now, he confirmed without hesitation.
Yes, I am moving straight away. My next EP… Amapiano straight up.
Bebe Cool may have faced criticism for his Afro-inspired album, but he is clearly not letting it slow him down.
