My life experiences made me stronger- Bebe Cool

If there is any artist who has seen it all. It is Bebe Cool. From starting his musical career in Kenya to becoming one of Uganda’s biggest musicians over the last 25 years. But it has not been a smooth ride.

Bebe Cool was shot six times and survived a bomb attack, two incidents that almost took his life.

After over ten years, Bebe Cool has revisited both incidents, narrating it to UK-based Nigerian media personality DJ Edu’s hot seat, on the BBC podcast- This is Africa.

Bebe first narrated the shooting incident at Centenary park saying that it all started when he saw a group of artistes from the Good Lyfe arguing with a policeman; and when he approached them with some friends, the police officer thought they’d come to save the person he was arguing with, so he immediately opened fire.

“Since I always move with security, I sent my man to talk to him, policeman to policeman but he simply opened fire, it was traumatic, five people got injured,” he says.

Bebe Cool was in a wheelchair for almost a year, after undergoing surgery.

A few months later, Bebe survived another scare, when he managed to make it out alive after bombs went off at Kyadondo Rugby club, where he had performed at a World Cup viewing party.

“I did not get any therapy after that, because our country was not yet at that level. I said, let me use this and become a stronger person, and yes, they made me a stronger person at heart,” he says.

Bebe Cool also spoke about Break the Chains- his new album. He said he decide to do Afrobeats because it’s what the world is listening to. He says that as an artiste trying to sell Uganda to the world, he can’t resist the sound.

So far, two songs Circumference and Motivation off this album have been released.