Is Chameleone still the champion?
Jul 26, 2007
JOSE Chameleone has had his fair share of ups and downs. Two years ago, he was beaten by his closest rival Bobi Wine. Since then, they have continued rubbing each other the wrong way.
By Joseph Batte
ALBUM REVIEW
JOSE Chameleone has had his fair share of ups and downs. Two years ago, he was beaten by his closest rival Bobi Wine. Since then, they have continued rubbing each other the wrong way.
Recently, they rammed into each other’s cars and dragged each other to court. In their songs, they continue to paint each other in the most unsavoury colours.
Privately, they still toss a few grenades back at each other. It seems the problems are not to go away very soon. So, we have somehow learned to live with it.
However, Chameleone’s ‘bad-boy’ persona aside, over the years, he has proved he is one of the few awesomely talented Ugandan artistes. He still manages to release tasteful-and-easy-to-digest music.
His music is composed of brilliant flashes of chimurenga, proto-soukous, zouk, ragga.
This pan-African spirit which rules his music has propelled him forward and made him popular in far off lands like Burundi and Malawi. He is also a toast in Kenya, Rwanda, Sweden Tanzania and London.
However, there is a growing feeling that Chameleone is a spent force. The hits have dried up. That he sounds a bit tired and repetitive. I agree to a certain degree. But a spent force? I do not think so.What exactly has happened is this.
Chameleone is up against a lot of competition from equally good young musicians. His cousin Clever J has aped his rough-neck style of singing.
The similarities do not stop there. Clever J’s productions also sound like carbon copies of Chameleone’s songs.
Bobi Wine has mounted a credible challenge. He is suddenly singing like he has never done before and is also writing cute songs that can tag at out heartstrings.
Chameleone’s case is a bit like the Man U-Arsenal scenario in the English premier league. The duo dominated the English for decades until a young rich Russian, Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea. The rise of Chelsea unsettled Man U and Arsenal.
Likewise, Jose Chameleone has to raise his bar musically. Could he have already done so with his latest self-produced album, Champion?
Champion is an album with all best devices of modern Afro pop music. It is forged with high musicianship. And, whatever your definition, there is something unmistakably melodic and touching about it. The album takes unexpected turns that make for a good listen.
Atasiga Nsigo, which was first released as a single, is a mellow crowd-pleaser full of common sense lyrics about people who want to reap where they have never sowed.
Initially, my fingers were not so into Songa Songa, because it sounds more like one of those patriotic chaka mchaka parade songs.
It was written by Bebe Cool and Chameleone soon after Salim Saleh had brokered a peace deal between them.
Songa Songa comes across as very insincere because a few months later, the two could actually not see eye-to- eye.
However, the more I listen to the bass line, the more I get hooked.
Chameleone is trying to figure out that thing called love.
ALBUM REVIEW
JOSE Chameleone has had his fair share of ups and downs. Two years ago, he was beaten by his closest rival Bobi Wine. Since then, they have continued rubbing each other the wrong way.
Recently, they rammed into each other’s cars and dragged each other to court. In their songs, they continue to paint each other in the most unsavoury colours.
Privately, they still toss a few grenades back at each other. It seems the problems are not to go away very soon. So, we have somehow learned to live with it.
However, Chameleone’s ‘bad-boy’ persona aside, over the years, he has proved he is one of the few awesomely talented Ugandan artistes. He still manages to release tasteful-and-easy-to-digest music.
His music is composed of brilliant flashes of chimurenga, proto-soukous, zouk, ragga.
This pan-African spirit which rules his music has propelled him forward and made him popular in far off lands like Burundi and Malawi. He is also a toast in Kenya, Rwanda, Sweden Tanzania and London.
However, there is a growing feeling that Chameleone is a spent force. The hits have dried up. That he sounds a bit tired and repetitive. I agree to a certain degree. But a spent force? I do not think so.What exactly has happened is this.
Chameleone is up against a lot of competition from equally good young musicians. His cousin Clever J has aped his rough-neck style of singing.
The similarities do not stop there. Clever J’s productions also sound like carbon copies of Chameleone’s songs.
Bobi Wine has mounted a credible challenge. He is suddenly singing like he has never done before and is also writing cute songs that can tag at out heartstrings.
Chameleone’s case is a bit like the Man U-Arsenal scenario in the English premier league. The duo dominated the English for decades until a young rich Russian, Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea. The rise of Chelsea unsettled Man U and Arsenal.
Likewise, Jose Chameleone has to raise his bar musically. Could he have already done so with his latest self-produced album, Champion?
Champion is an album with all best devices of modern Afro pop music. It is forged with high musicianship. And, whatever your definition, there is something unmistakably melodic and touching about it. The album takes unexpected turns that make for a good listen.
Atasiga Nsigo, which was first released as a single, is a mellow crowd-pleaser full of common sense lyrics about people who want to reap where they have never sowed.
Initially, my fingers were not so into Songa Songa, because it sounds more like one of those patriotic chaka mchaka parade songs.
It was written by Bebe Cool and Chameleone soon after Salim Saleh had brokered a peace deal between them.
Songa Songa comes across as very insincere because a few months later, the two could actually not see eye-to- eye.
However, the more I listen to the bass line, the more I get hooked.
Chameleone is trying to figure out that thing called love.