Jose Chameleon’s Mambo Bado is out
IT seems just like yesterday that Jose Chameleone ignited the local scene with his Bei Kali and before the storm has settled the blonde-haired one has returned with another album entitled Mambo Bado, which was released at Kasiwukira studios last Monday.
IT seems just like yesterday that Jose Chameleone ignited the local scene with his Bei Kali and before the storm has settled the blonde-haired one has returned with another album entitled Mambo Bado, which was released at Kasiwukira studios last Monday.
I speak for many when I proclaim that I love Chameloene. For the last couple of years, I have come to bear with the fact that though his vocals arrangements are not particularly intelligent, he is damned good at making them easy to digest for many. We also love his gruff voice and the happy beats.
Mambo Bado has 10 tracks: The title track, Gwenafuna, Nkusaba, on side one while the flip side has Jamila, Sanyu lyange, and Nkooye.
You can tell by listening to the album that Chameleone is positively radiant with the joy. I came to this conclusion after seeing a wide, toothy smile plastered on his face and listening to the way his monothematics come out musically – the strings, fat bass lines and the warm and well coordinated hooky sing-along choruses.
Once again, he liberally draws inspirations from zouk, dancehall reggae and Congolese flavours to power his music. This is a formula that has won him a huge following in the country and the entire Great Lakes region.
Is there much that has changed for Chameleone? The answer unfortunately, is not much. He is still racing with his closest rivals to see who is the king of pop.
The songs on the Mambo Bado album when taken in isolation, suggest that Chameleone is perilously reeling on the dangerous edge of bubble gum pop.
He first sets off the alarm bells on the lead track Mambo Bado. On this number, you can tell that he is following the same Bei Kali line through and through with similar Congolese instrumentation.
Chagga, his side kick, also offers nothing new on his goofily catchy single Nkooye giving us this déjà vu feeling. Just try singing the Yono lyrics on Nkooye, and you will see what I mean.
You know someone is in musical trouble when the beats from one album to another tend to sound awfully similar.
Happily when all is said and done, Jose Chameleone is still a talented, hardworking artist, whom you simply cannot dismiss. So buy the album, its good.
However, should you take me seriously, then treat Chameleone like an old, grumpy, uncle who comes around every so often with the same old, tiring stories but who for some reason, you love anyway.
I speak for many when I proclaim that I love Chameloene. For the last couple of years, I have come to bear with the fact that though his vocals arrangements are not particularly intelligent, he is damned good at making them easy to digest for many. We also love his gruff voice and the happy beats.
Mambo Bado has 10 tracks: The title track, Gwenafuna, Nkusaba, on side one while the flip side has Jamila, Sanyu lyange, and Nkooye.
You can tell by listening to the album that Chameleone is positively radiant with the joy. I came to this conclusion after seeing a wide, toothy smile plastered on his face and listening to the way his monothematics come out musically – the strings, fat bass lines and the warm and well coordinated hooky sing-along choruses.
Once again, he liberally draws inspirations from zouk, dancehall reggae and Congolese flavours to power his music. This is a formula that has won him a huge following in the country and the entire Great Lakes region.
Is there much that has changed for Chameleone? The answer unfortunately, is not much. He is still racing with his closest rivals to see who is the king of pop.
The songs on the Mambo Bado album when taken in isolation, suggest that Chameleone is perilously reeling on the dangerous edge of bubble gum pop.
He first sets off the alarm bells on the lead track Mambo Bado. On this number, you can tell that he is following the same Bei Kali line through and through with similar Congolese instrumentation.
Chagga, his side kick, also offers nothing new on his goofily catchy single Nkooye giving us this déjà vu feeling. Just try singing the Yono lyrics on Nkooye, and you will see what I mean.
You know someone is in musical trouble when the beats from one album to another tend to sound awfully similar.
Happily when all is said and done, Jose Chameleone is still a talented, hardworking artist, whom you simply cannot dismiss. So buy the album, its good.
However, should you take me seriously, then treat Chameleone like an old, grumpy, uncle who comes around every so often with the same old, tiring stories but who for some reason, you love anyway.