Musician Moses Saali, also known as Bebe Cool, released his highly anticipated album last week.
"Break the Chains" was perfectly produced and mastered. The album is making great strides online, with all sixteen songs going straight into the top 100 on Apple Music Uganda.
The album is a collection of songs that not only inspire dancing but also offer hope and inspiration to the disillusioned, who form the largest segment of the youth population.
It also reminds everyone not to give up, because at a time when many believe Bebe Cool would be going into retirement, he is insisting that he is still here, not only through words but also with a masterpiece.
I can't say all the songs will be platinum hits, but I believe many of them will last beyond three months. It will surely make bigger moves than A Pass's album, which largely remained confined within his existing fanbase.
"Break the Chains" will also surpass all those albums released by Eddy Kenzo and the one by Zex Bilangi Langi, whose releases lacked musical impact despite catchy titles.
However, I cannot guarantee that the album will take the music industry to the international market. For Uganda to shine musically globally, we still need more than Bebe Cool, Joshua Baraka, Elijah Kitaka, Azawi, Eddy Kenzo, and many others you can think of.
I believe we need you as a fan to do more than just listening; we also desperately need music investors. (Here I am not speaking about Don Chris, Senga Kulanama, or Maama Fiina; I am speaking about people with proven money, capital, and business knowledge.)
Bebe Cool explained he spent over two billion Uganda shillings on the album's production. That is a huge amount. Of local artists, perhaps only Eddy Kenzo has the financial capacity to match such an investment, even if he hasn't done so before.
However, the two billion shillings were spent without promotion costs, and Bebe Cool publicly declared he was planning to ask the President for more funds to help him market the album.
This is where real investors must come in. Businessmen in the ranks of Mike Mukula, Godfrey Kirumira, and others should take a keen interest in music as a viable industry. We have the talent, but much of it remains untapped due to a lack of funding. Many artists live hand-to-mouth. With the right investment, however, these talents could turn into profitable ventures within a few years.
If only Joshua Baraka, Likle Bangi, and many other talents can be supported financially, we could truly break the chains — and Ugandan artists could start competing on the same level as Burna Boy, Davido, and Tems.
However, a single album by Bebe Cool will not take us that far. We need more than one, and at least three of them, to bring about some competition with Nigerian artists who are not ready to surrender their throne.
Last year was not a very busy time in Nigeria, yet they managed to release over ten music albums. These ten, and more already released plus those in the pipeline, will be competing with "Break the Chains" by Bebe Cool.
Just like you, I don't think we stand any chance to beat them by the end of the year, even on Apple Music Uganda.
However, as the saying goes, Rome was not built in one day. We need to thank Bebe Cool for taking bold steps and pray that many artists admire this initiative, and that serious investors start seeing music as the business opportunity it truly is.
One day we shall be there, and the whole country will celebrate as our own shines bright at the Super Bowl halftime show. I can't predict who will be there, but many will be alive to witness greatness.