Who is Bebe Cool

Moses Ssali, also known as “Bebe Cool,” is a Ugandan singer, father, and husband to Zuena Kirema. He is the son of Jaberi Bidandi Ssali and was born on September 1, 1977.

Moses Ssali, also known as “Bebe Cool,” is a Ugandan artist, songwriter, record producer, actor, singer, CEO of the Gagamel crew, father, and husband to Zuena Kirema. He has won international awards for all of these things.

He is an African reggae and raga musician who started his career in Nairobi, Kenya, around 1997. After a few years, he moved back to Uganda, where he was born.

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Bebe Cool was one of the first artists to work with Kenyan record label and production house Ogopa DJs.

Bebe Cool has won Artist of the Year three times at the prestigious HiPipo Music Awards. He has also won several awards at the Pearl of Africa Music Awards (PAM Awards).

How I grew up and went to school

Moses Ssali, also known as “Bebe Cool,” was born to Jaberi Bidandi Ssali on September 1, 1977, making him 42 years old. After his parents split up, he was raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Kampala. Bebe Cool tells his story by saying that his father is rich, but he left him and his mother to suffer.

Even though his dad was a rich government minister, he had to grow up in a poor family.

Even though Bebe Cool was raised by a single parent in a hard situation, he managed to beat the odds. “Even though I went through something like that, I am the most successful of all my siblings.”

Bebe told single mothers that they should be responsible even if their husbands leave them or reject them. She did this by talking about her own mother.

For his Primary level, Bebe Cool went to Aga Khan Primary School. Bebe Cool went to Kitante Hill Secondary School after leaving Aga Khan. There, he got his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).

Then, for his advanced level of education, he went to Makerere College School, where he got his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).

Bebe Cool took Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Math (PCB/M) in his A-Level class.

Bebe Cool won several awards for his music, such as tours in the US and UK. “Fitina” and “Mambo Mingi” are two of his most well-known singles.

His lyrics are written in English, Luganda, and Swahili. Bebe Cool has made a reggae group called the East African Bashment Crew with the Kenyan duo Necessary Noize.

The group’s biggest hits were “Africa Unite” and “Fire,” both from their album Fire. The group was also up for an award at the 2008 MTV Africa Music Awards.

In 2013, one of the best musicians in Nigeria, D’banj, and Bebe Cool had a music battle at a neutral place called Glamis Arena Harare Zimbabwe. “Battle for Africa” was the name of the show’s theme. At the battle, Beb Cool did a great job.

In 2014, the Born in Africa remix song by Bebe Cool, which was a remake of a song by the late Philly Lutaaya, was voted one of Africa’s best songs of all time.

The song made the list of Fifty Anthems for the African Continent at number 15. People who listen to BBC World Service said which African songs they thought best represented the continent.

Early life and education

Moses Ssali alias Bebe Cool was born in September 1st, 1977 (age 42 years) to Jaberi Bidandi Ssali. He was raised by a single mother in Kampala suburbs after his parents separated. Telling his story, Bebe Cool says his father is a wealthy man, but he abandoned him and his mother to suffer.

Although his father was an opulent government minister, he had to grow in the poverty-stricken home.

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Given the fact that Bebe Cool was raised by a single parent, under difficult circumstances, he had managed to beat the odds. “Despite having gone through such a situation, of all my siblings, I am the most successful.”

Using the example of her mother, Bebe encouraged single mothers to take responsibility even after their spouses rejects and abandons them.

Bebe Cool attended Aga Khan Primary School for his Primary level. From Aga Khan, Bebe Cool joined Kitante Hill Secondary School from where he attained his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).

And then Makerere College School for his Advanced Level of Education where he obtained his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).

In his A-Level class, Bebe Cool studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics (PCB/M).

Music Career

He started his career around 1997 in Nairobi, Kenya where he was working with Ogopa Deejays a production house but a few years later he moved back to his native country Uganda and helped revolve the music from Congolese to Ugandans with popular hits like”Fitina”, “Mambo Mingi” and boarder breaker “Trust No People.”

Later on in early 2000’s he also collaborated with a Ugandan music veteran Halima Namakula on a crossover track dubbed “Sambagala”. He has also released several albums his latest being “Go Mama Album 2016.

United with Kenyan stars Nazizi and Wyre (Necessary Noize), Bebe Cool formed a reggae group known as the East African Bashment Crew where they released so many hit songs like the “Fire” album “Africa Unite”, “Kube” et.c songs that made the group to be nominated at the inaugural (2008) MTV Africa Music Awards.

In January 2010 he was injured when by policeman who shot at him in centenary park but was later compensated for by the government when the president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni visited him in hospital and pledged uganda Shs.400 Millions. On 11 July 2010, Bebe Cool was performing at the Kyadondo Rugby grounds when a bomb set by Somali Islamist terrorists group “Al-Shabaab” exploded and according to Bebe Cool most people who died were just in front of him because the blast was so loud and the next thing he saw were body parts flying over him.

Bebe Cool is one of the few selected artists who performed for Nelson Mandela’s birthday the “46664 concert” at Hyde Park London and was named by Nelson Mandela as the 46664 African ambassador a campaign of raising awareness against HIV /AIDS that was initiated by the late Nelson Mandela.

In 2014 Bebe Cool’s Born in Africa remix originally done by the late Philly Bongole Lutaaya was voted among Africa’s greatest songs of all times and it came at number 15 in Fifty anthems for the African continent as suggested BBC World Service listeners as the African song that summed up the continent to them.

Bebe Cool has performed in the Big Brother house twice. In 2013, Bebe Cool had a music battle with one of Nigeria’s top artists D’banj in a neutral place Glamis Arena Harare Zimbabwe in a show that was organized under the theme “Battle for Africa” where Bebe Cool pulled off a great performance winning D’banj.

In 2015, Bebe Cool released another 14 track album called “Go Mama Album” aka “GMAU15” just before his yearly concert titled “Best Of Bebe Cool” at one of Kampala’s most luxurious hotels called Serena Hotel which was the first sold out concert at that hotel. The Go Mama Album unlike other Ugandan albums each song was mastered in London by a renowned producer called Oscar Lo Brutto.

Bebe Cool has won so many awards over the years ever since 2004. He is so far the most awarded artist in Uganda as of 2016. He has been nominated various times starting with the Pearl Of Africa Music Awards aka PAM Awards. He was also nominated for the Kora All-African Awards in 2003 and 2005, MTV Music Awards 2015 and 2016. African Entertainment Awards 2016, AFRIMA Awards and very many other awards.

Bebe Cool has held different tours in the UK, Dubai and the United States of America and Europe.

In 2015/2016 General Presidential Campaigns, Bebe Cool led fellow artists in forming a campaign song Tubonga Nawe, a song that worked as the official campaign song of the National Resistance Movement and he was the chief performing artist in all the rallies made by the NRM Flag bearer Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. This however much it earned him support from those who supported NRM, it sparked a lot of criticism from music fans who even made calls to boycott his concerts, those these calls were not fruitful as he managed to organize one of the most successful concerts in 2016 at Kampala Serena Hotel later that year in August.

Bebe Cool has continued to be a strong supporter of the NRM Government and in 2018, he organized a music concert at Serena dubbed The Golden Heart concert which was graced by His Excellence Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the President of Uganda as the guest of honor.

Awards and Recognitions

Awards

Won

2004 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Reggae Artist/Group
2005 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Reggae Artist/Group
2006 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Reggae Artist/Group
2006 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Song of the Year
2007 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Reggae Artist/Group
2007 Pear of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Male Artiste
2007 Channel O Music Awards – Video of the Year
2008 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Male Artist and Best Reggae Artist/Group and Best Reggae Artist/Group
2010 Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Artist of the Year 2010, Best Reggae Artiste/Group and Album of the Year
2011 pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards – Best Male Artist
2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Reggae Song with Rema (Missing You)
2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Artist of the Year
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Reggae Song: Love Letter – Bebe Cool and Irene Ntale.
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Reggae – Dancehall Song: Kokodiosis
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best on Stage Performer
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Artist on Social Media
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Artist
2014 HiPipo Music Awards – Artiste of the Year
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Reggae Song: Love You Everyday
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Video of the Year: Love You Everyday
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Concert Performer
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Most Active Fans Group – Gagamel Phamily
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Male Artist
2015 HiPipo Music Awards – Artist of the Year
Bebe Cool won one Afrima Award for the best East African male artist in 2018.

Nominations

2003 and 2005 Kora Awards – Best East African Artist
2007 MOBO Awards
2011 Tanzania Music Awards – Best East African song (Kasepiki)
2013 HiPipo Music Awards – Best Reggae Song (Ntuyo Zange), Best Dancehall/Ragga Song (No Body Move), Best Musician on Social Media.
Nominated in Afrimma Awards 2014
Australia Radio Afro Song of the Year 2015
Nominated in Afrimma Awards 2018 “Best Male Artist in Eastern Africa and Best African Rock categories

Bebe Cool songs

Wire Wire – 2019
Nkuliyo – 2019
Eazy – 2019
Katono – 2018
Mbozi Za Malwa – 2018
One More Touch – 2018
Pass n Go – 2018
Wasibuka Wa – 2018
I Do – 2018
Perfect Loving – 2018
Want It – 2018
Batidemu – 2018
Bamugambe – 2016
Badilibada – 2016
Kasepiki – 2016
Taata – 2016
Ki Ekiganye – 2016
Never Trust – 2016
Akamwako – 2016
Tombawala – 2016
Nkola Byafayo – 2016
Coccidiosis – 2016
Azina Aseka – 2016

Family and Childerns

Bebe Cool is married to Zuena Kirema and together they have five children namely; Deen Ozil Ssali, Alpha Thierry Ssali, Beata Ssali, Caysan Ssali including Allan Hendrick Ssali from an earlier relationship with another woman.

Charity Works

Singer Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool has received a grant of close to $400,000 from donors to help TB patients.

The funding was received under his Amber Heart Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports activities aimed at finding missing TB patients in the districts of Kampala, Jinja and Mbarara.