By BigEyeUg Team
Veteran singer Mesach Semakula has opened up about how Jose Chameleone inspired him and many other band musicians of their generation to evolve their music style.
Speaking in an interview, Mesach revealed that before Chameleone’s emergence, most band artists focused on singing songs with meaningful messages but lacked the kind of upbeat sound that could get people on their feet.
Everything changed when Chameleone dropped his hit song Mama Mia, which brought a new wave of energy to the Ugandan music scene.
“I was standing at a show with Geoffrey Lutaaya when Chameleone jumped on stage. It was raining, but you could think it was dust. Lutaaya turned to me and said, ‘That man is going to take over the industry.’ He came with a style never seen before,” Mesach recalled.
According to Semakula, Chameleone managed to blend relatable lyrics with a danceable rhythm, adding a Kiswahili twist that made his music appeal to both local and regional audiences.
This innovation challenged many established musicians to rethink their style.
Mesach further shared that around the same period, producer Eddy Yawe introduced a modern studio setup, which gave band singers the tools to refine their sound.
He began experimenting with this new style, starting with the production of Haruna Mubiru’s Ekitooke Kiffa Nsalira, which turned out to be a success and helped define the evolving genre.