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Joseph Mayanja aka Chameleone (Chameleon), is a song-writer, emcee, artist and one of the biggest musicians in East Africa. His style of music is influenced by Afrobeat, Ragga, Dancehall, and uses a style that those in ragga circles called 'ruff neck'. He is known as Uganda's Michael Jackson. He sings in Luganda, Kiswahili, Rwandese, English, etc.
He grew up in a family of musicians; two of his uncles were good musicians, his dad played in a brass band and his grandfather played guitar at home. He is called Chameleon(e) because as a boy, his mother had told him to adapt to various environments so as to control the influence of music in his world.
He won an open competition to write his school's national anthem which was such a hit with his school that he got a scholarship to study for free. He then started singing in clubs like Club Ecstasy where he honed a career as an MC, one which took him to Kenya (Ogopa DJ's), Burundi and Rwanda. Even though he is an Ugandan musician, a lot of his songs have been in Swahili. This is because he believes he got his start in the music business from Kenya and through the support of Kenyans. As a young man, he sang with Redsan (Kenya) and Bebe Cool (Uganda), and had hit songs like Mikono juu and Bageya. His track Mama Mia, produced by Kenya's Ogopa Deejays, was his first major hit as an solo artiste.
His stardom is so unprecedented that he was once voted the third most popular person in Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni and Buganda King, Kabaka Ronald Mutebi. He has been featuring on many songs that have gained major airplay in East African markets as well featuring big name artistes. His style of music borrows from other African genres like chimurenga, soukous and zouk.
He also has marketing deals with MTN. He has his recording label called Leone Island Entertainment of which Chagga and his brother Weasel are on.
Some of his popular songs are Mama mia, Bageya, Dorotia, Simimwe gwe, Tobesiga, Mawoko na Mawoko, Mama wange, Nakolela Mali, Atasiga Nsigo, Yooja, Nyanja, Suzaana, Gwe Wange, Kabwa nango, Befuula, Atufako, Ndio Wewe, Mambo Bado, Jamila, Gwenafuna, Nkusaba, Tompitangako, Saama, Cyane (Rwandese), Nkusaba, Nawu mia, Kuma Obwesiga, etc
Jose Chameleone's website
Jose Chameleone's Myspace
Song lyrics
Bei kali (2003)
Bei Kali
Mambo bado (2004)
Jamila
Kipepeo (2005)
Kipepeo
Sivyo Ndivyo (2006)
Sivyo Ndivyo
Shida za dunia (2006)
Mama Rhoda
Katupakase
Katupakase
Email
, GBP 34.80 only.
hi there jose's music is fantabulous but he has to work on his never ending wars with fellow artists.
yea, I've heard about his feuds with Bobi Wine and Bebe Cool but I don't know too much about them and who's at fault.
Nevertheless, he's a great musician and is loved by fans all over.
Hi! I live in a european part of the world and happened to be on Chameleone's show in USA, brought some CDs back home and played them for my friends, who've never hearв such music before. This music was a success! Chameleone should keep on working on his popularity in the whole world.
Whether other mcs have feuds with Cham
He is there,around,he is to stick
he is a gifted mc and a man who can use a crocodile to cross a river of shock waves
Feuds kam due envious and jelous mcs who have failed to defeat Jose Cham in the industry.He is a man of yesterday,today,tommorrow and the future.
I wonder what Jose Chameleone has to say about these feuds issue. I know a lot of the times these "feuds" are just for publicity purposes, they help sell records and the feuds themselves don't really exist.
Chameleone is definitely one of the biggest African musicians out there and when it gets to some point, he will be measuring his success based on his popularity in countries other than Uganda :-)
His music will blend in to radio airplay everywhere just like a chameleon
I will thank all of you for the passionate comments.I love you all.For the Feuds,That is malicious propaganda aimed at bringing me down but am glad i have the caring at hand and heart.I will continue to Aim at creating what portrays me,you and the next man.For God and my country god bless you all.
I have lived with this young man in the late 90's,And i know how talented he is.Chameleone is a star in his own class.let those other hating artistes leave the star alone and concetrate on how to be part of his story.Like Bobi Wine did-He is smart too
whatever feuds jose haz, its for the good of his enemies. They've made a name out of it en i guess they r happy. But whether they accept it or not, jose is still the best. His music is loved internationally unlike bobi wine's which doesnt cross the ugandan borders. JOSE STILL THE BEST EN WE UGANDANS STILL LOVE HIS MUSIC.
Nobody can stop this talented guy.Imagine how much his enemies have treid to black mail his image but he is still uganda;s biggest sell out.I have attended one of his show in minnesota this summer and i could not belive his energy for the 2hours he was on stage.CHAMELEONE WE ARE PROUD OF YOU.See welcome again next summer
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