Ugandan Afrobeat Singer Jose Chameleone - Badilisha (infomation, video, & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the song entitled "Badilisha" by Ugandan Afrobeat singer Jose Chameleone.

Part I presents information about Jose Chameleone and showcases his hit song "Badilisha".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/youtube-comments-from-throughout-world.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents selected comments from throughout the world that are found in the discussion thread for Jose Chameleone's YouTube video of "Badilisha".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Jose Chameleone for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/jose-chameleone-valu-valu-with-selected.html for a 2013 pancocojams post showcasing Jose Chameleone singing his 2012 song "Valu Valu".

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INFORMATION ABOUT JOSE CHAMELEONE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleone
Jose Chameleone (born Joseph Mayanja; 30 April 1979) is a Ugandan AfroBeat artiste and the most popular musician of his generation in Uganda and many countries. Chameleone sings in Luganda, English, and Swahili and has won multiple awards.

Musical career
Chameleone's career began at a young age in 1996 as a DJ at the Missouri night club in Kampala. He was later signed to the Kenyan record label Ogopa DJs, where he broke through with his first single,"Bageya" that featured Kenyan artist Redsan.

Chameleone's musical style is a combination of Ugandan music, central African rumba, zouk, and reggae. His first album, Bageya, was released in 2000. By 2013, he had released twelve more albums.

[...]

He is CEO of the music label Leone Island that has signed many musicians from Uganda and East Africa, including the late Moses Radio, Weasel, the late AK 47, King Saha, Papa Cidy, and Pallaso, Melody, Yung Mulo, Big Eye, Deejay Pius and many more.

In March 2014 at the Lugogo Cricket Oval Stadium in Kampala, Chameleone broke the record for the largest audience of any East African performer, drawing an estimated 40,000 fans to his "Tubonge Live" concert. In 2017 he made another outstanding mark on his annual do LGEND | Hit after Hit concert that was once again a sell out. The cricket oval was sold out to full capacity as fans danced away to his music that has made him a regional and continental darling. The speaker of the parliament of Uganda, Rebecca Kadaga, designated Chameleone to be the Ambassador of the Busoga Tourism Initiative.[1]

Other activities
Chameleone is a member of the Illuminati Musician's Community, a coalition of musicians who use their fame and fortune to help reduce poverty and create awareness campaigns for HIV/AIDS.”...

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From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0PUjvdMbfw[comment in the discussion thread for this embedded video]
Gandav, 2015
"DR .Jose Chameleone you're a Legend

Hit after hit, album after album and year after year, Chameleone has for the last fifteen years authoritatively written his name in the history of Ugandan music, just as much as he has written it in the hearts of music fans in Uganda, East Africa and Africa at large. Since his trail blazing album Bageya in 2000, the Leone Island boss has wowed fans with his unique style, vocals and consistency; and not even his fair share of challenges has deterred him from delivering good music. His ability to stay for all these years and still make sense is indeed a great gift.

The Ugandan music industry is so rocky that for every one hundred musicians that join the industry, ninety nine drop out as fast as they joined. Zero point five of them stick around without having any tangible impact; and the remaining zero point five make some mark. Yet in such a tricky industry,Chameleone still makes a huge impact after some fifteen years in the industry.

Much as his first Album was Bageya, Chameleone's real deal came in with his magnum opus hit, Mama Mia! This song was so big and immediately turned him into Uganda's biggest music export of the time, with wide fan bases in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. As if in a statement of his staying power, Chameleone has since followed Bageya and Mama Mia with such albums as Njo Karibu, The Golden Voice, Mambo Bado, Kipepeo, Shida za Dunia, Sivyo Ndivyo, Katupakase, Bayuda, Jamila, Vumilia, Valu Valu, Badilisha, Tubonge and Wale Wale.

The singing Doctor has over the years swept local, Regional, Continental and International awards including Song of the year and Best Male Zouk Song for Badilisha at the prestigious 2014 HiPipo Music Awards, Best Afro-Beat song for Moto Moto at the prestigious 2013 HiPipo Music Awards, a Beffta Award, a Kora award, an MTV Europe award and a MOBO.

He has over the years used his music to better society and as a result, the speaker of the parliament of Uganda, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, designated Chameleone to be the Ambassador of the Busoga Tourism Initiative. He also volunteered on a mission aimed at returning former LRA rebels and inspiring them to start a productive life. You may also recall that his One Man, One Million concert was aimed at availing water to the people of Karamoja.

There are a number of things that have kept Chameleone afloat for all these years and singing songs with a message comes first on the list. The message in most of his songs has been able to appeal to people in different age brackets and across social classes and has often times touched issues of motivation including work, gender based violence and gratitude.

His hoarse voice, singing in Swahili (especially in his early days) and sticking to his style are also some of the reasons that have kept Chameleone going!

When I talk about sticking to his style, it is very easy for anyone to assume that he is not versatile. To the contrary, songs like Movie star have proven that even when Chameleone ventures away from his comfort zone he still makes an impact.

Just like the adage goes, credit must be given where it’s due. As such, we must all credit Chameleone for his staying power. Whether you are his fan or critic; you must appreciate that in an industry where people come and go every day, Chameleone has stayed and stayed with a massive impact. He has faced challenges along the way, that no other human being would wish to face; yet each time, he has come out on top of his challenges."

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: JOSE CHAMELEONE: BADILISHA (OFFICIAL HD VIDEO)



Jose Chameleone, Feb 6, 2013
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Statistics as of October 23, 2019 at 8:40 AM
Total # of views - 8,846,353
Total # of likes - 18k
Total # of dislikes -2k
Total # of comments -2,562
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread that explains the languages that are used in this song:
Kalibbala Paul, 2018
"It's a combination of Luganda Swahili and English"

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LYRICS, ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS, & SONG SUMMARY FOR JOSE CHAMELEONE'S SONG "BADILISHA"
[from comments found in the discussion thread for this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0PUjvdMbfw]

JO Jumbe, 2015
"Let me translate this beautiful track in service of Kiswahili: The Title: BADILISHA= Change things up.
I've got to go
Unaniumiza sana ninateseka ndani moyoni mimi naumwa aaah,
You've caused me so much pain and suffering, my heart is aching...
I've got to go Kang'endee ( possibly a Luganda word meening I have to go),
I'll let you go Sitaweza I can't bear it (any longer)
Nimevumilia sana hutaki penzi naona umeshindwa kubadilisha aah,
I have put up with so much. (Seems) you do not want (my) love. I can see you've given up (trying) to change things x2"

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Aman Haman, 2015
..."Unaniumiza sana ninateseka = You hurt me so much I am suffering
Ndani moyoni mimi naumwa = I feel pain in my heart
I got to go, kangende = I got to go, let me go
And let you go, sitaweza = And let you go, I won't manage
Nimevumilia sana, hutaki change,=I've been very patient, you don't wanna change
Naona umeshindwa, kubadilisha = I see you've failed to change
I got to go, kankupowe = I got to go, let me leave you
And let you go, mukwano onumya = And let you go, honey you're hurting me
Pete ya harusi ninayo kidole = I have the wedding ring on my finger
Nilikupenda but baby sorry, = I loved you but ...
Utapata mwengine don’t you worry… ahaaa! = You'll get another one, don't ...
Watoto tumezaa tunao tayari = We already have kids
Tulipanga mi na we mileli = We made arrangements forever with you
Lakini ni nini nini unanichanganya = but why why do you keep confusing me (?)
Maisha wote wawili tulipanga = We planned life for the 2 of us
Shida ni nyingi hatujakosana = There are many problems, we haven't had disagreements
Haingekua hivi unapendwa, na hupendi = Hadn't it been that you're getting love but you don't want it
Mpenzi tu’achane na hivyo hilivyo = Baby let's separate and that's it"...

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Rimu N, 2015
...You're hurting me so much, I'm suffering
Inside, my heart aches
I have to go, Kangende
and let you go, I couldn't
I've persevered but you don't change
You're incapable of changing
I've got to go, Kankupowe?
And let you go, ...
A wedding ring, I have a finger. (ring finger)
I loved you but baby sorry
You'll find another
The children we bear, We have them already?(A little strange to translate)
We prepared for forever after
But why do you confuse me?
Many problems, but no disagreements ( hatujakosana means we're not in disagreement) (Tumekosana/tulikosana would be the opposite)
It wouldn't be this way you're loved but don't love it. (Good play on words here in a sense)
My love let's leave it as it is.


Oops didn't see the translation here but another one doesn't hurt as we all have different ways of interpreting.

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Lydia Marendes, 2019
"The words of the music say you've hurt me soo much in my heart and you seem not to want to change, therefore I got to go. Change for our children's sake or I got to go."

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Atutu Kamara, 2016
"What does this sing means, I'm west African and I'm in love with it❤❤"

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REPLY
Joseph Ndech, 2016
"+Atutu Kallay Badilisha (change)"

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REPLY
CzarJuliusIII, 2016
"+Atutu Kallay Basically he is telling his now ex girlfriend that he has been patient with her for a very long time, but she has refused to change (badilisha) her ways, and now he's basically saying "I got to go." Basically he's done with the relationship. That's the basic concept of the song."

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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