Gagamel boss Bebe Cool has given his take on the ongoing debate about the growing culture of local artists begging for handouts from the government, condemning the act.
Bebe Cool commented following Gen. Salim Saleh’s open letter to Eddy Kenzo to stop musicians from flooding his home in Gulu. Many artists had made it a habit to travel and ask for financial assistance which he now says is interrupting his work.
In an interview, Bebe Cool noted that it was unfortunate for artists to resort to begging with claims of sponsoring their concerts. He argued that many of them had been holding their concerts and making music long before Gen. Saleh started helping the music industry.
It’s very unfortunate to have artists going to Gen. Saleh to beg. Gen. Saleh opened his door to us more than 17 years ago so that we can discuss issues that help the entire sector. But when he decides to help one person out of his good heart, they take it for granted, he noted.
Bebe Cool, however, blamed Gen. Saleh for enabling and encouraging the begging culture by always entertaining them instead of advising them to utilize the structures he put in place to support and better the industry.
He had to say that earlier and direct these artists to use the structures he put in place for them. All artists are under UNCC and the government has to look at empowering the UNCC to get offices which will play their distinctive roles. With this, artists will stop begging, he said.
He fully supported the general’s move reasoning that he was only protecting himself from the growing vice that had become too much for him to handle.
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Some of these artists are fraudsters who are always coming up with fake projects to get money.
It is so embarrassing and I do not want artists going to his place. It is okay if he is reaching out to help but you cannot turn one person into your source of income. I endorse what he did. Artists should stop begging him; they are the ones tarnishing our image and people calling us beggars. We are not beggars but hard workers,” Bebe Cool noted.
