By Isma Kaweesa
Music critic and analyst Eddie Sendi has come out to strongly defend musician Joseph Mayanja alias Chameleone for kneeling after being gifted with a car.
The singer has this week been the talk of town after he appeared kneeling down while receiving a Range Rover 2021 model car gifted to him by President Museveni’s brother Michael Nuwagira commonly known as Toyota.
Chameleone’s appreciation gesture has since attracted criticism from a section of Ugandans including National Unity Platform’s leader Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine who questioned the singer’s self worthiness.
However, music critic Eddie Sendi in an interview on one of local YouTube channels defended the ‘Baliwa’ hitmaker’s appreciation gesture saying the singer could have done it out of excitement.
“I think he was overwhelmed and found himself kneeling. Secondly, kneeling doesn’t take away one’s respect. In so many occasions people kneel but I highly think he could have been overwhelmed and he got over excited and knelt” Sendi said.
Compared to Chameleone’s fellow musicians like Bebe Cool who have in the past been with gifted with cars but never appeared to kneel, Sendi says, this could be so because these were not publicly gifted.
“The other artists were not gifted publicly. How sure are you that behind doors where they were given the cars, they didn’t kneel. I have no problem with him kneeling. He got his car, let him be” he said.
Whereas many have argued that Chameleone’s behaviour could affect the singer’s brand and the respect that his fans have had for him for a longtime, Sendi thinks otherwise.
“I can assure you that his fans love him for his good music not what he does. There are a few who are interested in his other side but a genuine fan of an artist wants music. Give them good music, they won’t mind about the rest. So, he has not lost a single fan because he knelt when given a car. That one I can assure you.”
It should be remembered that during the event organized by Toyota, the former Kampala Lord Mayor contestant denounced NUP and said he has never left the ruling National Resistance Movement.
“My greatest witness can be Mr. Toyota, my friend, I am still your family, I have never left NRM. If you doubt that, put up your cameras and record me. I am still NRM,” Chameleone said.
Chameleone who in the past has been affiliated with a number of political parties including Democratic Party (DP), NRM and NUP has for long been criticized by many for jumping from one party to another.
To this, Sendi defended Chameleone saying the artist just like any other Ugandan politician has a right to choose which party to join or leave.
“Alot of people have done what Chameleone did. Nambooze was in NRM,left and joined DP and later joined NUP. We’ve seen many leaving FDC to join NRM and vice versa. Look at people like Betty Kamya” the analyst said.
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