Chameleone: I live for Daniela

Chameleone and his son Alfa; with Daniela and last born Abba. [Pictures: courtesy]

After suffering a life threatening accident that crippled his showbiz career for three years, Uganda’s Jose Chameleone is back and is touring the world. But a fresh threat lingers as rumours of divorce from his wife Daniela emerge, writes DAVID ODONGO.

Joseph Mayanja, popularly known as Jose Chameleon, used his first ever performance fee to buy a fluorescent light tube for his room.

“It wasn’t much money, just a few hundreds. My room had no bulb, so that’s where my first fees as an artiste went to,” says Chameleone.

But that was 12 years ago.  Chameleone is now the richest and most influential East African artiste. He lives in a palatial Sh17 million home in the affluent Seguku area on the outskirts of Kampala.

He also owns Coco Beach, an entertainment spot on the shores of Lake Victoria, estimated at Sh27.23 million, a Cadillac Escalade, a convertible BMW, a Premio, a Toyota Ipsum, a Landcruiser VX, Mercedes ML270 and other wheels.

He is said to own an apartment in Arizona, USA and a posh house in Kigali, Rwanda.

“I live a good life, give the best to my wife and children, and I work hard. I earned it all so I am not afraid to spend,” says the star whose career took off in Kenya as he sat under the wise counsel of Ogopa Deejays before releasing his first hit single Bageya.

Despite his confessed love for Daniela, Chameleone has been rumoured to engage in extra-marital affairs with six different women including Ugandan businesswoman Cheri Adyeri, the proprietor of Kabalagala based bars Cafe Cheri and Cheri Royale.

It is said Chameleone at one time physically fought Kampala based DJ, emcee Michael, since he was getting too close to Cheri.

the world tour

“That is funny. I talk to a woman for five minutes and everybody thinks I am bedding her. I perform at Cheri’s joints, and the issue that Cheri bought DJ Michael a Toyota Surf because he is a better lover that me is hogwash,” asserts Chameleone.

Two weeks ago, a show that had Chameleone and Bobi Wine as main performers amassed a whooping Sh2.1 million in ticket sales alone, pointing out how revered the artiste is in his native Uganda.

That was before he embarked on his world tour, which has seen him visit Tanzania and Rwanda before he stages a major concert in the United States.

“People said I had been bewitched, others concocted very funny stories. Personally, I felt my life as an artiste had ended and I was depressed for months,” he quips, recounting the hard times he faced since the Arusha accident.

“Besides all the ups and downs, divorcing my wife has never been an option. Ours is a match made in heaven, and I will never leave Daniela. I love her with all my heart,” confesses the Valu Valu singer.