Ugandan music legend Jose Chameleone has opened up about the personal story behind one of his most popular tracks, Badilisha.

The track was released in 2018 and has since amassed over 25 million views on YouTube.

In an interview, Chameleone revealed that Badilisha, which means change, was born out of a moment of guilt and reflection.

The song was inspired by his feelings of guilt for neglecting his then-wife, Daniella Atim, during a challenging period in their marriage.

He recounted a particular night when he returned home very late, actually in the morning, and found Daniella crying.

She was visibly upset, having endured repeated nights of him coming home late after performances, leaving her feeling lonely and neglected.

Chameleone described how, upon seeing Daniella’s tears, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and fled the house, heading straight to the studio.

It was during this vulnerable moment that he composed Badilisha, capturing the emotions he imagined were running through Daniella’s mind at the time.

"There was a time I used to be stubborn at home. I would go out for shows and come back very late in the morning. We had just gotten married, but I still lived like I wasn’t married. One day, my wife told me, ‘Joseph, you don’t want to keep me at home. If you don’t want to stay here with me, take me back to our home.’

One morning, I came back around nine and found her sitting on the bedside, crying. I felt so guilty. I couldn’t stay home, so I ran away to the studio. When I was singing Badilisha, I was singing what I thought she was feeling. I was singing what I saw in her eyes,” he explained.

Notably, Chameleone and Daniella married on June 7, 2008, and their union was blessed with five children.

Though they parted ways in 2018, the two continue to co-parent their children amicably.

As we previously reported, Daniella talked about their split and cited Chameleone's excessive drinking habits as the main cause.

According to her, Chameleone's drinking habits went out of control and led to late and irregular homecomings.

The mother of five explained that the situation turned from bad to worse, forcing her to walk out of her marriage.

She also recalled how she confronted Chameleone about his behaviour, hoping he would change for the sake of their family.

Before dumping him, she told the Valu Valu hitmaker to choose between spending time with his family and alcohol, but Chameleone allegedly didn't change.

It is ironic that Chameleone released a song about change (Badilisha) but never changed, and paid the price, which was losing his wife.

Source: TUKO.co.ke