Who is Symon Base Kalema? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Viola Nakalema, Malaika Nnyanzi,Julie Underwood Sharon, Vivica Tara Kalema, Peter Sematimba, RS Elvis, Rasta Rob, Ragga Dee, Roger Mugisha, Jose Chameleone and the early life and education of the a musician, comedian, songwriter, actor and producer
Symon Base Kalema, also known as Simon Kalema, is a musician, comedian, songwriter, actor and producer.
In addition to film and voice acting, Kalema is now a member of Fun Factory.
Symon Base Kalema has appeared in Veronica’s Wish (2018), KEMI (2020), 27 Guns (2018), and Bella (2017).
Early Life and Education
Symon Base Kalema was born on June 28th and raised in a religious home.
He lost both of his parents, and his younger brother was slain under mysterious circumstances. He also lost his sister, Viola Nakalema, in an accident in Masaka just before the new year of 2018.
Malaika Nnyanzi, the actress, model, radio presenter and event host is his cousin.
Kalema has two children with actress Julie Underwood Sharon: a son and a daughter. The daughter’s name is Vivica Tara Kalema. Kalema and Julie married on August 6, 2009, in Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas, and divorced a few years later.
Symon Base Kalema learned to enjoy music firsthand through his father, who was a guitarist in the early days of the Afrigo band. He began singing before he even walked onto a stage.
Career and Professional Work Experience
Symon Base Kalema is considered a pioneer in Uganda’s music industry.
Symon Base began his musical career in 1991, albeit as a hobby without a long-term vision and not as a career, with compatriots such as Alex Odida, Hassan Kimbugwe, Peter Sekandi, and Tony Ajuna.
While still students at Makerere College School, they created the all-boy group Perfect Generation.
‘Perfect Generation’ is well known for its hit song ‘Kakokolo’. There were also many additional songs on the album, such as Positive Change, Bad Attitude, Take it Slow, Stay, Jam Jam, and many more.
The group split up, with many members travelling abroad. While the rest, including Simon Kalema, pursued separate careers.
He went alone and even had tours and events with his debut single, ‘Mukwano muzibu’.
When he returned to Uganda in 1998, RS Elvis of Radio One connected him to the VCL (Ebonies producers) management, where he was to begin working as part of their graphics team.
In 2001, he resurrected his music career by joining a Simba FM musical initiative that brought together a couple of artists to make a compilation CD.
He published two songs under this project: Singa Teyali gwe (If it wasn’t you) and Kulya cash (popularly known in Ugandan social circles as having a good time).
In 2007, Simon formed a group called Blaq, which included himself, a woman named Dativa, and a man named Robin.
They were able to release a song called Nkwaga, for which they also filmed a video, but owing to disagreements, they split up, and Simon went solo and released an album.
Simon opted to rename to SBK, which are the initials of his name, Symon Base Kalema, after hiring a new manager, Denis Wamala.
Achievements and Awards
Simon Kalema was a founding member of the ‘Perfect Generation’ in the early 1990s. A group that was one of Uganda’s first entertainment groups.
He worked in the music industry alongside people who shook Uganda’s music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Peter Sematimba, RS Elvis, Rasta Rob, Ragga Dee, and Roger Mugisha.
Among the songs he recorded were Mukwano Muzibu, Singa Teyali Gwe, and Kakokolo.
In 2018, Kalema was named Best Supporting Actor at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Uganda Film Festival.
Controversies
On multiple times, singer Jose Chameleone has vowed to expose those who denied him the microphone while he was a struggling musician.
Finally, Chameleon named Simon Base Kalema (SBK) as one of those who used to chase him away whenever he pleaded for a microphone to perform.
Simon Kalema explained why he quit The Ebonies theatre troupe, claiming that he departed because he had had enough and it was finally time to move on.
He also denied that Ebonies actors are afraid to leave the organisation because the proprietor’s lawyer, John Katende threatened them.
Kalema also referred to the reason for his divorce from his ex-wife Juliet Underwood, who was also a member of The Ebonies.
It was alleged that Simon was having an affair with Mariam, Julie’s best friend and coworker.
After suspicions of a breakup circulated in 2018, Underwood confirmed them with a low-key ceremony in which she introduced her new partner to her parents. Underwood introduced Farouk Sempala as her new spouse to her parents.
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