Moureen Rukundo commonly known as Moureen Biabee has resorted to selling perfumes to survive the COVID-19 induced lockdown
With almost two years of COVID-19 lockdown that has kept the entertainment industry in limbo, western region’s popular female artiste Moureen Rukundo commonly known as Moureen Biabee has resorted to vending body beauty products like perfumes.
Moureen Biabee is a household name and one of the biggest artistes in western Uganda. She’s loved by both the rural and urban youth. She sings in her mother language Runyakole.
With over ten songs to her name, Moureen Biabee fuses the urban contemporary sounds with the traditional ones to create dance tunes appreciated by mostly the youth in the region. Some of Moureen Biabee’s big songs include Ninyenda iwe, Humura, Omwana, Ogarukye, Eshala Yangye and her latest single Yetwaze gye.
When the country was put under a lockdown in March 2020 as one of the interventions to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Moureen says she had two gigs in waiting that were canceled and she had to return the money she was given as deposit.
She says she went through serious financial hardships, with little hope of finding an alternative way of living she could afford.
Moureen Babiee says the lockdown introduced her to a new life outside the music industry in selling/vending body beautifiers, noting that she had never dreamt of doing such a business.
She says when she sold her idea to some of her friends and fans, some demoralized her because they never expected that she would reach out to them with deodorants and were kind of disappointed. She however, says they are now used to it and call her for the products.
Moureen Biabee says what propelled her into vending was that no one would come to her rescue if all her savings were finished and she needed to survive.
Seven months in the business now, Rukundo says the pace at which it is picking up so fast she is not thinking of leaving the vending even when the president allows them to resume performing.
She says given an opportunity to perform at any party, the first thing on the microphone will be to advertise her other hustle of vending deodorants and this has widened her market.
She says she has a team she moves with at parties who keep selling as she performs at parties.
Shine Nyonyozi Angella, the president of Uganda musicians’ association western region says she is 100% behind Moureen Biabee’s idea, noting that she has always advised musicians to move out of their comfort zone and do something else.
She says money makes money and money earned today will help them do good new music and videos when the lockdown is lifted rather than presenting old music to their fans after two years of lockdown.
One of Moureen biabee’s customers Joan Kyomuhendo, says she had never seen her physically but when she heard that she was vending body products and delivering them she was forced to call and support her.
She says she was really happy but at the same time shocked to see a big musician selling perfumes.
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