Lou Bega

Biography

David Lubega Balemezi, professionally known as Lou Bega, was born on April 13, 1975, in Munich, Germany. His father was from Uganda, and his mother was from Sicily, Italy, giving him a multicultural upbringing. Bega spent his early years in Italy with his mother before they permanently moved to Munich, where he attended primary school. As a teenager, a trip to Miami, Florida, introduced him to the mambo music that would later inspire his biggest hit. Before his solo career, he started as a rapper and formed a hip-hop group at the age of 13.

Career Breakthrough with "Mambo No. 5"

In 1999, Lou Bega shot to international fame with his song "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)". The song is a remake of the 1949 instrumental piece by Pérez Prado, to which Bega added his own lyrics and extensively sampled the original. The single became a massive global hit, reaching number one in numerous European countries, including Germany, the UK, and France, where it held the top spot for twenty weeks. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. His debut album, "A Little Bit of Mambo," released the same year, also achieved significant success, reaching number three in both Germany and the U.S. and was certified triple platinum in the United States.

Subsequent Career

Following the immense success of his debut, Bega released his second album, "Ladies and Gentlemen," in 2001. While it didn't replicate the phenomenal success of its predecessor, it did chart in Germany and Switzerland. Over the years, he has released several other studio albums, including "Lounatic" (2005), "Free Again" (2010), and "A Little Bit of 80's" (2013). His musical style is characterized by combining musical elements of the 1940s and 1950s with modern beats. Bega has continued to tour and perform worldwide. In 2019, he released the single "Scatman & Hatman," which features vocal samples from the late Scatman John.

Discography Highlights

Studio Albums:

• A Little Bit of Mambo (1999)
• Ladies and Gentlemen (2001)
• Lounatic (2005)
• Free Again (2010)
• A Little Bit of 80's (2013)
• 90s Cruiser (2021)

Notable Singles:

• Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...) (1999)
• I Got a Girl (1999)
• Tricky, Tricky (1999)
• Just a Gigolo (2001)
• Scatman & Hatman (2019)