Rumba Chronicles

AN OASIS IN A MUSICAL DESERT (THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF FREDDY)

May 20, 2025 - 06:19 PM While shading the map of Kenya for musical talent, this writer was surprised to learn that despite the Luhya tribe of Western Kenya having dominated the country's music in the first two decades after independence, the Maragoli sub-tribe hardly contributed any bigwigs of the era. All the big names from the era of "twist," a very popular genre in the 1960s and 1970s originating from what is today Vihiga County, either came from the Banyore sub-tribe in Emuhaya Constituency or from Hamisi Constituency, home to the Tiriki sub-tribe. Others came from neighboring Kakamega County. Daudi Kabaka, Shem...

LOWAY: KINSHASA’S INDOMITABLE SAXMAN

January 27, 2025 - 01:20 PM Ida is a masterpiece from Franco and his OK Jazz. The song features the magical voice of Malage De Lugendo on backup vocals as Franco does the singing, actually lamenting about a lady, Ida. At some point, Franco loses hope and hands over the baton of lamentations to the saxophonist Empopo Loway by declaring, 'Loway, lelela ngai' (cry it out for me). At this point, Loway unleashes an emotional saxophone that captures the theme of the song. It is such uniqueness that defined Empopo Deyese Loway's sax in his illustrious career that straddled several bands. Italian-based rumba aficionado, Eugene Magina described Loway's saxophone as sexy, stating that of all renowned saxophonists of the rumba......

THE HIDDEN VOCAL GEM

January 16, 2025 - 12:00 PM THE HIDDEN VOCAL GEM Wuta Mayi(from the water) was with TP OK JAZZ in the 1970s before leaving to join Syran Mbenza, Nyboma Mwandido, and Bopol Mansiamina to form the Four stars/4 etoiles in 1982. Sometimes I feel they had a side band known as KASS KASS fronted by the late Jean Pappy Ramazani and the late Passi Jo, anyway the late Bopol Mansiamina used to play solo, rhythm, and bass. The guy was gifted, just like the late Nene Tchakou who used to play solo and rhythm guitar. I learned yesterday that after independence in 1960/61 somehow the Musicians from Congo Brazzaville opted to go back home, Franco had no vocalists since he used to play the solo guitar in the background, that's......

THE "AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONAL" UNSUNG HERO

January 07, 2025 - 05:21 PM By JEROME OGOLA Dead men tell no tales, and this reality offers authors a license to skew history in a manner that hoists them as heroic status than they really are in reality. Writing while every other player is dead, inspires the writer to make statements that may be untrue as he is sure to get away with. In his book, Les Couilises De La Musique Congolaise, writer Faugus Izeidi, has been accused by pundits of trying to gobble more limelight through his writings, than he really worked for, as a musician. The bone of contention has largely been about the innovation of the mi-solo guitar, which he claims to be his creation. This position as presented in his narrations, could......

THE FAKE COUP

January 06, 2025 - 04:00 PM COLONEL BANGALA This is Leopoldville Governor Alphonse Bangala , immortalized in Franco's 1966 song 'Colonel Bangala' which has superb sax by Verckys, equally superb soloing by Franco and Franco himself sings as he is backed by Mujos and Boyibanda. President Mobutu faked a coup to gauge who was loyal and who was not, among his top government officials. The fake coupe was headed by Bangala who recruited and sought the support of several cabinet ministers, politicians, military guys, and other state officials. Those who fell for the trick were executed among them former Prime Minister Evariste Kimba, together with three cabinet members, Jerome Anany (Defence Minister), Emanuel Bamba......

REMMY ONGALA "SURA MBAYA"

December 13, 2024 - 11:35 AM He had a face that, despite not being as ugly as he himself depicted in his 'sura mbaya' sobriquet, could neither be described as handsome because it was far from that reality. To complete the conspicuous look, he wore dreadlocks on his head, with a few strands beaded. That was Dr Remi, the Congolese import into Tanzania, one whose music came to define Tanzania's music. "His first wife was his music, and these other factors played a secondary role," his Belgian wife told reporters in the company of Remi's musical colleague Cosmas Tobis Chidumule, who had made a name as an astute composer and singer with the iconic DDC Mlimani Park. It has been 14 years since Remi died in Dar es Salaam.......

THE BIRTH OF KASONGO

December 06, 2024 - 12:05 PM One evening, Katele and Dodo Doris, both musicians with Super Mazembe, thought it was time to visit their colleague Kasongo Songoley in his Pipeline Estate abode in Nairobi. They only found his wife. Kasongo, who was a guitarist, was missing. Upon inquisition on the whereabouts of their colleague, the wife responded by stating that she, too, had not seen him for several days. Apparently, the musician hadn't been home for several days. The wife was worried because the family was running short of supplies. The woman narrated her tribulations to her husband's colleagues with the intention that the duo may prevail upon him to shape up his wayward ways. Musicians being musicians joked about......

THE SOUKOUS GIANT

November 27, 2024 - 04:27 PM 'Eza bolingo, eloko mosusu te', Mfumu Kimbangu, a rumba music aficionado and a radio presenter with Kenya's state broadcaster sang this line to this writer with a heavy baritone, mimicking the voice of Djouna Mumbafu of Empire Bakuba, in response to the question on the position of the band, in Congolese music. Mfumu went ahead and explained how Pepe Kalle who died on November 29th, 1998, revolutionized Congolese rumba, and gave it a whole new direction, resulting in a high-tempo soukous sub-genre, that came to define the fifth generation of Congolese music. In fact, according to him, this was the very first deployment of an atalaku in Congolese music, an aspect that came to define......

Biography of Mounk'a Pamelo

November 23, 2024 - 03:00 PM Biography of Mounk'a, Pamelo(M'Bemba, Yves André "Pablito") Congolese singer and song writer; born Brazzaville, May 10, 1945; died Brazzaville, Jan. 14, 1996.Brazzaville-born Pamelo quenched his thirst for music in Kinshasa. He loved the sounds of African Jazz, and he made the twenty-minute ferry ride across the Congo River to see them play whenever he could. He had been composing songs in the popular Congolese rumba style, some of which he eventually gave to the band's young new singer Tabu Ley Rochereau. At least one of them, "Paquita," became a hit for the band. Pamelo, then known as "Pablito," was set to join African Jazz himself when the band suddenly split apart. Back......

DO MUSICIANS DIE YOUNG?

November 16, 2024 - 11:47 PM DO MUSICIANS DIE YOUNG? In musical discourses, it isn't strange to hear discussants say musicians die young. This can be attributed to the norm, that death isn't welcome at age, and kith and kin of the bereaved will also watch despair even if the deceased is a centenarian. There is no appropriate time for death as man will always wish to live longer, possibly because of the uncertainty about the eventuality of man, after death. The pertinent question here is, do musicians die young as alleged? Let's have a musical safari around Africa to either confirm or debunk the myth. From down South, we choose two three superstars representing three genres, reggae, jazz, and......

Rumba Chronicles

AN OASIS IN A MUSICAL DESERT (THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF FREDDY)

LOWAY: KINSHASA’S INDOMITABLE SAXMAN

THE HIDDEN VOCAL GEM

THE "AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONAL" UNSUNG HERO

THE FAKE COUP

REMMY ONGALA "SURA MBAYA"

THE BIRTH OF KASONGO

THE SOUKOUS GIANT

Biography of Mounk'a Pamelo

DO MUSICIANS DIE YOUNG?

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Rumba Chronicles

AN OASIS IN A MUSICAL DESERT (THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF FREDDY)

LOWAY: KINSHASA’S INDOMITABLE SAXMAN

THE HIDDEN VOCAL GEM

THE "AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONAL" UNSUNG HERO

THE FAKE COUP

REMMY ONGALA "SURA MBAYA"

THE BIRTH OF KASONGO

THE SOUKOUS GIANT

Biography of Mounk'a Pamelo

DO MUSICIANS DIE YOUNG?

News

Jabulani Library (230)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (24)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

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