Artist Spotlight

THE IVORIAN REGGAE SENSATION STILL GOING STRONG

June 04, 2026 - 11:58 AM In the 1980s, music was sold on audio cassettes. These cassettes, most of them pirated, were hawked on the streets and even in markets in rural areas. I remember visiting one cassette vendor and, upon checking his display, noticing that one musician dominated the board: Alpha Blondy, an Ivorian reggae sensation of the era. The music was also playing on a horn speaker in a stand hoisted by the vendor to market his music. Maybe it is for these reasons that Blondy's songs were on everyone's lips. His songs, "Masada" and "Brigadier Sabari," among many others, were household names at the time. R...

ELIAKIM ROGO: A NEW VOICE IN LUO RUMBA

March 26, 2026 - 11:40 PM Gem, in Nyanza, is a natural home of music talent. This is the very epicentre of the Benga earthquake that shook the entire country in the 1960s and 1970s. A galaxy of superstars, who made it big playing for various bands, came from the region that is in the current Siaya County, formerly Siaya District. As much as the emergence and dominance of the neighbouring Alego in matters academic is attributed to the strictness of a colonial chief by the name Odera Kang'o, who cracked a whip on locals to take their children to school, it is difficult to pinpoint one factor that can be considered significant in the region's success in music. It is from Kathomo in Gem that Eliakim Rogo, a new......

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

January 28, 2026 - 09:22 PM Just how important was the role Josky Kiambukuta played in the band that he became indispensable? When he made himself unavailable at the band’s headquarters at Un Deux Trois for a few days, Franco launched a manhunt for him. A physical search was conducted in town to establish his whereabouts until he was finally found. Each time the band was traveling abroad for performances, he was the very first to be cleared. He literally participated in all concerts that the band held abroad during the period he was with the band. Could it be for the reason that he was a versatile vocalist, gifted with a wide vocal range on the musical scale, which made him fit anywhere as a lead or backup......

GUNS AND GUITARS: THE STORY OF MAROON COMMANDOS

November 18, 2025 - 02:39 PM Growing up in the villages in the 1980s, life was far removed from what it is today. There were no smartphones with alarm clocks to wake us up early for school, which in those days was scattered kilometers apart. Neither were there alternative ways of reading the time. Roosters, who probably relied on temperature and light to wake up the villages, occasionally got it all wrong. For that reason, the responsibility of waking everyone up was bestowed on the radio. In those days, only three stations were accessible through a shortwave transistor receiver: VOK English, Swahili, and Vernacular services. The Kiswahili service was the most popular. The station opened at 5 a.m. with the signature......

VETERAN MAROON COMMANDOS MUSICIAN DIES

November 05, 2025 - 10:34 PM Paul Mwandembo, a long-serving member of the legendary Maroon Commandos band, is dead. According to information shared on the band’s official Facebook page, Mwandembo, who sang with the military outfit for over two decades, passed away on October 31st after a period of illness. Mwandembo joined the military in 1975 and served in B Company at Lang’ata Barracks for 25 years before retiring with the rank of Corporal. During his time with the Maroon Commandos, he distinguished himself as both a composer and a vocalist, and is best remembered for writing "Dawa Nimuone Hani", one of the group’s most popular songs. He will be laid to rest on November 7th at his rural home in......

FROM STUDIO TO PARLIAMENT

October 21, 2025 - 05:47 PM The incumbent Member of Parliament had been appointed to the Cabinet, creating a vacancy. The electoral body had announced the date for a by-election, among 15 others scattered across the country. The opposition coalition is backing Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of the DP party, one of the contenders seeking to represent the area. In a charged political rally in Ishiara, the coalition leadership, comprising several of the country’s top politicians, assembled to introduce their candidate to the masses. Newton Kariuki emerged wearing his trademark Ray-Paka hairstyle. But Newton Kariuki is not your typical politician. In fact, he is known more as a musician than a legislator, despite having......

FRANCO'S GOLDEN HITS

October 11, 2025 - 04:14 AM Franco's 36th Anniversary: 20 Golden Hits Curated by Planet Ilunga As the aphorism reminds us, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating," and when it comes to assessing the genius of Franco Luambo Makiadi, nothing illustrates his depth and talent more effectively than listening to his music. To properly celebrate his legacy, Planet Ilunga has selected 20 O.K. Jazz songs recorded between 1957 and 1977, taken from the five compilation LPs that Planet Ilunga has dedicated to O.K. Jazz.Most of the selected tracks are Franco’s own compositions, which portray him not just as Congo’s biggest artist but as a profound portraitist of Congolese society. Since 2013, Planet Ilunga has......

KANDA BONGOMAN’S FOOTPRINTS IN NAIROBI

August 01, 2025 - 02:43 AM During the requiem mass for the late veteran news anchor Catherine Kasavuli, murmurs surfaced that her son, Martin Kasavuli, was a doppelgänger of former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi. This rekindled the tabloid fantasy of the early 1990s, which suggested the TV journalist had an intimate relationship with former President Moi. The genesis of this rumor can be traced to an April 1990 episode when Congolese musician Kanda Bongo Man was unceremoniously ejected from the country via a cargo plane. Kanda had been on a sojourn in Kenya's capital, where he held electrifying concerts at KICC, Nyayo Stadium, among other venues. However, just as the stage was set for a concert at the Stanley......

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

July 01, 2025 - 06:10 PM Very few women have dared to challenge the male dominance of Central Kenya's vibrant music industry and achieve the level of success that Queen Jane did. Many others who take up the challenge rarely rise beyond the roles of dancers and backup vocalists, as the terrain is treacherous for women and seemingly structured to favor men. Performing in clubs all night, being away from family, and battling the stigma that often portrays musicians as vagabonds are just some of the challenges that have bogged down many aspiring female musicians. But Queen Jane defied the odds. She not only navigated these hurdles but also rose to the apex as one of the region's and the country's top musicians. Her......

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

June 13, 2025 - 03:43 PM When Ugandan billionaire Christopher Atama journeyed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, in the mid-1970s, his sole mission was to scout for musical talent to entertain patrons at his club, Economy, in Kampala. At the time, Economy was one of the busiest joints in town. Little did he know that he was also unknowingly scouting for talent for Gor Mahia, one of East Africa's leading football clubs. At the time, Kampala's thirst for Congolese rumba was growing daily, especially after a series of shows in the city by Orchestra Veve, led by saxophonist Verckys Kiamuangana. Orchestra Veve was then one of the biggest bands in Congo and the region. Some members of the Veve......

Artist Spotlight

THE IVORIAN REGGAE SENSATION STILL GOING STRONG

ELIAKIM ROGO: A NEW VOICE IN LUO RUMBA

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

GUNS AND GUITARS: THE STORY OF MAROON COMMANDOS

VETERAN MAROON COMMANDOS MUSICIAN DIES

FROM STUDIO TO PARLIAMENT

FRANCO'S GOLDEN HITS

KANDA BONGOMAN’S FOOTPRINTS IN NAIROBI

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

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Artist Spotlight

THE IVORIAN REGGAE SENSATION STILL GOING STRONG

ELIAKIM ROGO: A NEW VOICE IN LUO RUMBA

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

GUNS AND GUITARS: THE STORY OF MAROON COMMANDOS

VETERAN MAROON COMMANDOS MUSICIAN DIES

FROM STUDIO TO PARLIAMENT

FRANCO'S GOLDEN HITS

KANDA BONGOMAN’S FOOTPRINTS IN NAIROBI

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

News

Artist Spotlight (26)

Editor's Choice (30)

Jabulani Library: Most Popular (46)

Jabulani News Archive (34)

Music Lyrics (57)

Playlists (3)

Playlists 2 (0)

RhumbaChronicles2 (0)

Trending (27)

Programs

JABULANI TOP 7 AT 7

WEEKEND RHUMBA OVERDOSE REPLAY

TOP 10 AT 10

WEEKEND SOUKOUS ODYSSEY

BENGA BLAST

RHUMBA REVIVAL

Latest podcasts

EP 3: JABULANI RADIO PODCAST: Remembering the Legendary Papa Noel

EP 2: JABULANI RADIO PODCAST - CHARLES "CARLYTO" NDOMBASI LASSA TRIBUTE

EP 1: JABULANI RADIO PODCAST - Franco Luambo Health Rumors

Find us on

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