Jabulani Library

DJO DJO IKOMO DIES IN KINSHASA SHORTLY AFTER REUNITING WITH HIS KENYAN DAUGHTER

September 22, 2025 - 05:25 AM The rumba flag is flying at half-mast once again, following the demise of Congolese musician Djo Djo Ikomo in Kinshasa after a long battle with illness. News of his passing was first made public by Mfumu Kimbangu of KBC Radio in Nairobi. Djo Djo Ikomo, also known as Ikomo Ingange, was a phenomenal composer and singer from the early 1970s, an era defined by some pundits as the genre’s most productive. Born in Mbandaka in 1952, Djo Djo debuted with Orchestre Tabou Nationale in 1970 before joining Orchestre Vévé. There, he became part of the band’s formidable singing line-up alongside Pasc...

SUZANNA OWIYO’S JOURNEY TO THE TOP

September 17, 2025 - 05:35 AM "Kisumu 100," a song by Suzanna Owiyo, was all the organizers of the Kisumu centenary celebrations needed. The song summed up the story of the city in a brief but conclusive narration. The fusion of traditional Luo beats, which are dominant in the region, with touches of modernity, capped it off well. This song tells the history of a city that began as an arena for barter trade, or "Sumo," where communities exchanged the goods they produced for those from their neighbors. It wasn’t until the railway arrived that the traditional sounds which defined the area began to disappear, gradually giving way to modern influences. "Ndege aidho tera Winam yeeh Aidho gari tera Wigot Mtoka aidho......

M'BILIA BEL INJURED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

September 10, 2025 - 04:32 AM Congolese songbird Mbilia Bel, born Marie Claire Mboyo, was involved in a road accident early in the morning of September 9, 2025, on her way to N’djili International Airport, alongside her promoter, Jules Nsana. Both sustained injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Kinshasa for treatment. Their conditions were later described as stable, with Mbilia suffering injuries to her head and legs. A family member was quoted as saying, “Mbilia was unharmed, but hospitalized for precautionary medical observation.” Nsana also sustained injuries and is being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Kinshasa. The Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP), the country’s official news......

IS BENGA ON ITS WAY TO EXTINCTION?

September 08, 2025 - 07:36 PM Just as Christianity was born in the Middle East, adopted by Europeans who nurtured it, and finally domesticated in Africa, benga was born in Nyanza, popularized across the whole country, and later domesticated by the Kamba. If one were to sample the best benga songs recorded in the last decade, there would be very little, if anything, from the genre's ancestral home in Nyanza. It's Kamba musicians who've, over time, remained faithful to this music, which has also been identified as the most predominant beat in Kenya, especially after the decline of twist. Is benga on its way to extinction? This is a reality that should worry music enthusiasts and stakeholders. Nyanza was the......

TSHALA MWANA NASI NABALI LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

September 01, 2025 - 09:21 PM SYNOPSIS "Nasi Nabali" by Tshala Muana is a song that celebrates the joy and new identity that come with marriage. The title, Nasi Nabali, translates to "I Am Married," sets the stage for the entire theme. In the song, Mamu International addresses her friends, declaring that she is no longer single. She proudly announces that she has found her man and now wears a ring on her finger. She asks her friends and other admirers to respect her new status, telling them to stop winking at her or acting as if she's still available. The song emphasizes that marriage is a source of pride and honor for a woman. The lyrics use metaphors like a piece of metal looking better when it's painted to express......

CHURCHES: THE NEW HOTSPOTS FOR AUTHENTIC MUSIC

August 28, 2025 - 11:27 AM “Church is where the money is. Musicians will follow it there.” These are the words of Lenga, former bandleader of O Rangers, the official band of 9KR, a KDF infantry force domiciled at Moi Barracks in Eldoret. Jabulani Radio had sought his insights on the evolution of Kenya’s military bands, but in the course of the conversation, the discussion veered into the broader subject of music, its consumption, and its shifting fortunes. Lenga, who had led O Rangers for years, explained that the band folded after military sponsorship dwindled. Among the reasons for the reduced sponsorship were changing trends in how people consume music. In the 1970s and 1980s, live bands were......

CHRISTOPHER MONYONCHO: THE GUSII TOWERING MUSICAL ICON

August 23, 2025 - 02:00 PM Just Who Was Christopher Monyoncho? This is the question many commentators online kept asking after a short Tiktok clip by Kamba guitar sensation Tumbo Usu went viral. In the clip, Tumbo displays impressive finger dexterity on the fretboard, showcasing his guitar expertise by performing an old Benga song titled Safari ya Kericho, originally sung by Kijana Musyoki and his Kimangu Boys Band. The song, which was a regular feature on KBC radio in the 1990s, seemed to evoke fond memories for many. The viral clip rekindled nostalgia and curiosity, particularly around the song’s subject matter. It was done as a tribute by the Kamba Benga supremo in recognition of his Kisii counterparts, a......

KALENGA NZAZI: TWO YEARS ON, NAIROBI CAN'T FORGET THIS MANGELEPA SUPERSTAR

August 20, 2025 - 05:44 PM On Saturday, August 9, 2023, Nairobi quietly marked two years since the death of Kalenga Nzazi, also known as Vivi. He was an ace soloist with Les Mangelepa, a Congolese band that has kept Nairobi dancing for almost five decades. As much as one would have expected the anniversary of such an icon to be marked with numerous musical activities, there were no widely publicized events to commemorate him. However, the silence doesn't erase his significant contribution to Nairobi's music industry over the decades. Kalenga Nzazi was one of the three major pillars that Les Mangelepa, christened "the last band standing," stood on in the recent past. The others are fellow singers Lutulu Kaniki, also......

TESTAMENT YA BOWULE - SIMARO LUTUMBA, 1986 ENGLISH LYRICS TRANSLATION

August 19, 2025 - 08:31 PM SYNOPSIS "Testament Ya Bowule" is a heartfelt elegy written in 1986 by Simaro Massiya Lutumba and performed by Franco and Le T.P.O.K. Jazz, featuring vocals by Malage de Lugendo (and sometimes Carlyto Lassa). Composed in Lingala, it laments the death of Bowule, a friend of Simaro, through the testimony of her bereaved sister. Simaro then digests this, conveying deep grief, questions about mortality, and the powerlessness of money against death. A cornerstone of Congolese rumba, its evocative lyrics and moving performance have solidified its status as a timeless classic, widely revered for its emotional resonance and cultural importance within the T.P.O.K. Jazz catalog. In the song, Simaro......

THE VOICE THAT BRIDGED ODEMBA AND SOUKOUS

August 11, 2025 - 10:33 AM It is truly strange how rumba fans shy away from admitting that Madilu Systeme's 1993 album, Sans Commentaire, is one of the greatest musical albums to ever grace the world of music. It's really weird. The composition, the arrangement, the instrumentation, the singing—everything is so on point. The transition from the 1980s TPOK's Madilu into the 1990s soukous Madilu is one of the most remarkable transitions in music. Just listen to “Autoroute” from start to end. Back in my days in Chad, a guy we lived with in the camp said that nobody transitioned to the climax better than Madilu. Madilu is the only artist whose music speaks to your body, mind, and soul. These are the......

Jabulani Library

DJO DJO IKOMO DIES IN KINSHASA SHORTLY AFTER REUNITING WITH HIS KENYAN DAUGHTER

SUZANNA OWIYO’S JOURNEY TO THE TOP

M'BILIA BEL INJURED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

IS BENGA ON ITS WAY TO EXTINCTION?

TSHALA MWANA NASI NABALI LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

CHURCHES: THE NEW HOTSPOTS FOR AUTHENTIC MUSIC

CHRISTOPHER MONYONCHO: THE GUSII TOWERING MUSICAL ICON

KALENGA NZAZI: TWO YEARS ON, NAIROBI CAN'T FORGET THIS MANGELEPA SUPERSTAR

TESTAMENT YA BOWULE - SIMARO LUTUMBA, 1986 ENGLISH LYRICS TRANSLATION

THE VOICE THAT BRIDGED ODEMBA AND SOUKOUS

News

Jabulani Library (228)

Artist Spotlight (23)

Editor's Choice (17)

Jabulani Library: Most Popular (43)

Jabulani News Archives (21)

Music Lyrics (52)

Playlists (4)

Playlists 2 (0)

RhumbaChronicles2 (0)

Trending (16)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (24)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival Mix

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

Jabulani Library

DJO DJO IKOMO DIES IN KINSHASA SHORTLY AFTER REUNITING WITH HIS KENYAN DAUGHTER

SUZANNA OWIYO’S JOURNEY TO THE TOP

M'BILIA BEL INJURED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

IS BENGA ON ITS WAY TO EXTINCTION?

TSHALA MWANA NASI NABALI LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

CHURCHES: THE NEW HOTSPOTS FOR AUTHENTIC MUSIC

CHRISTOPHER MONYONCHO: THE GUSII TOWERING MUSICAL ICON

KALENGA NZAZI: TWO YEARS ON, NAIROBI CAN'T FORGET THIS MANGELEPA SUPERSTAR

TESTAMENT YA BOWULE - SIMARO LUTUMBA, 1986 ENGLISH LYRICS TRANSLATION

THE VOICE THAT BRIDGED ODEMBA AND SOUKOUS

News

Jabulani Library (228)

Artist Spotlight (23)

Editor's Choice (17)

Jabulani Library: Most Popular (43)

Jabulani News Archives (21)

Music Lyrics (52)

Playlists (4)

Playlists 2 (0)

RhumbaChronicles2 (0)

Trending (16)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (24)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival Mix

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

Livestream