Jabulani News Archive

THE LES MANGELEPA FAMILY IN MOURNING

April 13, 2026 - 04:01 PM Twikale Kalonda, a renowned Congolese musician based in Nairobi, has passed away. News of his death was shared on social media by various fans yesterday. Speaking to Jabulani Radio by phone from Nairobi, fellow Congolese musician Bua Mangala ka Loboko Passie confirmed that Twikale died in a hospital in Lubumbashi. Loboko, who previously played with Super Mazembe, noted that Twikale had struggled with a leg injury for a long time. Twikale was one of the key talents behind the success of Les Mangelepa. As a versatile guitarist, he played both bass and rhythm, featuring on rhythm guitar in hit s...

HEALTH CONCERNS FORCE KEITA OUT OF A WEEKND GIG

March 31, 2026 - 01:55 PM Salif Keita withdrew from the Montreux Jazz Festival in Franschhoek, South Africa, due to health reasons. The concert had been scheduled for this weekend.The news that broke the hearts of fans was delivered through a statement to supporters: “Dear fans of Salif Keita, It is with deep regret that we announce the cancellation of his concert scheduled for this weekend in South Africa due to an unexpected medical emergency. Salif Keita’s health is our top priority. He is currently receiving care and taking time to rest and recover. We sincerely appreciate your understanding, patience, and continued support during this time. Salif Keita wants to reassure his fans that he looks......

LIGHTS OFF FOR MARIE HELENE MBONGA MAKIESE

March 16, 2026 - 08:00 AM Mama Marie Hélène Mbonga Makiese will be buried on March 21, 2026, at Gombe Cemetery in Kinshasa. Marie Mbonga, who was the eldest daughter of Congolese musical superstar Franco Luambo Makiadi, died on March 8 while receiving treatment at a hospital in Kinshasa, according to her son, musician Rudy Luambo Makiadi. Born in 1957 and named after her paternal grandmother, Marie Hélène was the eldest of Franco’s sixteen children, one boy, Yves Luambo Emongo, and fifteen girls. The late Marie Hélène was married to musician Youlou Mabiala, who sang with Franco for many years. Her father, Franco, one of the most influential African musicians, died in......

VETERAN PRODUCER, BABU, TAKES A BOW

February 24, 2026 - 09:03 PM Veteran music producer Allan Kanyottu, aka Babu, is dead. The proprietor of Studio Sawa, situated at Munyu road, died on 19th February in a Nairobi hospital, according to a post by his son Lee Kanyottu. Babu, who was born in 1945, studied sound production at VOK in 1966 and recorded a galaxy of stars in his studios. Among the notable names are Les Wanyika, Kakai Kilonzo, Joseph Kamaru, and Ochieng Kabasele, among many others. "He was the pillar of our family and a true legend of the Kenyan music industry. From founding Studio Sawa Sound, a pioneer record label that was a platform to many iconic voices, to mentoring generations of broadcasters and sound engineers at KIMC and......

A NIGHT WITH JAMNAZI IN SOY

December 25, 2025 - 03:57 AM Soy market is usually calm, with little activity, especially at sunset. However, this routine calm was disrupted on the evening of December 12th, 2025—a day when Kenya celebrates self-governance, popularly known as Jamhuri Day. As the sun slowly disappeared into the distant horizons of the mountain ranges in the west, a palpable excitement began to build within the market, which lies at the border of Kakamega and Uasin Gishu counties. That evening, the town was set to experience a live musical concert by Jamnazi, an Eldoret-based band, and this rare spectacle is what made the night truly unique. Situated about 23 kilometres from Eldoret along the Kitale Highway, Soy is an agrarian......

M'BILIA BEL INJURED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

September 10, 2025 - 02:32 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......

CHRISTOPHER MONYONCHO: THE GUSII TOWERING MUSICAL ICON

August 23, 2025 - 12:00 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......

ANOTHER BENGA SUPERSTAR FROM THE MOUNTAIN

July 21, 2025 - 08:40 PM While Franco served a six-month jail term in Makala Prison in Kinshasa for composing two songs, "Jackie" and "Heleni," considered explicit and lurid, an almost similar occurrence was happening simultaneously in Nairobi. Musician Daniel Kamau Mwai, popularly known as DK, was facing charges in court for composing two songs, "Nana" and "Mwithua," both of whose lyrics had been censored as graphic. Luckily for DK, he was never convicted and was instead acquitted of the charges. He had been in the music scene for almost a decade and was already a household name, having created a band that went on to record some of the most popular songs of the era. In a classic case of adopting, repackaging,......

SUNSET COMES FOR JOSEPH JUST OF LES WANYIKA

June 22, 2025 - 03:00 PM "Joseph Just was not just a percussionist with the Wanyika bands but a great vocalist as well," reminisces Abbu Omar, his former colleague at Simba Wanyika and Les Wanyika, while mourning the Tanzanian musician who made a name in Kenya, featuring for several bands over several decades. Joseph Just, also known as Muzungu due to his light skin complexion, died on June 20, 2025, at the KCMC Hospital in Himo Town, Moshi Municipality, Tanzania, after battling a heart ailment for a couple of years, according to his wife, a Kenyan from Kakamega. He had since retired from music. He left Kenya to settle in his hometown during the COVID-19 period and operated an M-PESA shop there. Joseph Just was......

MUSAIMO’S METEORIC RISE UP THE TOP

June 19, 2025 - 04:42 PM Had his father made good on his attempt to chop off his fingers, Kenyan music wouldn't have been graced by the magical guitar works of Musaimo. He had campaigned for the late John Michuki for the Kangema Parliamentary seat in the 1979 elections and was paid 5,000 shillings, quite a tidy sum at that time. This was the money he used to pay for his secondary education. However, upon completing school, no job was forthcoming, and he had to eke out a living performing menial jobs, commonly known as "mjengo," at construction sites, often accompanying his father, who was a mason. It was from his wages that he saved and bought his first guitar for 40 shillings. In the evenings, he sat under a......

Jabulani News Archive