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 band chose to remain behind and formed a group known as Bana Ngenge, which featured Jojo Ikomo, Roxy Tshimpaka, and others. These bands created a wave of euphoria for Congolese music in Kampala.

Thus, when Christopher Atama set out on his journey to the DRC in 1975 to scout for talent, his mission was to establish a resident band for his club back in Kampala. His first stop in the musically saturated country was Isiro, in northeastern DRC, where he visited a club known as Matete. Matete had a resident band called Saka Saka, led by veteran musician Bikassy Bidjos.

Fortunately for Atama, the band leader was not present at the time, which made his work easier. He managed to convince the musicians to travel with him to Kampala in search of better musical fortunes. They agreed and traveled back with him.

The musicians included Pele Ondindia, Samba Mapangala, Fautau Waroma, Madjo Maduley, Bibiley Kabakaba, Diabanza Nicky Jo, and others. Once in Kampala, the group adopted the name Orchestra Le Kinois and set up base at Atama's club.

After a few years in Kampala, the band relocated to Nairobi. It was in Nairobi that one member’s musical and athletic talents began to truly shine. Pele Ondindia, a vocalist with both Saka Saka and Le Kinois, was also a highly talented footballer whose skills on the pitch caught the attention of the Barclays Bank team in 1982. “Most of the Le Kinois members were football fans,” said Jacob Owiyo, a retired footballer who played for several Premier League teams at the time. “They often gathered in local fields to practice and have fun when they weren’t performing.”

Jacob, a devoted fan of Le Kinois, became close friends with the band members during this period. While juggling his music and football responsibilities, Pele Ondindia’s striking abilities eventually caught the eye of Gor Mahia scouts, who recruited him into the squad. He became a star footballer at the club, which has since become the most successful in the country, with over 20 league titles to its name.

Jacob Owiyo, also known as Papa na Pele, named his son, now 33 years old, after the legendary footballer-musician. He likens Pele Ondindia to Mayaula Mayoni, a footballer who played for the DRC national team, The Leopards, in 1974 and for AS Vita locally before going on to a music career with Franco’s OK Jazz band.

As fate would have it, Pele Ondindia died in 1987 in a road accident near Wilson Airport and was later buried in Lang’ata Cemetery in Nairobi. His story, which began as a musical expedition into East Africa, ended up unveiling and nurturing his footballing prowess.

Despite his excellence in football, he was equally gifted in music. He was a star singer with Le Kinois, and his compositions included the song "Semeji Siama" and another dedicated to his wife, Alice Achieng, a Kenyan from Nyanza, with whom he had several children. He also composed a song titled "East Africa," which embraced the theme of Pan-Africanism. Interestingly, it seems the football gene dominated among his children. His son, Sunday Odhiambo, previously played for Premier League side Mathare United and is now based abroad.

It is also worth noting that Le Kinois eventually disbanded in Nairobi. A frustrated Samba Mapangala initially planned to return to Congo, but veteran producer Tabu Osusa persuaded him to stay. Samba went on to form Orchestra Virunga, which became one of Kenya’s most popular bands before he later relocated to the USA.

Pele Ondindia’s time at Gor Mahia and his marriage to a local woman illustrate the broader impact that the influx of Congolese musicians into East Africa had, not just in music, but also in areas like sports and cultural integration.

By Jerome Ogola

Jabulani Radio

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