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AU REVOIR CARLITO

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:23:00 +0000

Eugene Magina, an Italy-based, award-winning dancer, is perhaps one of the biggest fans of the deceased Congolese singer Carlito Lassa.

“I haven’t been able to sleep even for a wink, or settle at work, since I read the sad news of the demise of Carlito through the Jabulani page on social media,” Eugene Magina, popularly known as Wuod Okil, told this writer.

To him, a musician with few peers had breathed his last, and it can’t be business as usual. Carlito’s singing was unique, and that perhaps was the magnet that got him hooked. He sang with ease, in a style that’s almost akin to that of the founding father of Congolese music, Grand Kalle, but again, Carlito’s was more refined. This is an excerpt from the song “Maya,” which was composed by Simaro and sung by Carlito Lassa. “Oki bomoneli ngai Maya Boyebisa ye epai akei, Soki mobali atungisi ye azonga Azonga mpo na nini akominyokola Esika na ye ezali awa natandi maboko Nazali kozela. Nazali se na esika atikaki ngai Na nse ya nzete ya madame”

Translation:

If you see Maya, tell her to come back to me. If her new husband mistreats her, let her come back. Why should she suffer? Her place is here, with my arms open, waiting for her. I am still where she left me, under Madame’s tree.

Given the manner in which Carlito sang it, you’d almost see Simaro seated under a tree, with his arms open, waiting for Maya. The ability to bring life into a song is a rare talent with which only a few singers are endowed. Possibly, these are some of the reasons Eugene Magina got addicted to Carlito’s music. In this, we are certain Eugene is not alone. This musician has been mourned far and wide.

“The rumba fraternity worldwide is in tears following the death of Carlito, the man with a velvet voice,” Fred Obachi Machoka, veteran radio presenter, posted on his Facebook page while mourning the fallen icon. Machoka is a revered figure when it comes to matters Congolese and has also had many promotional engagements with these musicians over the decades. London-based Jeannot Bell posted a photo of himself and the late Carlito in the studio during a recording session to mourn him. When this writer reached him for a word, his response was: “Unbelievable.”

Jabulani Radio CEO Dixon mourned the singer, stating that many music fans are indeed orphaned by his death. Speaking on the phone from the USA, the founder of the media house that specialises in African music stated that it is such abilities as Carlito’s rich vocals that help define the depth of talent in African music. Although pundits opine that his magnum opus was either Maya or Makolo ya Masiya, a keen and detailed tracking of his music career points to a different story. There may never be a consensus on the matter, but his songs with Choc Stars are in a class of their own.

“The singing style at Choc Stars was more accommodating of his vocal prowess,” Eugene Magina points out. And indeed, Choc Stars brought out his very best. It also happens that the adjudication may be biased because OKJ was definitely far more popular than Choc Stars. As such, there could be fans who may not have had an opportunity to listen to all his works with Choc Stars, one of the Zaiko family bands.

At Choc Stars, the songs mostly featured a solo singing style, also known as lolaka in rumba music circles, as opposed to the choir-like styles in which OKJ excelled. Carlito did well in this style. A perfect example is the song Mponini Eza Mpasi. Carlito was born in January 1961 in Matadi. He trained as a tailor, but fate had other ideas. It wasn’t long before the music bug bit him while he was still in his teenage years, and the scout who first noted his talent and offered him a platform was Gérard Madiata, the famed Orchestra singer of Congo Jazz. Carlito also had a stint in Isiro town before returning to Kinshasa, where he joined Choc Stars.

This band comprised, among others, Ben Nyamabo (founder, singer and bandleader), Bozi Boziana (singer), Général Defao (singer and songwriter), Roxy Tshimpaka (solo guitarist), Djuna Djanana (singer), Adoli Bamweniko (singer), Koffi Alibaba (singer), Sedjo Ka Tshomba (guitarist), Teddy (guitarist), Carrol Makamba (guitarist), Otis Edjudju (drummer), and Ditutala Kwama Makengo (atalaku). The band became very popular in the early 1980s and won several awards.

Carlito’s other remarkable engagements birthed one of the most sought-after albums, Bon Samaritain by Papa Noël. In this album, Papa Noël, who by then was the dependable solo guitarist of the faction of OKJ that had remained behind in Kinshasa to entertain revelers at Franco’s Club Un-Deux-Trois, as Franco toured Europe with the other team, had recruited and rehearsed with several musicians who later pulled out, after allegedly developing cold feet over fears of how Franco would react. Among them were guitarist Gerry Dialungana, singer Lukoki Diatho, and bassist Celi Bitshou. This prompted Papa Noël to play both solo and rhythm guitars himself, with assistance only from Flavien Makabi on bass. The others were Carlito on vocals, Rikki on drums, and Félix Mpouela, aka Du Pool, on percussion. The album became an instant hit, which many attribute to Carlito’s infectious voice. To date, the album remains very popular in clubs and on the radio.

The songs on the album are “Bon Samaritain,” “Kisungu-Zungu,” “Sisi,” “Selia Zozo,” “Madiabuana,” and “Messager.”

Carlito, who composed the song “Ekoti Ya Nzube,” which appeared on the Mario album while he was a member of OKJ, also sang with Mayaula Mayoni, among other Congolese superstars. Carlito converted to Christianity in 2001 and switched from secular to gospel music. He has since released several gospel albums.

Carlito undoubtedly ranks among the very best Congolese singers, alongside Vicky Longomba, Grand Kalle, Josky Kiambukuta, Tabu Ley, Chantal Kazadi, Nyboma Mwandido, Aimé Kiwakana and others. His contribution to the music world was immense, and his death has left a huge void.

BY JEROME OGOLA

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CONGOLESE MUSICIAN CARLYTO LASSA IS DEAD

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Congolese musician Carlyto Lassa is dead. The sad news was broken by fellow musician Jeannot Bell, who is based in London, in a post on Facebook. The post, however, did not divulge further details regarding the circumstances of his death.

Carlyto, who was known for his melodious tenor voice, first made a name for himself alongside Debaba and Defao at Choc Stars, before joining OK Jazz, the legendary orchestra of Franco Luambo. He excelled with songs such as Maya and Affaire Kitikwala, both composed by Simaro Lutumba, among others. He also performed numerous nzing-nzong sessions with dozens of musicians. Among them was the ever-popular Bon Samaritain album by Papa Noël, which was recorded at IAD Studios in Brazzaville in 1984.

Carlyto later converted to Christianity and became a preacher, adopting the name Pastor Charles Ndombasi. He released several gospel albums and preached in both Paris and Kinshasa. Born in 1961, Carlyto initially pursued tailoring as a career before he was discovered by Gérard Madiata, the famous Congolese singer who headed Congo Jazz. He also sang with Jeannot Bombenga of Vox Africa.

Italy-based choreographer Eugène Magina, who describes Carlyto as the greatest singer to have graced Congolese music, said the music scene has lost an important pillar. Carlyto Lassa leaves behind a rich musical legacy that straddled both secular and gospel music.

By Jerome Ogola

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THE QUEEN WITH AN ANGELIC VOICE

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:14:00 +0000

"Without the blues brought by the slaves in America, there's no R&B, there's no rock and roll, there's no soul music, there's no jazz. All of it comes from Africa."

Angélique Kidjo recently told the BBC. Indeed, several prominent genres that have come to define music in the 21st century trace their roots to African folk songs.

This begs the question, why is the continent's music industry not as developed as that of America and Europe, especially in terms of returns for musicians, advancement in recording technology, and well-defined distribution networks? Why do African musicians strive to ape the West in several aspects of their music and even dressing, yet they are supposed to be the originators and, in this case, pacesetters in matters of music? Can one make it big in the world of music without necessarily struggling to Americanize or Anglicize or westernize their music?

Angélique Kidjo is the response to this intriguing question. She is the epitome of African music. The five-time Grammy Award winner has typified Africanness throughout her four-decade music career. Although she has spent almost her entire adult life in Paris, far detached from her native Benin, she has managed to retain her Africanness throughout her career, and this comes out glaringly in her music. She carried the Yoruba and Fon rhythm from Benin with her to Europe and has managed to spruce it up with influences from other civilizations Afropop, funk, jazz, reggae, etc., to dress it for a global audience, in essence bringing African music to the world. On stage, her trademark short natural hair gives an impression of an artist who holds African values dear to her heart, while her energetic dance moves, quite reminiscent of Tshala Muana, the Queen of Mutwashi, leave no doubt that the title of Mama Africa finds a fitting head to wear after the demise of Miriam Makeba of South Africa.

With numerous Grammy nominations, five wins, and close to 20 albums up her sleeve, Angélique Kidjo is not your ordinary musician but a revered figure whose fame transcends the edges of music fame to something close to a global icon.

She was born Angélique Kpasseloko Kidjo in Ouidah, in what was then the French colony that is today known as Benin, in West Africa. Her father was Yoruba, while her mother was a Fon. Her father was a musician, while her mother was an actor, a parentage that answers any questions about her inspiration for singing and acting. It is under her mother's tutelage that she graced the theatre for the first time, at the age of six. For her singing, she began with the school choir and had her first recording while a high school student. Her journey to Paris to study law turned out to be a turning point for her music. It wasn’t just the pull factor powered by better prospects and a thirst to succeed; in action, the political turmoil back home also acted as a push factor for immigration. The city offered the talented and determined Beninese an opportunity to study music, a development that saw her overlook her initial choice of career, which had been her wish to become a family lawyer.

It was at the CIM College that she met French producer Jean Hébrail, who would later become her husband and central pillar in her success in music. From performing as her backup singer, fortune opened the floodgates of success to the young Angélique Kidjo, who swiftly transitioned into a recognized musician. If a musician’s success is gauged by the awards they have won as the sole yardstick, then very few would match this songbird from Benin. She has struck a goal haul where even bigger names could not manage a hat-trick or even a brace, to borrow football jargon, particularly when it comes to the prestigious Grammy Awards.

Her 2008 album Djin Djin, produced at Electric Lady Studios in New York, won her a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album. The Afrobeat album featured Amadou Bagayoko on guitar, Habib Faye on bass, Poogie Bell on drums, and Branford Marsalis on saxophone. Her other Grammy victories came through the albums Eve, Sings, Celia, and Mother Nature, in 2015, 2016, 2020, and 2022, respectively.

She has also won a Kora Award in the category of Best Female Artist. This came in 1997. Her other major honors include the Polar Music Prize, MOBO Award, NAACP Image Award, Edison Award, Antonio Carlos Jobim Award, Songlines Music Award, and many more. In August 2026, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first African musician and first Black African to receive the honor. August 18 was subsequently declared Angélique Kidjo Day.

If her success in music is not sufficiently narrated by the many awards, then the occasions, concerts, and events she has graced also corroborate the story of one of Africa’s most decorated musicians. Angélique Kidjo has graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages and events. Her appearances include the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo in 2011, the Mandela 46664 Concert in Cape Town, the Africa Live concert in Dakar in 2005, the Grammy Awards in 2020, and the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2021, among many others. She also performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2023, the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2024, and the Grace for the World concert at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in 2025.

The greatness that hasn’t been factored in by her awards and events may as well be visible through the big names she has collaborated with in her four-decade winding career. These are Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, and Peter Gabriel, among many other big names in the industry. She has also involved herself deeply in humanitarian issues. She runs the Batonga Foundation, which champions the education and empowerment of girls across the continent, among several other philanthropic ventures. This is also exemplary of her love for Mama Africa.

Now in her 60s, Angélique towers above many of her peers in music, and the star of her success continues to shine even beyond music. She inspires many an African girl, with her rise epitomizing the optimism that the background into which one is born or raised does not in any way limit one’s achievements or restrict one’s success.

Most importantly, Angélique’s success is testimony that an artist can retain her African identity and still excel to attain the apex.

BY JEROME OGOLA

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CHANDARANA:THE MUSIC PRODUCER WHO TOOK A DIFFERENT PATH

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The history of the evolution of African music will never be correctly captured if the faces behind the establishment of the record companies that midwifed its development are left out of the debate, unmentioned.

In the DRC, just like in Kenya and most other African countries, recording technology knocked on the doors in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Most of these companies were owned by European businessmen, as was the case with other enterprises, since this was the era when European influence was creeping into Africa, at the peak of the colonial era.

In the DRC, for example, the first three record companies were Ngoma, Opika and Loningisa. They were all owned by Greek businessmen. They played a very pivotal role in the evolution of Congolese music, as recording technology meant musicians could now make money and eke out a living from music, thus creating a vibrant industry with fully professional players, as opposed to the initial days when music was more of a part-time venture reserved for occasions.

However, it was CEFA, which came in 1955, that dictated the pace and direction that the young genre took. This was for the reason that, as much as the very first set of entrepreneurs played an influential role, theirs was driven mainly by the desire to create an opportunity for musicians and, from the venture, make money.

Nonetheless, CEFA was introduced by Bill Alexandre himself, a renowned musician from Belgium. He was a good guitarist, and he introduced the electric guitar to the genre and played it himself in the very first recordings.

The guitar was to later become the engine of the genre, thus his contribution is more visible than that of his predecessors. The DRC was, in those days, a colony of Belgium, and in this way, it is safe to conclude that the influence of the colonial masters found its way into music.

Much later, in 1972, Verckys created his own record company as the first indigenous one. This is what midwifed the evolution of cavacha, which became the genre's third-generation music. Maybe if the very first companies had been owned by either locals or Belgians, the developing genre would have taken a completely different trajectory.

In Kenya, similarly, the companies were owned by foreigners. Jambo, Equator, Mzuri, AGS, High Fidelity and others were mostly owned by Europeans. However, Chandarana was also an important player. This record company, based in Kericho, was owned by Chandarana Records founder Arvindkumar Popat, "A.P."

Mr Popat was an Indian. His record company, which was the only important player based outside Nairobi, came with several unique characteristics. As it happened with other aspects of life, European influence heavily impacted the manner in which everything was run, from education to religion and music as well.

However, for Chandarana, the music remained unadulterated by any foreign influence, and not even his Indian tradition or civilization. This partly explains why benga thrived in the region. It is Chandarana that recorded many of the big names in benga in the 1960s and 1970s.

That was one of the biggest enterprises in the town. It made the town, which lies amid the lush and hilly scenery of green tea bushes, an otherwise agrarian town, thrive in robust business.

Chandarana was established in 1957 and didn't just concentrate on benga but on rumba as well as other East African songs. In his book Maisha Yangu Na Bendi Za Wanyika, author Abbu Omar, who played with all the Wanyika bands, Simba Wanyika, Les Wanyika and Super Wanyika Stars, narrated the central role that Chandarana played in the evolution of Kenyan music.

He went ahead and stated that Chandarana had become a regional giant that produced musicians beyond East Africa, reaching regions as far as Malawi, Zambia and others, where benga found favourable ground to germinate.

In his narration, he states that the singing sensation Issa Juma, who was to become Les Wanyika's top vocalist before later creating his own Super Wanyika Stars, first came to Kenya via Chandarana, where a bunch of musicians had been scouted in Tanzania and brought to Kenya for a series of studio projects.

Musician Ochieng Kabasele, whose biography has been authored by this writer, also worked at Chandarana Studios in the 1970s, during which he did songs with a band known as Orchestra Kericho Jazz, which was a studio band based at the Chandarana studios.

Okeyo Soja and Agutu Onagi, in their biography of Osito Kale, narrate how Chandarana escaped by a whisker being Osito's launching pad. After learning the trade under Awino Lawi's Victoria C, Osito travelled to Kericho for his first recording, only to learn that Chandarana had just closed its doors.

In its heyday, Chandarana released records from across the entire region, mostly distributed under four labels. Hundhwe mostly catered for Luo music, Upendo for Kisii music, Furaha for the twist genre, while the Mambo label mostly dealt with Kalenjin music, in an era when the record labels were prominently emblazoned on the 45 RPMs, revolutions per minute.

Among the big names who recorded at the studios were Kipchamba, Christopher Monyoncho, Collela Mazee, Owino Misiani, Mengo, Kaware Boys, Mbaraka Mwinshehe and many others.

Chandarana had a nose for talent, and this gave him an edge over his competitors. He prospected for talent far and wide and valued it. His studios were always awash with numerous guitarists, vocalists and others.

Chandarana died in November 2024 and left behind a legacy rich in culture that will evidently outlive his entire generation. His was entrepreneurship powered by passion and interest in culture; thus, his contribution to preserving the African heritage through art, and specifically music, remains unmatched.

BY: JEROME OGOLA

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THE VINYL THAT OUTLIVES THE SILICON

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:02:00 +0000

I was sitting in the station archives at 2 AM last Tuesday, totally dead on my feet, digging through a stack of uncatalogued crates. I am definitely getting old. Anyway, I pulled out an old, beat-up sleeve, dropped the needle, and held my breath.

Man. The room just exploded. This thick, warm, hypnotic groove hit me right in the chest. And then the math clicked in my head. Some of this stuff is closing in on seventy years old now. Nearly a full century of African music sitting right here in these cardboard boxes. And honestly? It still hits harder, swings deeper, and packs more raw soul than ninety percent of the autotuned junk cluttering up the charts today.

The music was built to last forever. But the people who made it? We are losing them every single day. Look, back in the day, musicians were not just content creators clocking in for a paycheck. In communities across the continent, they were the anchors. They talked to the ancestors, kept the town memory alive, and soundtracked every single thing that mattered, from births and harvests to initiations and funerals. You had a beef with your neighbor? In a lot of places, a musician would literally settle the feud through a song.

Taking care of these artists was not a nice gesture. It was a sacred duty. You cared for your elders. The whole neighborhood did. Fast forward to right now. We live in a meat-grinder of a system. We stream a song, obsess over it for three days, dump it for the next viral trend, and leave the actual legends who built our culture to rot.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley tech bros are dumping billions into AI models and robots, literally scraping this exact music to train algorithms that do not give a damn about the spirit behind it. It makes me sick, honestly. These old-school icons dragged their life work through a technological nightmare. They survived vinyl, got chewed up by cassettes, watched CDs die, and now get fractions of a penny from streaming platforms while a computer program digitizes their genius without feeling a single note.

Every week at Jabulani Radio, we spin sounds going all the way back to the fifties and sixties, the sharp guitar lines of Benga, soaring Highlife horns, heavy Congolese Rhumba, and timeless Zilizopendwa. We talk about the heavy ghosts a lot. Guys like Bavon Marie-Marie, whose guitar was pure fire before he was taken way too soon. And we honor the immortal pioneers who paved the way, like Daudi Kabaka, Issa Juma, J.M. Kamaru, Collela Mazee, Franco, and Madilu System. We are lucky enough to still have living giants walking among us, like King Sunny Adé, Salif Keita, and Mzee Joseph Ngala. Koffi Olomide just hit 70 and he is still tearing up stages. We still have Dizzy Mandjeku, born in 1946 and still ripping that guitar, or voices like Zanzibar's Bi Kidude, who carried a hundred years of coastal history in her chest.

And hearing rumors that the legendary Sam Mangwana might be performing right here in Kenya at the age of 81? That is the kind of magic that reminds you why we fight so hard to protect these icons. We have to handle their legacies with absolute care and responsibility.

Last year I went to the Madilu memorial anniversary. The energy in that room was completely unreal. People were sweating, crying, laughing, and dancing until five in the morning like it was 1985 all over again. Nobody wanted to go home. But when the house lights come up? The reality breaks your heart. Decades of relentless international touring, brutal schedules, and months away from family will wreck your body. And how does the modern music business pay them back? They got ripped off. Plain and simple. Record execs and shady middlemen locked them out of their master rights and stolen royalties. They spent their lives working gig to gig, so there is no pension waiting for them. No health insurance. We have all watched legendary artists, people who literally soundtracked our country independence, our weddings, and our entire lives, end up begging for money just to buy basic prescription pills.

It is a total disgrace. If we actually give a damn about this music, background noise on a free Spotify account is not going to cut it. We have to put real money where our mouths are. Buy the physical vinyl. Grab the reissue box sets. Hit Bandcamp. Send money directly to their families if you can. When you make a conscious choice to buy and share Benga, Highlife, Rhumba, and Zilizopendwa, you are not just feeling nostalgic. You are putting actual cash into motion. You are helping pay for groceries, rent, and insulin for an aging icon, or even keeping an artist's grandchild in school.

A society that lets its artists starve does not just lack respect. It loses its soul. Do not just hit like and scroll past. Stream the tracks. Buy the physical records. Pay the legends what they are owed while they are still here to hear us say thank you. Prove that no algorithm on earth can ever touch the heartbeat of a real human being.

BY PAPA JUMA

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SCHOLAR AND MUSICIAN

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:46:00 +0000

Driving into Kisumu, a port city on the shores of Lake Victoria, from the northern side offers one of the most picturesque views of the lakeside city, known for its vibrant nightlife and rich cultural heritage.

It is in these hills that, on August 2, 1950, Enoch Okwach was born in his father Opondo's homestead. Like Harvard-educated Hillary Ng'weno, who trained as a physicist but excelled in journalism through The Weekly Review magazine, Okwach trained as a political scientist yet also made a name for himself as a musician.

"Music is therapeutic. It has the magic that cures the soul," offers Enock in explaining why he pursued both music and academia with equal passion.

Enock Okwach began his journey in pursuit of education at Obwolo Primary School in Kisumu during the dying days of colonialism in the 1950s. Inspired by his father, who played the orutu, young Okwach was bitten by the music bug.

It was while in primary school that he crafted his very first guitar, from which he taught himself how to play. He did this after watching Owiti Origi of Kajulu Boys perform on stage. From then on, he carried his music to every institution he attended, from Sawagongo High School in Siaya, where he sat his A-level examinations, to the University of Nairobi, where he studied Political Science for both his bachelor's and master's degrees.

Being a bright student with a passion for music, Okwach seemed destined to debunk the myth that links music to delinquency by pushing both pursuits to their highest possible levels and reaching the pinnacle in each.

Indeed, every time he climbed another rung on the academic ladder, his music rose alongside him. For example, his student boom at the University of Nairobi enabled him to buy his first guitar. By then, he had become a proficient guitarist, having secured his first professional engagement with Orchestra Super Pamba.

From the University of Nairobi, he worked as both a teacher and an administrator in Nairobi and Kisumu, and every stage of his career progression presented another opportunity to elevate his music.

"Music is social commentary," says Okwach Opondo. "It is my way of expressing myself."

He says this to explain why he could never abandon his musical calling.

However, when this writer put the cart before the horse and asked why he did not pursue music as a full-time career and forgo higher education, he offered an interesting perspective.

He explains that the meagre earnings from music are themselves a hindrance to its development. On every occasion, he says, he has been able to pay his band members their salaries and meet studio expenses with ease because of the income he earned from his other careers.

He also says he had a point to prove to his father, who had discouraged him from pursuing music, believing it would derail his professional career.

As an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi, he played in a band known as Basenke, which comprised fellow students. Later, while pursuing his master's degree, he joined Orchestra Basomi, headed by Bosco Namwamba, then an engineering student and today a professor of engineering in the United States.

When he later worked in Kisumu as a teacher, he also formed a band that was managed by Bosco Namwamba.

By then, it had become customary for him never to leave his music behind wherever his academic pursuits took him. When he travelled to Oxford University in the United Kingdom, he carried his music there as well.

While studying at Oxford, he formed a band called Janua. It brought together musicians from all four corners of the globe, including Europe, the Caribbean, Ethiopia and Sudan. He lived in Europe between 1992 and 1998.

When he returned to Kenya, he joined Afri Stars, a band led by the renowned soloist Ahuja, who had previously honed his craft with Okatch Biggy's Super Heka Heka Band. Afri Stars was based at Junction Inn in Kisumu, where it performed throughout the weekends.

Dr Okwach later formed another outfit for the same venue called Junction Stars. This mirrored the example of Dr Okumu, a Maseno University lecturer who also played with several bands in Kisumu. The group featured Victor, Omondi, Dish, Ouma, Awilo and others.

When he later joined Moi University in Eldoret as a lecturer, Dr Okwach became a member of a local band led by Musera. The band also featured Peter Dalidi, who now heads Jamnazi Band.

Okwach, who has also worked in local government, taught at Rongo University and undertaken consultancy work, founded Orchestra Loba Loba in 2002. In this venture, he teamed up with Congolese musician Frank Libe. Their names were creatively combined and abbreviated to form the band's name, Loba Loba.

This is the band with which he performs to date. Featuring musicians such as Victor, Jane, David, Dish, Salapataa and many others, the band has recorded close to one hundred songs. Among his best-known songs are Raila, Cool Mc Cool, Chausiku, Safari Ya Lobe and Salapata Safari.

On the emergence of Ohangla, a genre that has grown so popular that it has challenged benga as Nyanza's dominant musical style, Okwach argues that the original form of Ohangla possessed authenticity and a distinct cultural identity. However, he says the traditional shakers, drums and horns that once defined the music have largely been replaced by keyboards.

According to him, this has eroded the genre's cultural essence and given rise to what is effectively a new style, one that lacks the traditional lustre of classic Ohangla. He argues that the contemporary version resembles Luo taarab more than the folk Ohangla that was originally known, and maintains that it lacks the capacity to surpass benga in popularity.

He further explains that Ohangla is not the only genre competing for the attention of Luo music lovers. Congolese rumba, he says, has long dominated the region and profoundly influenced local genres. The desire by many musicians to sound Congolese has, in his view, diminished the originality of much of today's benga music.

He also argues that the dominance of Congolese rumba suppresses the growth of local music. During live performances, he says, audiences often request popular Congolese songs instead of local compositions, a trend that hinders the growth of indigenous music.

Okwach Opondo, who lists Awino Lawi and Dr Collela Mazee among his favourite local musicians, and Zaiko Langa Langa and Les Kamale as his favourites from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is now retired from university teaching. Nevertheless, he remains actively involved in music and has recently released several new recordings.

Just as education helped propel Koffi Olomidé's music career, education likewise provided Opondo with the foundation upon which his own musical journey flourished. When the history of people who excelled in more than one demanding field is eventually written, Dr Enoch Okwach Opondo will undoubtedly occupy a prominent place in that record.

By Jerome Ogola

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KOBWAKA LIBANGA

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:41:00 +0000

Name Mentioning In Congolese Rumba

Kobwaka Libanga literally translates as "throwing a stone." Nonetheless, in Congolese rumba, the phrase denotes the mention of a name in a song. It is a tradition that predates the genre itself, having been adopted from the folk music of the numerous Congolese cultures. It is also commonplace in other genres, Kenya's benga being one of them. Many aspects of this traditional music that found their way into the evolving genre did not last long, but some found a permanent home, kobwaka libanga being among them.

"Maina," a song by first-generation musician Henrique Tinapa, was composed in praise of a friend by that name. "Anduku Lutshuma" was composed by OK Jazz bassist Roitelet, alias Daniel Lubuelo. "Paul Kamba" was composed by Wendo Nkolosoy to mourn a colleague by that name. These are all old songs recorded in the 1950s. They indicate that kobwaka libanga found its way into Congolese music long ago, only that the intentions and inspiration behind it changed over time. Whereas people were initially mentioned in songs in recognition of their outstanding contributions to society, or occasionally for acting against social norms, the commercialization of music changed everything.

In later years, musicians began "throwing stones" at individuals either for payment or in recognition of those who had sponsored them in one way or another. Franco composed more than a dozen songs for Mobutu. Whereas some he did of his own volition, others were commissioned, meaning he was paid to compose them. Tabu Ley did three songs for Mobutu, Verckys did one, and many other musicians followed suit. Mobutu was a great fan of Congolese music, and even his Authenticit program was crafted to promote Congolese culture, with music being among its greatest beneficiaries. It also happens that Congolese music is so dear to the natives that it became one of the best ways to reach their hearts. This explains why politicians such as Bomboko, Kisombe Amasco, Lito Moboti, and others paid to be mentioned in Franco's songs. These were essentially musical advertisements, and the practice extended beyond politicians.

Franco also composed songs for other African presidents. The song "Kenneth Kaunda" was hurriedly composed on stage while the band was performing in Ndola, Zambia, after the then Zambian president unexpectedly attended the concert, as narrated to this writer by rhythm guitarist Petit Pierre, who was on stage with the band. Perhaps the band had not anticipated his presence, thus explaining why the composition had to be done on stage. Strange as it may sound, the song turned out superbly, with Musekiwa's tenor saxophone stealing the show. Franco also sang for Léon M'ba, the first President of Gabon, and President Eyadéma of Togo. It is likely that these songs were simply in recognition of their contribution to the liberation of their respective countries, with no financial inducement involved.

When it comes to singing for heads of state, no musician comes anywhere near Bikassy Mandeko Bidjos. The founder of Saka Saka sang for Mobutu, Moi, Amin, and others. Maybe one would wonder why on earth any musician would sing for a dictator. Music is a professional career. Like Kenyan advocate Gibson Kamau Kuria once opined, a lawyer can even defend Satan in court. The same goes for music.

DDC of Tanzania sang for Moi, Tabu Ley sang for Kenyatta, Ochieng Kabaselleh sang for Kenyatta, Mbilia Bel sang for Moi, Samba Mapangala for Moi, Kenya Blue Stars for Moi, and so on. Tabu Ley and Mbilia Bel also sang for Nelson Mandela in recognition of his role as a global icon of the struggle for freedom. It is worth noting that while some individuals had entire songs composed for them, others were merely mentioned in passing or in a single line. Fabrice was a Paris-based fashion designer. Franco composed a song for him in 1978, followed it with "Cinq Ans Ya Fabrice" on the fifth anniversary, and later recorded "Dix Ans Ya Fabrice" to mark the tenth anniversary. Franco died after recording it, and it was released posthumously.

AZDA promoted a local vehicle dealership that marketed the popular Volkswagen. Likewise, many songs were composed to promote commercial brands, including "Savon Astra" by Ngero Success, "Savon Omo" and "Savon Reward" by OK Jazz, all promoting different soap brands, and "UCB" by Youlou, promoting a bank. There was also "Journal Lipanda" by Grand Kallé, composed for a local publication, among many others.

There are also songs that were composed for individuals who were not necessarily politicians. These were mostly done at the request of the individuals themselves or their families. "The family of Bowule requested that I do a song for their departed relative," Simaro once told this writer on a social media platform. Although he did not mention whether he was paid, it is most likely that compensation was either part of the agreement or offered in appreciation. A musician is a professional like any other. It is unlikely that someone would seek their services free of charge unless the musician volunteered to do the work pro bono.

There are two popular songs, "KSK" and "Alita Tshamala," by Josky Kiambukuta Londa. These individuals were his friends, as he himself notes. However, the likelihood that the songs were composed purely out of friendship is rather slim. Most likely, there was some form of appreciation that has simply never been documented. Interestingly, this practice also inspires creativity. For example, when Fiston Lusambo, a London-based musician, chose to recognize this writer in a song, he created a captivating story depicting the moral decay in society. The song, sung by veteran Lipua Lipua singer Nzaya Nzayadio together with Nairobi-based singer Berryl Owano and recorded at Ketebul Studios, gave the main character the name Ogola, hence the title "Jirekebishe Ogola."

The song revolves around this character known as Ogola. However, as Fiston explained, the name merely serves to capture the audience's attention. There are songs whose titles contain names that never appear in the lyrics. In such cases, several names may simply be mentioned during the performance, especially in fifth- and sixth-generation Congolese music. A classic example, though from the third generation, is the celebrated song "Cooperation" by Sam Mangwana, popularly associated with the name Odongo. He collaborated with Franco and his band OK Jazz for the recording.

The name is merely mentioned, and there is no part of the song that directly relates to that individual, thus opening the door to endless speculation about who Odongo really was. This subject has attracted dozens of conflicting theories. Most have been easy to debunk. Kenya's Daily Nation has, on numerous occasions, erroneously stated that the Odongo mentioned in the song was Harrison Odongo Aywa, who served as an immigration officer before later becoming the Member of Parliament for Khwisero.

That claim is inaccurate. First, there was no constituency known as Khwisero until 1997, yet the song was released in 1982. Khwisero was carved out of the former Butere Constituency. Secondly, the story claims that Harrison was a close friend of Franco and frequently assisted him with immigration clearance whenever he visited Kenya. That too is untrue because the song was composed by Sam Mangwana, not Franco. The theory would only make sense if it claimed that Harrison was Mangwana's friend. Moreover, Franco travelled on a diplomatic passport, much like a head of state, and would hardly have required assistance from an immigration officer.

While touring Tanzania in 1983, Franco even travelled around the country in the presidential limousine. Many other theories have been advanced, but this remains the most prominent, largely because of the newspaper's extensive readership. It is also worth noting that the same newspaper has published inaccurate information regarding Mangwana's marriage and other aspects of his life. As discussed in another article on the Jabulani Blog, questions surrounding Mangwana's wife and children have long remained unanswered. This, however, does not imply that he never married.

Returning to kobwaka libanga, the fifth and sixth generations of Congolese music have perfected this practice. Names such as Didi Kinuani, almost always followed by the phrase "Mosombi monene ya mabanga ntalo" ("the gemstone dealer"), became common features in the music of Wenge Musica and its related groups. This billionaire is said to be extremely generous to musicians, sponsoring recordings and even overseas tours. Others include promoters Rigo Makengo, Joseph Kongolo, and many more. In this era, musicians receive substantial payments merely for mentioning names. Koffi Olomidé is widely rumoured to command the highest fees.

It has become a major source of revenue, and since music is a profession like any other, this practice has made considerable economic sense for musicians. Just as African drums and other traditional percussion instruments were incorporated into rumba during its formative years and have remained central to the genre even as technology gradually replaced instruments such as the saxophone, kobwaka libanga has endured. It has always been part of Congolese rumba and will most likely remain so for as long as the genre itself survives.

BY: JEROME OGOLA

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THE PAST IS THE PRESENT

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:14:00 +0000

For decades, calling a song "retro" was just a polite way of writing it off as outdated. It immediately brought up memories of dusty cassette tapes in a glovebox, late-night radio shows, or sitting around with family over nyama choma and a cold drink. It felt like music strictly meant for older folks clinging to their younger days.

Honestly, that label was always way off the mark.

Great music doesn't carry an expiration date. You can take a track recorded in a cramped studio back in 1970 and drop it in 2026, and it will stop you in your tracks just as hard as the day it hit vinyl. These songs never died because the music got bad. They vanished because distribution broke down, piracy gutted the industry, and many classics lacked proper digital archives. Licensing was a total headache, leaving massive chunks of African music history stranded out in the cold. So many masterpieces ended up locked away in vaults, labeled "rare" simply because modern record labels didn't want to deal with the paperwork to get them online.

Language barriers made that wall even higher. Millions of us grew up dancing to these rhythms without ever realizing the poetry hidden in the lyrics. Take Tabu Ley Rochereau’s Muzina: most people treated it as a pure dancefloor filler, completely missing that it’s actually a deeply spiritual prayer. Or Franco Luambo’s Mario, which still gets played at every party, even though it’s a hilarious, razor-sharp roast of a young man living off an older woman. What makes these classics so incredible is that their message is just as relevant today as it was a few decades ago.

Then internet culture came along and completely shattered the old gatekeeper model.

Suddenly, corporate radio and Big Tech algorithms didn't get to tell everyone what to listen to anymore. Feeds started pushing tracks based on pure feeling, letting a 1978 Soukous tune drop right next to a brand-new Afrobeats release and win people over on pure vibe. Mind you, that shift didn't happen smoothly overnight. When music first migrated online, a lot of African listeners who actually grew up on these sounds were left behind. High mobile data rates, spotty networks, and subscription fees turned streaming into a luxury. For years, the very people whose hearts beat to this music couldn't access their own heritage.

Luckily, as smartphones became everywhere and data costs started coming down, things changed fast. Add in a massive global diaspora craving a taste of home, and suddenly Africans everywhere started reclaiming these classic tracks on their own terms.

There is also a huge mental element to this: people are just tired of playing DJ all day. We have all sat there staring at Spotify or Apple Music, scrolling through endless menus and skipping track after track, completely burnt out by choice. There is something so relieving about leaning back and letting someone who actually knows their stuff take the wheel, like a host who knows the backstory behind a guitar solo and can read the mood better than an automated shuffle feature ever could. It truly warms my heart to see this cross-generational revival happening right in front of us. Seeing young people on TikTok and Instagram messing around with 40-year-old Rumba tracks for dance challenges or video edits is so rewarding. They aren't studying this stuff for a history test: they're playing it because it jams.

And that is precisely why we built Jabulani Radio: to serve as a real, living home for this music. Captain Shaddy Shihusa brings that raw broadcast charisma and live curation that saves you from playlist burnout, while Jerome Ogolla ("The Rumba Monk") digs deep into the vault. Jerome breaks down iconic guitar lines, translates Lingala lyrics, and pulls back the curtain on legends like Franco, Ochieng Kabaselleh, and Les Wanyika. Between Shaddy’s live energy and Jerome’s breakdowns, those language barriers just melt away, making legacy tracks feel completely fresh for a younger crowd.

You can see the ripple effect in advertising, too. Smart brands now focus less on age or gender boxes and more on mindset. They recognize that real attention comes from listeners tuned in for hours, not just quick searches. Instead of relying solely on skippable ads, which listeners are more likely than not to skip, many are backing independent digital stations and cultural archives where trust runs deeper. You see that same push for authenticity in the massive comeback of vinyl. People are genuinely fed up with the polished, synthetic, AI-generated background music flooding streaming services today. When algorithms fill your ears with computerized noise, human imperfection starts feeling like a luxury. We want to hear the room. We want natural timing, tiny flaws, and the unmistakable bleed of real musicians playing together in the same space.

Big record executives have a hawk's eye for emerging trends, and they are pouring resources into this movement. When labels realized classic catalog tracks bring in reliable streaming money year after year, a wave of acquisitions and deals started. Look at Sony acquiring Queen's catalog for over a billion dollars or securing stakes in Michael Jackson's masters. You see similar moves across African music, like Sony Music France acquiring Lusafrica and Africa Nostra masters, or Sony Music Publishing signing a major international administration deal for South Africa's legendary Gallo Music catalog. The corporate suits are investing in classic recordings, licensing vintage tracks for movies and games, and signing new artists who sample or build on these exact vintage foundations.

At the end of the day, this revival isn't just a short-term trend. Older generations didn't get left behind; the rest of us just finally caught up to what they already knew. Retro music never died: it just proved that real soul, live instruments, and honest rhythm don't have an expiration date.

Ready to take that journey for yourself? Catch The Rumba Monk this Sunday at 5 PM EAT right here on Jabulani Radio for a deep dive into 60s and 70s music, complete with aided lyric translations that bring the story and poetry behind the rhythms to life.

By The Rumba Commissioner (Papa Juma)

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THE BAOBAB THAT HAS SURVIVED MANY STORMS

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:46:00 +0000

Lokuta eyaka na ascenseur, kasi vérité eyei na escalier mpe ekomi. (A lie prefers to take the lift and travels very fast, while the truth takes the stairs. It comes slowly, but eventually arrives.)

These words came to my mind when Prof. Larry Gumbe listed Koffi Olomide among the three musicians he ranks highest in terms of weaving poetic lyrics. He also listed Simaro Lutumba and Franklin Boukaka as the other two, in a conversation that also involved veteran music producer and writer Tabu Osusa, who gave his own list as Tabu Ley Rochereau, Franklin Boukaka, and Simaro Lutumba.

That Koffi Olomide is also increasingly being recognized as one of the musicians whose work transcends the traditional frontiers of music to venture into philosophy introduces yet another chapter in the story of his illustrious career, now spanning five decades.

His love for wordplay goes back to his childhood. Take "Nsoso Ameli Ng’ando" (A chicken has swallowed a crocodile), a traditional Congolese folk song he sang as a young boy. Built on an impossible, upside-down riddle, this early exposure to folklore shaped how he wrote later in life. Throughout his adult career, Koffi drew on that same traditional Lingala storytelling, using proverbs and riddles in his signature baritone to keep fans hooked.

Longevity alone may not necessarily be iconic were it not for the fact that Koffi has not merely survived, but remained at the very top. His name has featured prominently in the hierarchy of Congolese music for well over three decades. Scholars are often at a loss as to exactly how to categorize his music because he does not fit neatly into any one generation. Congolese rumba is usually divided into five or six generations, each defined by chronology and style.

For someone who invented his own style, Tcha Tcho, which is a slower, more sensual, and intensely romantic variation of rumba designed to contrast with the frenetic dance beats of the era, he emerged during the third generation, popularly known as the Cavacha era. He then survived through the fourth generation of fast-paced soukous and eventually became one of the defining figures of the fifth generation while still remaining relevant in the sixth. It becomes difficult to assign him to a single category since he comfortably straddled several generations.

Koffi has been there for five decades. He has made music, become famous, won awards, courted controversy, acquired numerous titles and nicknames, and, indeed, done almost everything there was to do. His earliest involvement in music dates back to the mid-1970s when he was a university student in France, pursuing a degree in Economics at the University of Bordeaux. It was there that he bought his very first guitar, an acoustic one, and taught himself how to play. He would strum it while singing, becoming a popular figure among fellow students.

He also composed several songs, attracting the attention of Papa Wemba of Viva la Musica. Among the songs he wrote during this foundational period were Elengi ya Mbonda and Ekoti ya Nzube, while he continued to balance his studies with his passion for music until graduating with his bachelor's degree in 1981. He would later build upon this academic foundation by earning a Master’s degree (DEA) in Mathematical Economics from the prestigious University of Paris (Sorbonne), making him a rare intellectual outlier in a genre dominated by street-schooled musicians.

His first attempt to form a band alongside Debaba and others did not succeed, as the group disbanded after only a few years due to internal disagreements. His next step was to record an album of his own compositions, for which he sought the services of veteran producer Verckys Kiamuangana. He later recorded another album featuring King Kester Emeneya and other musicians. It was in 1986 that he officially founded Quartier Latin International, a band that has remarkably survived the turbulent forces that have brought down many Congolese orchestras, remaining active four decades later.

To date, Koffi has released more than 40 albums comprising over 400 songs. His music has enjoyed immense popularity across Africa and beyond. He has performed hundreds of concerts worldwide, attracted millions of fans, and won numerous accolades, including no fewer than six Kora Awards. Most notably, his historic sweep at the 2002 Kora Awards in South Africa, where he won an unprecedented four trophies in a single night, cemented his status and inspired him to crown himself with the definitive moniker, Quadra Kora Man.

Among his most popular songs are Loi, Micko, Effrakata, Héros National, Aspirine, Fouta Djallon, Étoile d'État, Selfie, Jeune Pato, and Pharmacien. Other classics that have cemented his legacy include Ultimatum, Andrada, V12, Attentat, GB Gros Bébé, Choc, Mamie la Joie, and Noblesse Oblige.

Yet, Koffi Olomide has also never shied away from controversy. In one widely publicized incident in July 2016, he was caught on camera involved in a sharp altercation with one of his dancers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. The video, which appeared to show him striking the dancer, caused a massive public uproar, prompting Kenyan authorities to swiftly arrest and deport him, resulting in a multi-year ban from re-entering the country. The ban was eventually lifted in 2020, allowing him to return, but the stain on his international reputation remained.

Beyond legal controversies, he has also had public feuds with several Congolese musicians. Perhaps the most notable was his long-running rivalry with Papa Wemba, the very musician who had helped mentor him and with whom he had collaborated on the acclaimed album Wake Up. The feud was extensively amplified by Kinshasa's tabloid press, renowned for its insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip.

His rivalry with Werrason of Wenge Musica Maison Mère is another feud that spilled into songs and media interviews. Such rivalries often originate from competition for musicians, prestige, and commercial success. Ironically, they have frequently benefited Congolese music by driving creativity, with each side striving to outdo the other. A similar pattern was seen in the historical rivalry between Franco Luambo and Kwamy Munsi, which inspired several legendary musical exchanges.

In one media interview, music enthusiast and gemstone billionaire Didi Kinuani urged Werrason to shake hands with Koffi in reconciliation. Werrason declined. Didi then appealed to him not to escalate the feud through the media. Such rivalries have become part of the fabric of Congolese music history, and Koffi has probably had more than his fair share simply because he has remained relevant for so long. He has also had notable disagreements with JB Mpiana and Ferré Gola, the latter once being a standout member of Quartier Latin.

Born in Kisangani to a Congolese father and a mother of Sierra Leonean and Senegalese descent, Koffi will celebrate his 70th birthday on 13 July 2026, marking yet another milestone for the father of fashion icon Didi Stone and Del Pirlo.

At 70, most musicians are no longer active. Not Koffi. His latest song, Amourium, was released in May 2026, just weeks ago. He possesses an exceptional ability to capitalize on technological change, maintaining a fierce social media presence and continually reinventing himself for new generations. His contemporary collaborations with Tanzanian Bongo Flava star Diamond Platnumz have attracted hundreds of millions of YouTube views, proving his cross-generational appeal. He also boasts an impressive list of elite protégés whom he mentored to stardom, including Fally Ipupa, Ferré Gola, and Cindy Le Cœur.

Born Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, he has accumulated an extraordinary number of stage names and honorary titles over the years. Among them are Grand Mopao, Mopao Mokonzi, Mokonzi, Quadra Kora Man, Le Grand Ché, Double King, Le Rambo, Boss Ya Mboka, Patron, Agbada, Ackram Ojé, Légende, Milkshake, Iffok Edimolo, Jeune Pato, Nkolo Lupemba, Mokolo Bilanga, Le Maître de Double Demeure, Benoît XVI, Sarkozy, Obama, and Antoine. On several occasions, he even announced these grand new titles by erecting massive billboards across the streets of Kinshasa.

Quartier Latin International remains one of the best-managed bands in the history of African music. This corporate discipline may directly be attributed to Koffi's solid, university-level educational background, which goes a long way in explaining his remarkable longevity and organizational success. He may not have matched the sheer, raw depth of musical genius displayed by some of the early foundational giants of Congolese music, such as Franco Luambo, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Verckys Kiamuangana. Yet, his unparalleled ability to remain at the absolute summit of African music for decades unquestionably earns him a permanent, undisputed seat among the greatest Congolese musicians of all time.

BY JEROME OGOLA

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MEKANISI MODERO'S DEATH REKINDLES MEMORIES OF AFRISA INTERNATIONAL

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:33:00 +0000

On Sunday, the 21st of June 2026, in Washington, D.C., Mekanisi Modero breathed his last in the hospital. His death brought to an end a music career that lasted over 60 years. His passing marked yet another sad moment for Congolese rumba, with the superstars of the 1960s and 1970s leaving the stage one by one. His death also rekindled fond memories of Tabu Ley's band, Afrisa International, an outfit that occupied a pivotal role in Congolese music for several decades.

As much as Franco's band, OK Jazz, may have overshadowed Tabu Ley's outfit in terms of popularity and volume of music, there are other factors that favored Afrisa, such as its longevity, making it one of the most formidable musical outfits ever to come out of Africa. Tabu Ley Rochereau was the face behind the band, just as Franco was for OK Jazz and Verckys was for Orchestra Veve. Tabu Ley was born in Bagata, DRC, on 13 November 1940 and died on 30 November 2013. The genealogy of Afrisa stretches back to a rebellion that took place in 1963 at African Jazz, when Joseph Kabasele, alias Grand Kallé, failed to pay his band members after a performance, resulting in a revolt.

Several top musicians left the outfit, among them Tabu Ley, who had served alongside Grand Kallé as one of the band's vocalists. The others were trumpeter Willy Kuntima, maracas player Roger Izeidi, double bassist Joseph Mwena, and the guitar duo of Nico Kasanda and his elder brother Charles Mwamba Dechaud.

African Jazz had been Ley's first major band, but the young crooner had previously had stints with Jazz Africaine (not African Jazz) and Rock-A-Mambo, a studio ensemble at Esengo Studios.

The team that left African Jazz formed a new ensemble known as African Fiesta, which excelled in the same school of rumba as African Jazz. However, the band that had seemed destined to dethrone African Jazz at the pinnacle of the country's music scene did not last long. Within three years, it had split, giving rise to new bands. The new bands were African Fiesta Sukisa and African Fiesta National, headed by Nico and Tabu Ley, respectively. This marked a new beginning for Tabu Ley, as it was his band that went on to define Congolese entertainment for decades.

African Fiesta National became the first African band to perform at the famed Olympia in Paris in 1970, and that was not all. The band, which rebranded as Afrisa International after the Olympia concert, became a pacesetter on many fronts. Having chosen to pursue the African Jazz school of rumba, Afrisa became the leading exponent of the style as African Jazz gradually faded into oblivion. Other bands that excelled in this school of rumba included Jeannot Bombenga's Vox Africa, Nico's African Fiesta Sukisa, and Festival des Maquisards.

Whereas Dr. Nico's band faded relatively early, neither Vox Africa nor Maquisards could match Afrisa's longevity and influence. It was the most successful protégé of African Jazz. Afrisa became a home of talent and innovation. It was in this band that the showmanship pioneered by Sosoliso gained a firm footing, and it was also here that the drum kit became fully integrated into Congolese music. Afrisa was innovative, as opposed to OK Jazz, which appeared more conservative and sticklers for odemba.

From the mid 1960s through to the 2000s, Tabu Ley's band enjoyed the services of a galaxy of superstars. On guitar alone, some of the finest fingers in the trade played for African Fiesta National and later Afrisa. From Jean-Paul Vangu, alias Guvano, to Pierre Attel Mbumba, Michelino, alias Mavatiku Visi, and Maître Dizzy Mandjeku, the band boasted some of the greatest guitarists ever to grace Congolese music.

Others included Dino Vangu, Faugus Izeidi, Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Bopol Mansiamina, Maika Munan, Shaba Kahamba, Dr. Nico, Dave Makondelé, Damaseau Kambité, and many others. This is what drew the attention of every music lover to Afrisa. Drumming superstars Seskain Molenga and Ringo Moya also plied their trade with Afrisa, as did horn players such as the late Mekanisi Modero, Kebart Kabasele, Willy Mbembe, Empopo Loway, Akazol Kalula, and others.

Some of the finest crooners in Congolese rumba were also part and parcel of this band at different times. From the days of René Kasanda, Ndombe Opetum, Sam Mangwana, Dodo Munoko, Mimi Ley, Diesel Diambu, Mbilia Bel, and Madilu System, the band was never short of vocal talent. Tabu Ley himself is considered by many to be the finest singer Congolese music has ever produced. Some of these musicians went on to achieve even greater success in their careers years later.

The band also ensured that it featured consistently in music charts. From the days of "Savon Omo" to "Mokolo Nakokufa," "Hortense," "Mose Konzo," "Kaful Mayayi," "Kiyedi," "Maze," "Nakeyi Nairobi," "Monsieur Malonga," and "Muzina," among many others, the band always had something new for its fans, and that new offering was usually a major hit. These are just a few of the nearly 1,000 songs the band recorded during its years of existence. Afrisa toured the continent and the world extensively. The band graced stages in numerous cities across Africa, Europe, and America before later establishing a base in the United States. Through these tours, the band cultivated a loyal fan base.

In Kenya, for example, George Omondi is a dedicated researcher on matters relating to African Fiesta and Afrisa. Over the years, he has built an impressive library of music, photographs, videos, and other literature associated with the band. During the peak of Congolese music, from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s, all major bands had devoted fan bases, akin to the rivalry between supporters of English Premier League clubs today. A defection from one band to another was never taken lightly. When Sam Mangwana defected from Afrisa to OK Jazz, for example, there were street demonstrations in Kinshasa. The rivalry between the two bands is thought by many pundits to have encouraged competition, thereby elevating Congolese rumba, much like the later rivalry between the two Wenge factions.

However, the rivalry between Franco and Tabu Ley was apparently never personal. In 1983, Fataki Lusangu, alias Tshika Tshika, a prominent businessman, brought the two together for a series of projects dubbed "Lisanga Ya Banganga." The venture also featured Michelino, an important bridge between the two schools of rumba, and resulted in several successful songs.

The death of Mekanisi Modero therefore does not merely rob Congolese rumba fans of a talented composer, saxophonist, and manager; it also reawakens memories of Afrisa International, a band that defined Congolese music for decades.

SCRIPTED BY JEROME OGOLA

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THE SOULFUL RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN MUSIC

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:03:00 +0000

The truth is, technology is moving at a breakneck pace and a massive storm is coming for our music industry. If we stick to old, slow ways of thinking, our musical heritage will be left behind. We have to change how we adapt.

If you look back to the old days of African music, you can almost smell the warm plastic of a cassette tape turning in a portable player. Growing up, sound was all about the crackle of shortwave radio, the patience of using a pencil to wind up loose tape, and the human touch of musicians sitting in the same room to make a groove happen. You could feel the studio dust and the tiny slip of a guitar pick. It was the true soul of an era.

Today, a computer-generated flood is taking over. Every single day, 75,000 fully automated tracks are dumped onto streaming apps, turning music into a cheap, endless product. Yet, technology itself is not the enemy. It is all about whose hands are on the tools.

We are seeing this play out right now with Faustin Munishi’s gospel classic, "Malebo." Far from killing the past, digital tools have allowed a beautiful, chaotic mix of creators to make a younger generation fall in love with the original source.

The project Hymnalafrica took Munishi's scratchy, decades-old recording, cleaned up the background noise, and paired it with video to bring millions of new views to the original masterpiece. Then came the everyday creators, injecting their own raw energy into the track.

An upcoming Kamba Benga guitar player named Tumbo Usu wove a sweet, slower rhythm around a bright electric guitar melody. Kairu Junior stripped the track back into a passionate acoustic performance. Meanwhile, Unlimited Glory, a Maasai singer, took the internet by storm, letting loose a magnificent, deep baritone that carried the entire song without a single instrument.

Alongside them, creators like DJ Shiti and Hush BK dropped "Malebo Amepatikana," adding street humor to the viral story. This is the real beauty of African creativity. It is a vibrant conversation where the past, the present, the village, the city, high-tech tools, and deep traditions all dance together.

But let’s be honest. No matter how clean a digital remake gets, it cannot replace the original source. When you take away the real, wheezing magic of Munishi’s accordion and his raw voice, you lose the heart of the story. A computer simply cannot master African time, that loose rhythm where a live drummer sits a tiny bit behind the beat to give the groove its heavy, addictive pull.

This viral success brings up a critical question of fairness. As the old proverb goes, "The one who clears the path does not look backward to see who is walking on it, but the ones walking must remember who held the panga." Munishi held the panga. He chopped through the bush, built the foundation, and owns the copyright. He deserves the final say, total consent, and the biggest share of the money.

However, the old ways of relying on radio stations and media bosses are dead. If our legal systems stay stuck in slow, old-school paperwork, we will drive the youth straight into using AI tools just to avoid legal headaches. Working with a pioneer has to be as easy as sending a text message. We must adapt before the storm catches us.

Imagine a simple consent button built right into upload screens. With one tap, a young creator requests permission, the system checks the rights, and the pioneer can say yes or no before the track ever goes public. It respects human permission from day one, turning copyright into a friendly digital handshake.

Once the primary track is approved, digital contracts embedded in the file can automatically split the money the moment a song is streamed. The originator gets their guaranteed premium, the major share honoring the flesh-and-blood genius behind the song. This creates a permanent estate for the master who held the panga.

Meanwhile, the creators, the TikTok dancers, upcoming guitarists, and digital curators driving the hype, receive a healthy slice of promotional money. In a tough economy, this automated split gives everyone their fair cut. For the youth, it funds a late-night mutura and mandazi run. For someone like Unlimited Glory, it brings home enough money to buy a brand-new shuka.

There is an immense, powerful future in using technology to scale our sounds and build a self-sustaining African music industry that keeps billions of shillings within our own borders. Let the software handle the archiving, the monetization, and the futuristic experiments.

We can welcome the new tools, the automated splits, and the clever digital remakes, because they help our heritage survive in a fast-moving world. But given a choice, I will always choose to listen to the original track.

A digital copy can capture the notes, but it misses the historical weight, the texture, and the sheer depth of a real human performance. Give me the music that smokes, sparks, and burns with genuine life. Give me the slight crackle of an overworked microphone and the rough edges of a real throat. It might have flaws, and it might run on African time, but that imperfect, deep groove is exactly how you know you are listening to something real.

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MEKANISI MODERO DIES IN THE USA

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:07:00 +0000

Congolese musician Mekanisi Modero is dead.

His death was announced by his former bandmate at Afrisa International, guitarist Dino Vangu, on his social media page.

Although he did not divulge details of the death, Mekanisi Modero, one of the longest-serving members of Afrisa International, had been living in the USA for several decades, where he died.

“I just learned from the USA of the death yesterday, 21 June 2026, of our colleague, friend, and brother, artist, musician, saxophonist, and show presenter Mekanisi Zemba Gabwisa Modero. May his soul rest in peace.”

Dino Vangu’s message read in part.

Mekanisi Modero, who joined Tabu Ley’s Afrisa International in 1970, was born Mekanisi Zemba Bagwisa in Kikwit, Bandundu, on January 4, 1944.

His admiration for Louis Armstrong made him learn the trumpet and saxophone early in life. Tabu Ley scouted his talent after word of his gift spread, and he went on to become one of the most celebrated sax players in the country.

He also managed Afrisa under Tabu Ley, served as MC in most of the band’s concerts, and was also a good songwriter. His saxophone can be heard in many Afrisa songs.

He had been living in Washington, DC, since 1984, when he travelled there with the band, and had been performing with several musicians, among them Dodo Munoko and Huit Kilo, who had also been members of the band. Congolese music has lost one of its major pillars, those who contributed immensely to the growth of the genre.

By Jerome Ogolla

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A NEWS ANCHOR WHO ALSO SANG HIS HEART OUT

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:00:00 +0000

A Story of Jacob William Maunda

If you are yet to set foot in any far-flung town and would wish to visit, you will really appreciate the input of someone well-versed in the geography of the place to introduce you to the neighborhood as your tour guide.

If the new place you envisage visiting is Mombasa, then you would really appreciate Jacob William Maunda's song, "Nahangaika Mombasa."

Apparently, the composer set out on a journey to trace his lover, Mary Mueni, who had quit her home in Ukambani, Kenya, and left for Mombasa.

The places listed as visited by the composer of the song are Changamwe, Chaani, Magongo, Miritini, Jomvu, Shimanzi, Makande, Makupa, Tononoka, Tudor, Kingorani, Majengo, Ganjoni, Kibokoni, Wandureni, Mwembe Tayari, Mtongwe, Diani, Kisauni, Likoni, and Ukunda, among others. The song is an introduction to Mombasa, sung in a classical, slow rumba style with a very creative rhythm guitar. It is an unforgettable track. It is this kind of music that makes a song stick in a listener's mind for a long time, and possibly a lifetime. So, who was Jacob William Maunda? This is a question that will make us veer away from music. It happens that the musician was not just a musician, but also a journalist who plied his trade with the state broadcaster, VOK (later KBC), as a news anchor.

His name was synonymous with Swahili prime-time news bulletins. For years, he read news for the radio station in an era when radio was the principal source of news for most Kenyans, and VOK dominated the airwaves as the only local radio station. Families gathered around their radio receivers and listened keenly to catch up with what was happening around the globe.

The veteran news anchor was born in Kenya's Eastern Province but began his primary education in Tanzania, where his father worked as a locomotive driver for the East African Railways. Maunda, who was born in February 1950, came back to Kenya from Tanzania to continue his education at Mbukuni Primary School in Kilome in the Lower Eastern region. He later joined Kilungu Secondary School in Kilome for his secondary education, then got employed by the East African Community. He was posted to Tanzania, where he studied a secretarial course at the East African Community College. He worked with the East African Community until the organization collapsed in 1977, when he returned to Kenya. Maunda then joined the state broadcaster and worked for the corporation until his retirement.

Among the big names at the state broadcaster in those days were Ali Salim Manga, Billy Omala, Isaac Anunda Sakwa, Amina Faki, Elizabeth Obege, Anacklet Araba, Hamisi Themo, and many others. The state broadcaster later sponsored him to pursue a diploma course at KIMC in the mid-1980s. In those days, the state literally ran the affairs of the broadcaster in a bid to influence public opinion by skewing what was disseminated. "A minister or a senior state official would call to reprimand you if you did something they did not agree with," Maunda was once quoted as saying in an interview with a local TV station.

He took early retirement to concentrate on music in 2001, but upon retiring from VOK, which had since rebranded to KBC, Maunda still worked for Musyi FM, where he served in a managerial position.

His voice did not just grace the microphones of the state broadcaster; it found its way into music studios as well. His broadcasting career was intertwined with his musical career. Maunda, who was still an active musician and performing at Makuti Vibrations in Machakos a few months before his death, began his music career in his teenage years. It all began while he lived with his father in Tanzania. Together with his agemates, he formed the East African Community Band. He began as a singer but, while there, learned how to play the guitar and became a skilled solo guitarist.

When he came back to Kenya, he formed Mukasu Band, which did not last long before disbanding. That is when he formed Mukaa Super International, a name he adopted from his birthplace.

This is the band he performed with throughout his life. Most people thought he was merely a studio musician because of his engagement as a news anchor at VOK, but that was not the case. He performed regularly in clubs. He was a gifted singer with a smooth baritone voice and an accomplished solo guitarist. Apart from "Nahangaika Mombasa," his other popular songs included "Mkimbizi wa Mapenzi," "Jirani Roho Mbaya," and many others. He also composed a song in praise of Mwai Kibaki, who served as Kenya's president from 2002 to 2013. Maunda died of a heart attack at Kenyatta National Hospital on 13 August 2012. He was survived by two widows and several children. He left his mark in both music and journalism, and the manner in which he juggled the two with ease will remain a subject of admiration for many years to come. These were easily two men in one.

BY JEROME OGOLA

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