“Malaika” is easily the most popular Kiswahili song. Not only that, it is also East Africa’s most successful song in terms of the number of cover versions recorded, and by far the most recognizable composition from the region. Yet even without it, Fadhili would still soar high in the skies of popularity, buoyed by the successes of other classics such as “Taxi Driver.”

That alone would not be enough to define Fadhili. He was among the indigenous pioneer professional musicians in Kenya when he became part of Jambo Sounds, the house band at Jambo Records in the mid-1950s. Jambo Sounds later mutated into Equator Sounds after the record company was sold to Charles Worrod, a Briton of South African origin who is credited with popularizing the Twist genre that became extremely fashionable among urban youth in the 1960s.

Among this pioneer batch of musicians, further trained by Worrod himself and incorporated into the band, were Daudi Kabaka and Gabriel Omolo from Kenya, Nashil Pichen and Peter Tsotsi from Zambia, and Charles Ssonko, among others. Together, they formed a formidable nucleus that shaped the sound of modern East African popular music.

“Harambee Harambee,” “Helule Helule,” and “Taxi Driver” are just a few of the songs Equator Sounds recorded that set the pace for a vibrant music industry in the 1960s. During this period, Nairobi attracted an array of musicians from across the region. Being a dependable lead guitarist in such a competitive environment was no mean feat, and this secures an important segment of the region’s hall of fame for Fadhili.

As mentioned earlier, the authorship of “Malaika” has for decades been disputed, with several names floated as possible composers. Among them are Tanzanian musician Adam Salim, South African icon Miriam Makeba, and even flamboyant Kenyan trade unionist and politician Tom Mboya. Nonetheless, it remains a fact that Fadhili Williams is the uncontested legal owner of the song, having been the first to record it.

That is not all. He was also among the very first indigenous musicians in the region to gain fluency and technical mastery in playing the electric guitar, at a time when the instrument was still novel and scarce in East Africa.

Ironically, had Fadhili’s childhood wishes come true, the world might never have heard “Taxi Driver,” “Malaika,” or any of his celebrated songs. Despite being born into a musical family—his father a traditional musician and his mother equally involved in music—he initially did not intend to pursue music as a career.

Upon completing his secondary education at the famous Shimo La Tewa Secondary School, Fadhili aspired to be employed either as a police officer or by the then-lucrative East African Railways. He even sent applications for these positions, but none yielded a positive response. His mother, however, was hesitant about those ambitions and strongly desired that her son pursue music instead. She bought him an acoustic Gallotone guitar for 90 shillings, a considerable sum at the time.

According to the Presidential Music Commission’s biography of Fadhili, his father had died while he was still young, prompting his mother to relocate to Nairobi to fend for the family. His maiden engagement as a musician came with the Chem Chem Kids band, which specialized in performing at weddings and other neighborhood events. He also recorded with the African Mercantile Company, an opportunity that enabled him to perform outside Kenya, including in Uganda, at a relatively young age.

In 1955, the young Fadhili was spotted by East African Records, where he made his very first recordings. Being a versatile and talented musician capable of playing several instruments opened floodgates of opportunity for him. His engagements with the company also earned him a position as a talent scout.

However, it was during his time with Jambo Sounds that he truly made a name for himself. It was with this band that he recorded “Malaika,” “Taxi Driver,” and many other songs. Although the authorship of “Malaika” remains disputed, he consistently maintained that he wrote the song, claiming he composed it for a lady he fell in love with while still in school.

He also acknowledged having earned millions of shillings in royalties from the song. While “Taxi Driver” was not as commercially successful as “Malaika,” it nonetheless remains one of Kenya’s most iconic songs. According to Fadhili himself, “Taxi Driver” was based on a true story. He composed the song for his first love, Rosemary, who lived in Nakuru. He later married her, and the couple had six children. He subsequently married two other women and had several more children.

Born Fadhili Mdawida Williams in Taita on November 11, 1938, the “Taxi Driver” superstar’s health began to decline in 2000, and he died a year later. His works continue to inspire many to venture into music. He remains one of the region’s most decorated and influential musicians.

By Jerome Ogola

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That’s why the issue of genre oftentimes escapes even the musicians themselves, and on some other occasions, discussants can't agree on which genre a song belongs to. Even the parameters that define these genres are also contested at times. These very parameters may also vary from genre to genre.

For example, reggae as a genre is identified by the dominance of the rhythm guitar and the manner in which it is strummed, the predominant theme of resistance, and the near-religious theology of Rastafarianism. So, what is the rumba genre identified with?

Before we venture into this dissection, it is worth noting that we must first correctly identify the specimen. Rumba is broader than what Congolese musicians do, thus the need to stick to the prefix Congolese before rumba, a term that offers some precision.

Congolese rumba is a fusion of the Afro-Cuban beat imported to Africa and fused with melodies and other aspects of traditional African music. This convergence was made possible by the elements of the trans-Atlantic slave trade floating back to the Atlantic shores in West Africa. This music is also referred to, albeit erroneously, by other terminologies.

The first is rhumba. Rhumba is an Anglicized or Americanized variation or alternative spelling. It has been accepted by several dictionaries as an alternative spelling, but most still stick to rumba. However, a dig into its etymological Cuban origin points to rumba as the correct spelling.

However, for a collective noun for rattlesnakes, the dictionary is strict on spellings. Rhumba it is.

The other term commonly used to refer to Congolese rumba is Lingala. To some people, a "Lingala song" means a rumba song. This is incorrect. Lingala is a language, not a genre of music.

Lingala is a Central Bantu language spoken mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, widely known as the expressive lyrical language of Congolese rumba.

Apart from rhumba and Lingala, the other term often used interchangeably with Congolese rumba is soukous. It is worth noting that European scholars consider soukous as the genre of music that comes from Congo. To them, rumba is strictly that Cuban dance. That’s why Wikipedia describes every Congolese musician as a "soukous musician."

Soukous, in the strict sense of the meaning, is a subgenre of Congolese rumba. Soukous, which is defined by its high tempo and the absence of saxophones, trumpets, or clarinets, was the peak of Congolese rumba in terms of popularity. Its origin is debatable and may have been contributed to by more than one factor.

One of the theories advanced to explain its emergence was the highlife effects from West Africa carried back into the DRC by remnants of the giant African All Stars, upon its disbandment in the early 1980s. Highlife was very popular in West Africa in that era.

This coincided with the mass immigration of Congolese musicians into Europe, a factor that is thought to have triggered the emergence of the subgenre. This became the peak of Congolese music as far as popularity is concerned, although this may not necessarily define the peak of its creativity, which happened in the 1960s.

Superior recording equipment and better marketing prospects made music sales soar beyond what was its traditional base.

The other subgenres of rumba may not have attained similar success. They are pachanga, cavacha, bolero, merengue, charanga, cha-cha-cha, and, much late,r a different version of soukous known as techno-soukous.

Some of these subgenres were imported from Cuba and were done exactly as they were in their places of origin. This explains why several songs by Congolese bands in the 1970s were done in Spanish. Songs like "El Cuini" by Verckys or "African Jazz Mokili Mobimba" are cover versions of songs that were originally done by Cuban musicians.

Cavacha had the epicenter of its evolution at Maison Veve, the state-of-the-art recording studio established by Verckys Kiamuangana in 1972. Music was now becoming the center of attraction in entertainment joints and other events, performance being the in-thing, especially after the "Rumble in the Jungle" bout between American pugilists George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, which happened in Kinshasa in 1974 and featured, among others, American rock star James Brown.

This subgenre was defined by an extended segment meant for dancing. It was initially graced by an extensive saxophone section, but bands like Zaiko got rid of the sax and created an extended guitar session for dancing. Dancers became part of the bands. On the other hand, odemba, ndombolo, kwasa kwasa, etc., are more dance styles than subgenres.

Other attempts have also been made to cluster Congolese rumba by chronology. This has always been crafted over the years that musicians and bands existed. These have been first, second, third, fourth, and fifth generations. The first being that of the era preceding the advent of recording technology.

These musicians are Adou Elenga, Paul Kamba, Wendo Nkolosoy, Henri Bowane, Leon Bukasa, Manuel D'Oliveira, etc. They performed from the mid-1940s to the 1950s. Recording technology came to Kinshasa in 1948.

The second generation includes Franco, Nico, Tabu Ley, Bavon, Bokelo, Grand Kalle, and many others. The third is the cavacha generation of the 1970s, including groups like Lipua Lipua. The fourth is Soukous, and the fifth is the generation of Wenge, etc.

This music has also been clustered alongside bands. In the 1960s and 1970s, bands followed either the OK Jazz School or the African Jazz School. The OK Jazz School was identified by Vicky Longomba's voice and Franco's guitar. It featured no mi-solo, and the singing was done by several vocalists creating harmony. Franco called it Odemba. Upon his death, the band switched to mayeno, which is more soukous.

"There were two solo guitars, first and second solo, but no mi-solo, in this school of Congolese rumba," Pierre Mandjeku Lengo told Jabulani Radio, while elucidating the various schools of Congolese rumba. Pierre, also known as Dizzy, has played guitar for Conga 68, Orchestra Veve, Kosa Kosa, Festival Des Maquisards, Afrisa, OKJ, and African All Stars. He currently resides in Brussels, where he heads Odemba OK Jazz, which performs in Europe.

The other school was the Fiesta school, identified by Dr. Nico's guitar and Grand Kalle's voice. This style had a mi-solo, and the singing was mostly done by one vocalist. Festival Des Maquisards, Afrisa, African Fiesta National, etc., followed this school. The mi-solo was innovated in this school.

The other factors that stand out in identifying Congolese rumba are the melody of the singing, the style of the solo guitar, which often takes the melody of the lead vocalist, the language, which is Lingala, and the segmentation of the song into two parts: one for singing and the second for dancing.

Congolese rumba also has related genres like the Kenyan benga, whose guitar style, i.e., solo riffs and singing style, differentiates them. Congolese bands in Nairobi and other African cities also had styles that were different from their counterparts in the DRC but still fell within the respective genres. Also worth noting is that not all Congolese music is rumba. A notable example is mutwashi, perfected by Tshala Muana. That was basically a traditional folk dance of the Baluba people done with modern instruments.

Other genres around Africa have also been gravitating towards Congolese rumba for years. Congolese rumba is more than just a genre; it is a living archive of history, culture, and identity expressed through rhythm and melody. Its enduring influence across Africa and beyond affirms its place as one of the continent’s greatest musical legacies.

By Jerome Ogola

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All the big names from the era of "twist," a very popular genre in the 1960s and 1970s originating from what is today Vihiga County, either came from the Banyore sub-tribe in Emuhaya Constituency or from Hamisi Constituency, home to the Tiriki sub-tribe. Others came from neighboring Kakamega County. Daudi Kabaka, Shem Tube, Isaya Mwinamo, Ruben Shimbiro, John Amutabi, George Mukabi, Fànuel Amimo, and others came from either of these regions, and none from the Maragoli sub-tribe.

Although historians have pointed out that the Luhya tribe is an amalgamation of 18 tribes that previously existed as autonomous entities, each with its own dialect and customs, like many Bantu communities, they all have a rich cultural history that includes significant musical traditions. It is thus strange that, when it comes to contemporary recorded music, the Maragoli are easily identified as a musical desert.

Nonetheless, one man is determined to rewrite this narrative and place the sub-tribe on the global musical map. Although he was born in Lugari, a settlement scheme far north of Vihiga but still in Western Kenya, Freddie Akivambo Tolo is so far the most visible Maragoli musician.

"From my childhood, I wished to be nothing less than Tabuley," Akivambo Tolo, who was born in April 1968 in Lumakanda, told Jabulani Radio from his hotel room in Tororo, where he was staying for a series of performances.

He quenched his thirst for education at Lumakanda Primary and Homa Bay Secondary Schools before returning to Lumakanda to sit for his O-level exams. Armed with guitar skills, it wasn’t difficult for him to join a band when he chose to venture into music as a full-time career in 1996. He had taught himself to play the guitar while still a young boy. His father, an evangelist, was entrusted with church instruments, which remained in his custody. Young Freddie would secretly use them to teach himself how to play the guitar.

Without any teacher or guidance, he struggled and eventually mastered the chords, improving his skills over time. By the time he joined Bana Lisanga of Eldoret, he was already an accomplished guitarist who could easily switch between solo and rhythm guitar. Bana Lisanga, the Langas-based band, didn’t just accommodate the young musician and give him an opportunity to showcase his talent, but also taught him the ropes of music. Led by veteran Simon Beru, the band had notable musicians from all over the country and even some from the DRC.

After Bana Lisanga, Akivambo Tolo joined Bana Kutana, another music ensemble based in Eldoret, at a popular club known as Kutana. It was here that he mingled with Peter Dalidi, Ongoro Ja Karachuonyo, Awillo, and others, with whom he later helped establish Jamnazi Afrika.

Akivambo Tolo would go on to perform with Jamnazi for another decade. His role in this high-flying band, which featured Awillo, Ongoro, and Dalidi, was to play rhythm guitar. He also sang vocals, especially in Luhya songs, since the band performed music from all corners of the country and even from beyond, including the DRC. From Jamnazi, Akivambo Tolo, who describes laziness and overreliance on technology, i.e., computer programming for music production, as the Waterloo of creativity in Kenyan music, formed his own band, Jugodias. The name is an acronym of the band’s three founders: Julius, Godfrey, and Akivambo.

The band has performed across the country but is based at Kakamega’s Banias Club. It boasts a lineup that includes rhythm guitarist Zablon Mongare, drummer Makokha, bassists Bernard and Patrick, and singers Constance Sakwa, Marion Kevina, and Joel. So far, they have recorded at least 50 songs, some released as albums and others as singles.

Among his popular hits are "Amavere gi Kimuga," which directly translates to “the milk of a gourd,” a figurative expression celebrating the beauty of a woman from the Kalenjin community. "Betty" is a love song based on a true story, while "Umwana Inyanya" extols the magnanimity and beauty of a village woman. Akivambo regards Luseno as his biggest local icon, noting that the late leader of the Phototex Band was an accomplished musician whose path to success every aspiring artist wishes to emulate.

By Jerome Ogola

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Born in October 1945, Mose Sengo, aka Mose Fanfan, debuted in music in 1966 with a band called Rickem Jazz in Kinshasa. He also had a stint with the Orchestre Revolution, a formation mostly consisting of musicians who had rebelled from Franco's OKJ in 1967.

Fanfan, the only guitarist who could pull out a Franco on the fretboard, joined OKJ in 1968 and left in 1974. He played in the studio recording of several songs, including Beya, his own composition, dje melasi, and several others.

He quit the band to join Lovy Du Zaire where he played all the solo guitar for the band's recordings. He later formed Somo Somo, alongside another OKJ singer Youlou Mabiala, and with the outfit, they toured Zambia.
Youlou went back to Kinshasa as Fanfan came to East Africa via Tanzania, joining Mzee Makassy in Orchestre Makassy. He carried along Franco's guitar style to East Africa, and the band's trademark guitar can be heard in the songs sisika, mosese, athumani, molema, and others

Orchestre Makassy also featured Fanfans' former colleague at OKJ, renowned trumpeter Adamo Seye Kadimoke, currently in retirement in Lubumbashi

When the band relocated to Nairobi in 1979, Remi Ongala wasn't happy with the development and stayed behind in Tanzania, where he created Orchestre Super Matilmila. Fanfan stayed behind with him He set the pace of guitar at the band and that's what made the band play a unique brand of rumba, very close to the odemba of Franco, featuring at least two solo guitars. Fanfan later relocated to Nairobi and revived his Orchestre Somo Somo.

In 1983, he relocated to London, where he was then based. He has been performing with singers Rissa Rissasy Rossignol, Nzaya Nzayadio guitarist Lusambo Fiston, bassist Kib Douglas Misapi, drummer Saidi Tumba Saidi Kanda, and others.

He has been a frequent visitor to Nairobi, Ketebul music, where he had several musical projects. He died in May 2019 while visiting Nairobi. His death happened a few hours after the burial of another music titan and his former colleague at OKJ, Simaro Lutumba.

He is among the brains that made OKJ what it was and among those who made Congolese music a juggernaut to reckon with. His musical achievements are too numerous to sum up in one song, like Papa Lolo, as some radio presenters insist.

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Congolese rumba has constantly been in a state of evolution. The slow-paced and heavily spiced Fiesta and Odemba styles, which prominently featured the saxophone, clarinet, trumpets, accordion, maracas, and more, passed the baton to Cavacha, which emphasized the sebene and ultimately gave birth to Soukous.

This high-tempo subgenre, thought to have borrowed heavily from West African highlife, eliminated extra guitars (such as the mi-solo or second solo), removed the saxophone and the entire horn section, and did away with additional elements like maracas. Instead, it focused on the three core guitars—solo, rhythm, and bass—while retaining percussion and drum sets.

What was the end product? Music designed more for live performances in concerts than for home listening. This shift coincided with a mass exodus of Congolese musicians to Europe, where the music was tailored for a global audience. Two bands at the epicenter of the Soukous revolution: Soukouss Stars and Loketo. Loketo was created in 1986 by Aurlus Mabélé and his friends—solo guitarist Diblo Dibala, singer Jean Baron, and drummer Mark Macaire.

With the advent of Paris as the new musical capital for the genre, the Congolese music scene became highly fluid. Traditional bands started fading away, replaced by the concept of session musicians. Among the pool of musicians in Paris, several groups emerged, mostly for recording purposes. One of these was formed by the exceptionally talented guitarist Diblo Dibala, who had previously auditioned for OK Jazz. Seeking to create a band, he found the perfect companion in Aurlus, who possessed a melodious baritone voice and was a master showman. Together, they brought in other musicians.

The band released a few albums, but it wasn’t until 1990 that they unveiled their magnum opus, Embargo. The album sold like hotcakes across the continent. In East Africa, it sparked a craze. It wasn’t just an album—it introduced a dance style that swept across the region. Aurlus, as the face of the band, became a household name. During that era, every household owned a radio cassette player, and a Loketo cassette was a must-have.

Children in villages hummed the songs. Embargo, the group's most successful album, was released after Diblo had left to form his own band, Matchatcha. The new lead soloist was yet another Soukous maestro, Dally Kimoko.

The album featured six songs: "Embargo," "Asta-Di," "Mawa," "Betty," "Liste-Rouge," and "Un Seul Dieu."

The vocalists were Aurlus Mabélé, Jean Baron, Marie Celine Chrone, and Lucien Bokilo. The rhythm guitarists were Geo Bilongo and Blandin Wabacha, while the bass guitar was played by Remy Sahlomon. Mark Macaire handled the drums.

Aurlus, born Aurélien Miatsonama on October 24, 1953, was a member of Les Ndimbola Lokole in the mid-1970s before relocating to Paris and forming Loketo. He also had a series of solo albums that performed remarkably well. Later, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and was admitted to several hospitals in Paris while seeking treatment. COVID-19 aggravated his condition, and he passed away on March 19, 2020.

He left behind an unmatched legacy. His singing, dancing, and composing prowess remain the envy of many musicians. In his death, the continent lost a towering musical baobab.

By Jerome Ogola

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At this point, Loway unleashes an emotional saxophone that captures the theme of the song. It is such uniqueness that defined Empopo Deyese Loway's sax in his illustrious career that straddled several bands. Italian-based rumba aficionado, Eugene Magina described Loway's saxophone as sexy, stating that of all renowned saxophonists of the rumba world, it was easy to tell Loway's owing to its unique style. Regardless, Loway was an all-round musician whose prowess cannot be accurately gauged with his expertise on the saxophone as the sole yardstick. He was equally an astute composer. While in OKJ, Clemence and Bois Noirs are remarkable memories of some of his compositions.

He cut his teeth at Orchestra Jamel of Fauvette Kabangu, which unsurprisingly is the kindergarten that nurtured a dozen would-be superstars of Congolese music. Loway joined this band in the early 1960s, and it is here that he established a name for himself as a skilled hornsman.

It is in this band that he first played alongside Franco's younger brother, Bavon Siongo, aka Marie Marie, who later became a star with Orchestra Negro Success, with his dazzling mastery of the guitar fretboard. Loko Masengo, who later formed the singing sensation of the Madjesi trio, was also part and parcel of this ensemble.

In 1963, Loway transitioned to Orchestra Cubana, and by the mid-1960s he was blowing the sax for Negro Success. It is here that he gained international repute with his styles in the band which excelled in the pachanga subgenre. In 1970, his blowing skills had become every band's desire.

He landed at Afrisa International, which had rebranded after the successful Olympia concert. Loway didn't stay along with the band as he quit to join Ndombe Opetum, Dino Vangu, Vata Mombasa, and others in creating Orchestra Afrizam. Keen observers remember that it was this band that changed its identity to Makina Loka after a protracted tussle with Tabuley over the name, as the latter claimed the name Afrizam was confusing fans with his Afrisa, as they are near homophones.

From Afrizam, his next stop was at Un-Deux-Trois, which was Grand Maitre Franco's Ok Jazz headquarters. Here, more glory awaited him. Franco had quite a long list of saxophonists who have played with his band, among them Isaac Musekiwa, Verckys Kiamuangana, Dele Pedro, Christophe Djali, Kasongo Wa Kasongo, Lunama Mbemba, Kunsita Ruben, Matalanza, and many others, but not all left indelible footprints in the band as Loway and Verckys did.

This sax wizard graced the recordings of several successful songs with the band, i.e., Nabali misere, Celio, voyage na Bandundu, and these endeared him so much to the band's fanbase. It is also worth noting that in the period between his switching bands, he also got involved in numerous nzing-nzongs, that yielded several masterpieces.

With an etymological root in an orchestra, Bella Bella with the same title, 'nzing-nzong' in rumba parlance means a makeshift band created for purposes of a particular recording or performance, a team that hitherto didn't exist, and its lifespan is as long as that particular recording or performance lasts. It is in these 'moonlighting sessions' that he arranged songs for Mpongo Love. It was around 1977 that 'Ndaya,' one of the biggest hits from DRC, was recorded. The song, composed by Mayaula Mayoni, a part-time musician who had excelled in academia and football, is one of the most performed songs by military and other brass bands.

The song features the saxophone as a lead instrument, and this was done by Empopo Loway. The other 'nzing-nzong' he got involved in was the one of another female singer, Vonga Aye. He also incorporated Dr. Nico in several projects in the days the former wasn't affiliated with any band. There is video footage that has been prominent online that has, on numerous occasions, been marked as an Africa Fiesta Sukisa band, but that was not the case. Loway was never an African Fiesta musician.

In around 1983, Loway, Mangwana, and Opetum joined hands to create Tiers Monde. The band did quite well with some great releases, but Loway's attempt at the microphone to sing was a major flop. He ought not to have made that try. Loway who died on 21st January 1990, was described by Ken Braun, the head of Sterns Music in the United States as the best Congolese saxophonist, an opinion which may be debatable, but nonetheless acknowledges that he merits a space in the high table of the best Congolese hornsmen.

By Jerome Ogola

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Wuta Mayi(from the water) was with TP OK JAZZ in the 1970s before leaving to join Syran Mbenza, Nyboma Mwandido, and Bopol Mansiamina to form the Four stars/4 etoiles in 1982.

Sometimes I feel they had a side band known as KASS KASS fronted by the late Jean Pappy Ramazani and the late Passi Jo, anyway the late Bopol Mansiamina used to play solo, rhythm, and bass. The guy was gifted, just like the late Nene Tchakou who used to play solo and rhythm guitar. 

I learned yesterday that after independence in 1960/61 somehow the Musicians from Congo Brazzaville opted to go back home, Franco had no vocalists since he used to play the solo guitar in the background, that's when he decided to try vocals and realized he could sing, the rest is history.

In Kenya we had/have Daud Kabaka, John Nzenze, Musa Juma of Limpompo International [anyway the band had Congolese Musicians like Salapata], Sukuma bin Ongaro of the famous "this world", Man Kalle, David Amunga Samwana Eunia/Yuniah Amunga who used to entertain us with pure Rumba music. The late Dr Harry Kabetsha, not from Shimalabandu but the DRC, where they eat, walk, and sleep Rumba music, not forgetting Anthony Okonji are just but a short list of others who can sing and play the guitar just like Wuta Mayi.

Orch Kass Kass was a studio recording ensemble, what Franco used to refer to as "Nzonzing", are you aware the solo guitarist of Tchico Tchikaya Denis La Cloche Lobassou played rhythm guitar in some albums of Och Kass Kass?
Stay tuned for extensive details.

By James Angana

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Dead men tell no tales, and this reality offers authors a license to skew history in a manner that hoists them as heroic status than they really are in reality.  Writing while every other player is dead, inspires the writer to make statements that may be untrue as he is sure to get away with. 

In his book, Les Couilises De La Musique Congolaise, writer Faugus Izeidi, has been accused by pundits of trying to gobble more limelight through his writings, than he really worked for, as a musician. The bone of contention has largely been about the innovation of the mi-solo guitar, which he claims to be his creation. This position as presented in his narrations, could only be debunked by his African Jazz peers, none of whom is alive to give the contrary opinion. 

Faugus Izeidi, born Futu Augustine in  Leopoldville in December 1942, is a younger brother to Roger Izeidi of African Jazz. Although he had immeasurable dalliance with the African Jazz of Grand Kalle, there is very little of his footprints available in the band, through recorded music, as there is an African Fiesta National of Tabuley where his guitar rules the earlier recordings. 

His elder brother the late Roger Izeidi, although physically diminutive, was a big name in African Jazz, and even performed with the band in the January 1960 independence fete in Brussels, an event that birthed the country's liberation. He played maracas, composed, and sang. Maracas was a central pillar, and hand percussion played an important role before the advent of drumkits.

After the big bag that split African Jazz into two, Roger Izeidi went the African Fiesta way, and eventually found himself in Tabuley's outfit African Fiesta National, after the subsequent split of 1963. He then ventured into production, having procured CEFA studios from Bill Alexandre, the Belgian Jazz musician credited with introducing electric guitar in Congolese music.

In the nascent days of the existence of African Jazz in the mid-1950s, the band members most of the time converged and even practiced at their home in Matonge, and this granted an inquisitive and eager young Augustin an opportunity to learn the guitar and horn his skills in the instrument. By the time he was 13, he was already an accomplished guitarist. They shared a neighbourhood with the Tabuley family and this explains why the two families have had ties beyond their musical engagements. For example, Tabuley's song 'Anne Makoy' was a dedication to the mother of Roger and Faugus. 

Although his involvement with African Jazz is glaringly peripheral, his claim of having innovated the mi solo is easily debunked by the reality that the duo that handled with guitar at the band were the mercurial siblings of the Mikalayi, Nico, and Dechaud and the indomitable Tino Baroza, their cousin. If there was any guitar innovation at the band it would least likely originate from different quarters other than the fingers of these three. However, his contribution at African Fiesta National where he played mi solo in almost all of the band's recordings between 1966 and 1968 is glaringly outstanding.

His trademark mi-solo in the song 'mokolo nakokufa' which he composed after it was written by Tabuley is iconic.  The mi solo guitar, a concept which originated to bridge the solo and the rhythm guitars, should be mistaken for the mi compose, where a guitar features two strings E, (the second in place of D) to give the rhythms a unique style, an idea that was made popular by Lokassa Ya Mbongo. This was a Dechaud Mwamba innovation. 

Faugus Izeidi, upon departure from African Fiesta National, created his own band, African Fiesta Populaires, an ensemble that made a remarkable contribution to Congolese music in the 1970s and even gave Madilu System a platform to launch his music career among others. Although Faugus Izeidi has made an incredible contribution to Congolese music, it is important that history isn't distorted to give him more than his fair share.

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This is Leopoldville Governor  Alphonse Bangala , immortalized in Franco's 1966 song 'Colonel Bangala' which has superb sax by Verckys, equally superb soloing by Franco and Franco himself sings as he is backed by Mujos and Boyibanda. President Mobutu faked a coup to gauge who was loyal and who was not, among his top government officials. The fake coupe was headed by Bangala who recruited and sought the support of several cabinet ministers, politicians, military guys, and other state officials.

Those who fell for the trick were executed among them former Prime Minister Evariste Kimba, together with three cabinet members, Jerome Anany (Defence Minister), Emanuel Bamba (Finance Minister), and Akexandre Mahamba (Minister of Mines and Energy). They were tried on May 30, 1966, and executed before an audience of 50,000 spectators. Franco sang a song in praise of Bangala, for 'sanitizing' Kinshasa. This must've been paid for. Franco's friendship with Mobutu was erratic and they also had some commercial engagements as some of the dozen songs done in praise of Mobutu, were actually paid for.

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Described by Standard Newspaper cartoonist Mado as “a band within a band”, Badibanga Wa Tshilumba aka Kaikai was a spectacle to behold in Les Mangelepa shows. 

His showmanship oozed naturally. He was a master of the stage. Although trying to do his choreography in synchrony with the other members on stage, he oftentimes ended up a one man show as he outwitted them. He knew how to do it. 

Badibanga Wa Tshilumba was a rare talent. He was Nairobi's most known trombone player, and possibly the only one in the secular circles outside the military. He made his trombone miraculously outstanding, thus creating a wonderful harmony with the super saxophones of the band Tabu Ngongo.

Moreover, he was also a talented composer. He was the man who composed the evergreen 'Nyako Konya', 'Walter' among many others. He was also a talented conga player, a wonderful vocalist and a trumpeter.

Kaikai, who died in 2015 in South Africa and was buried there, was a fan favorite in the star-studded Les Mangelepa lineup. The band also featured Bwamy Walumona aka Le Capitain, Kabila Kabanza aka Ivany, Lumwanga Mayombo aka Ambasedeur, Lututu Kaniki aka Macky, Kalenga Nzanze aka Vivi, Twikale Kalonda, Tabu Ngongo, and others.

He was born in 1946 in Mbuji Mayi. He learnt the trombone and trumpet in the Congolese National Army in the mid-1960s. His very first engagement with a fully professional civilian band was Lupe Jazz of Lubumbashi, which he joined in 1968. The band was very popular then, in the town. 

In 1970, he was recruited into Micky Jazz, owned by Micky Kalonda, and taken to Lusaka, Zambia, where the band performed regularly in a local club known as Gondola. In 1972, the band toured Dar es Salaam, and Badibanga ended up being poached by Ndala Kasheba, into his Fauvette Jazz.

This set Micky Kalonda and Ndala Kasheba, both natives of Kasai into a collision course. He didn't stay long in the band before joining Baba National, led by Baba Gaston Ilunga Wa Ilunga, a giant in Congolese music who played a key role in bringing Congolese musicians to East Africa.

In 1976, Badibanga Wa Tshilumba was among a dozen musicians who quit Baba National 'entered en masse' creating Les Mangelepa, a band that subsequently defined Nairobi's entertainment for a whopping four decades, creatures songs like 'Embakasi' which turned out to be one of Nairobi's greatest hits ever.

No doubt Badibanga Wa Tshilumba was an outstanding performer and a pillar of Les Mangelepa.

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They only found his wife. Kasongo, who was a guitarist, was missing. Upon inquisition on the whereabouts of their colleague, the wife responded by stating that she, too, had not seen him for several days.

Apparently, the musician hadn't been home for several days. The wife was worried because the family was running short of supplies.

The woman narrated her tribulations to her husband's colleagues with the intention that the duo may prevail upon him to shape up his wayward ways.

Musicians being musicians joked about the woman's predicament and Dodo being Doris, made a makeshift persecution from his host's table and created a beat, upon which Katele sang a chorus begging the roaming Kasongo to return home. 

Katele was an astute composer. He later created verses for them and filled them on the template they had created with Dodo Doris, and that's how the hit song Kasongo was born.

It became very popular and, in fact, one of the band's most popular songs. The band also had a tradition of titling their songs from band members and associates, i.e., Loboko, Asia, Longwa, Mado Zaina, etc, so this wasn't unique.

The song was sung by Katele. It is worth noting that Kasongo Songoley and Kasongo Wa Kanema are two different people. By the time this song was recorded, Kasongo Wa Kanema had yet to join Super Mazembe.

Remember Super Mazembe began in DRC as Super Vox,  while Kasongo came to Kenya via  Tanzania with Baba Gaston's Baba National and joined Super Mazembe after a sojourn in Mangelepa, something that has been doubted by many but I stick to it because Kasongo Wa Kanema himself told me.

Kasongo Wa Kanema was more known than Kasongo Songoley or Katele and this forced an Esau Jacob situation, as he gladly gobbled the Kasongo limelight, but never failed to elaborate that the song wasn't his composition, when asked. This also doesn't make him a lesser musician. He was great.

This story was narrated to me by Mfumu Wa Kimbagu of KBC, who was also a musician with Mazembe. That's how the song Kasongo was born.

By Jerome Ogola

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Congolese singer and song writer; born Brazzaville, May 10, 1945; died Brazzaville, Jan. 14, 1996.
Brazzaville-born Pamelo quenched his thirst for music in Kinshasa. He loved the sounds of African Jazz, and he made the twenty-minute ferry ride across the Congo River to see them play whenever he could. He had been composing songs in the popular Congolese rumba style, some of which he eventually gave to the band's young new singer Tabu  Ley Rochereau. At least one of them, "Paquita," became a hit for the band. Pamelo, then known as "Pablito," was set to join African Jazz himself when the band suddenly split apart.

Back home in Brazzaville, he joined Bantous de la Capitale instead. He jumped ship briefly for a turn with Rochereau's African Fiesta before settling in for the long haul with Bantous de la Capitale. There, as Pamelo M'Bemba, he teamed with another promising singer, Kosmos Moutouari, in one of the era's most popular duos. A gifted composer, Pamelo contributed many songs to the band's growing roster of hits, including "Masuwa" (The Boat) and "Mama na Mwana" (Mother and Child), both from the mid-sixties.

Pamelo, Kosmos, and singer Célestin Kouka left Bantous in 1972 to form the Trio CEPAKOS. This group, while popular at home, was little known outside central Africa. Pamelo returned to Bantous in 1978, but the collaboration lasted only three years. In 1981 he flew to Paris to begin a highly successful solo career using the name Pamelo Mounk'a. Recording with session musicians under the auspices of producer Eddy Gustave, he laid the tracks for L'Argent Appelle L'Argent(Money Attracts Money), one of the best albums to come from the newly evolving center of Congolese music production. Several additional albums, including the popular Samantha, followed.

In 1986, Pamelo returned to the fading Bantous, taking the reins as chef d'orchestre. The band enjoyed a brief renaissance until health problems forced Pamelo to relinquish control. He joined a group of deserters from Bantous in 1989 to form Bantous Monument. It proved to be his last musical endeavor.
For nearly twenty years, from the mid-sixties to the mid-eighties, Pamelo's skillful compositions, vibrant tenor, and sexy, youthful good looks attracted an enormous following. His contributions helped Bantous de la Capitale stay in contention with other top Congolese bands like O.K. Jazzand Fiesta National/ Afrisa. Working solo he produced some of the best music to come out of the burgeoning Paris scene. The future seemed to promise continued success for Pamelo, until worsening diabetes brought his life to an end.

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In musical discourses, it isn't strange to hear discussants say musicians die young. This can be attributed to the norm, that death isn't welcome at age, and kith and kin of the bereaved will also watch despair even if the deceased is a centenarian. There is no appropriate time for death as man will always wish to live longer, possibly because of the uncertainty about the eventuality of man, after death. 

The pertinent question here is, do musicians die young as alleged? Let's have a musical safari around Africa to either confirm or debunk the myth. 

From down South, we choose two three superstars representing three genres, reggae, jazz, and Afrop/Kwaito.

These are the late Lucky Dube, Hugh Masekela, and Miriam Makeba. The anti-apartheid activist Miriam Makeba was born in 1932 and died in 2008. She was aged 76. Lucky Dube's life was cut short by trigger-happy robbers in 2007.

The reggae superstar was born in 1964. This means he died at age 43. Jazz maestro Hugh Masekela died aged 79 in 2018. 

A swift shift up to Central Africa in DRC, we examine three of the country's most successful sons. Franco, the Grand Maitre of OKJ, was born in Sona Bata, 60 km west of Kinshasa in 1938, and died in Brussels in 1989, aged 51. 

Tabuley Pascal Rocherreau was born in 1940 and died in  2013, aged 73. Verckys Kiamuangana legendary sax, st who also founded Veve, died in 2022, aged 78. 

Fela Kuti, Chief Osita Osabede, and Teddy Osei of Osibisa will provide us with a Nigerian perspective of the debate. Osei is alive at 86. The sax wizard was born in 1989. Let's assume he will live to be 100. Chief Osita, the highlife king, died in 2007, aged 71. Fela Kuti was born in 1938 and died in 1997. That was a life of 59 years.

Closer home in Tanzania, it isn't known exactly when the tobacco-loving Miss Fatuma Binti Baraka, aka Bi Kidude, the country's music icon was born. Estimates put it at 1910. The taarab guru who escaped marriage aged 13 had on for long before her death recognized as the oldest performing musician in the world. She guzzled her booze as well and attributed her long life to being single. She died in 2013, aged 103.

East Africa's most successful musician, Mbaraka Mwinishehe, the flute player turned guitar wizard nicknamed soloist national, was born in 1944 and died in an automobile accident in Kigonya Mombasa Kenya, aged only 35. Salam Abdalla of Cuban Marimba was born in 1928 and died in a road accident in 1965, aged 37.

We wind this safari in Kenya. We look at three of the country's best musicians. The king of Bangor, a local jazz genre, is alive and performing at 89. Let's hope he hits a century because he doesn't look like he can be leaving us any time now. He is from the coastal Kenya. The twisty god Daudi Kabaka, also known as "Mtoboa Siri", was bronze in 1939 and died in 2001, aged 62. Habel Kifoto of Maroon Commandos, the military ensemble was born and died in 2011 aged 62, a few years into retirement from the military. He was found dead in a hotel room.

This is a total of 1021 years for the 15 musicians. That's an average of 68, way above Kenya's average life expectancy, which stands at 62. If our sample accurately represents the continent's music, then it is inaccurate for anyone to state that musicians die young. They don't.

By Jarome Ogola

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THE TWO CONGOS are captured in Franco's song, CONGO MIBALE, which translates to the two Congos.

In this song, an OK Jazz song, released on the Ngoma label in 1968, Franco shared what he thought of the two Congos. The probable lineup of the day was Franco on solo, Simaro on rhythm, and Celi Bisthou on bass. Dele Pedro on sax and Christophe Djali on trumpets. Franco sings the lead vocals as he is backed up by Boyibanda, Youlou, and Lola. The theme is colonialism. 

Franco wonders why there are two countries named Congo yet these are the same people living in the same place. The capital of DRC, Kinshasa, and the capital of the Republic of Congo, called Brazaville, lie side by side, on the two sides of the mighty River Congo, known as Ebale Ya Zaire, to the locals, probably in the spirit of brotherhood. Remember DRC was King Leopold's property, a colony of Belgium, while the other was a French colony. These are the two towns, the world's closest capitals, and again this could be one the world's largest metropolises, considering that Kinshasa is a city of more than twelve million people.

To enter Brazzaville from Kinshasa, you take a boat ride to cross the navigable Ebale Ya Zaire, a giant snake of more than 8k from the southeastern DRC. Franco laments that both sides of the river speak the same language, Kikongo, Lingala, etc, swim/bath in the same river, and dance to the same music rumba, but they are told they are citizens of two different countries and are even supposed to be feuding over the boundary, etc. He blames this anomaly on colonialism and indeed the scramble for Africa that subdivide Africa like a piece of bogle bread, never asked for the opinion of the natives or even considered their interests.

This rekindles stories of the prominent Awori family of Kenya.  Moody Awori, Kenya's one-time VP is Kenyan, while his brother isn't even his fellow countryman. The cartographers who drew the boundaries of these two East African countries bisected their farm into two, making his brother Ugandan. Strangely, even non-Congolese people have a hard time distinguishing between these two countries. In music circles, fans only know rumba is done by musicians from Congo, without bothering to check that these are two different entities, each with her own musical superstars.

When OKJ ruled in Kinshasa, Le Bantous called the shots in Brazaville. Some natives of DRC excelled in Brazaville while some natives of the Republic of Congo excelled in Kinshasa. Whereas Le Bantous had musicians from Kinshasa like Papa Noel, OKJ also had musicians from Brazaville, among them bassist Celi Bitshou, singer Youlou Mabiala, clarinet player Jean Serg, Edo Nganga, etc. Musician/ politician, Franklin Boukaka of "Le Bucheron" fame, the unofficial anthem of Africa, was a native of Brazaville and died in a February 1972 attempted coup on Marien Ngouabi who was also later assassinated.

Franklin Boukaka also did a song with a similar theme, as that of Franco's "Congo Mobale". His was titled "Pont sur le congo", translating to Bridge over Congo. The Republic of Congo has had at least five presidents, two having seized power in military coups. The current president, Dennis Sassou Nguesso was first president between 1979 and 1992 and became president again in 1997 after overthrowing the incumbent, Pascal Lisouba.

Like Uganda's Obote, he has been president twice. DRC's current president is Felix Tshisekedi who won last year's elections. That was the very first time the country had a transition through elections. One more thing about the Republic of Congo, there is an existing lie, which has been gowned and graduated into a full "truth" by years of telling and re-telling, that musician Theo Blaise Kounkou is a sibling of Allain Kounkou. When I asked a veteran journalist from Braza, my good friend Clement Ossenonde, he laughed off and told me if one shouts the name Kounkou in the streets of Braza, everyone will look your direction because the name is so common among the locals.

He said the two aren't relatives at all. Indeed, Master Mwana Congo the solo wizard is also called Kounkou. The two Congos are both home to musical gods.

By Jarome Ogola

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Rumba Congolese is a male-dominated genre; however, there are women who have risen against this oddity to make a name for themselves and leave a mark in the genre's history. Such is songbird Trecy Le Cayenne, the Congolese sensation who has expanded the contributions of female Congolese musicians to new heights.

Historically, Congolese rumba evolved from a hybrid of local folk dances fused with imported influences from other civilizations, such as Latin America, and adapted to modernity. The element of traditional folklore meant that the participation of women was often peripheral and at times limited to dancing. From the days of Pauline Lisanga at Ngoma Records to Marcel Ebibya, and Henriette Borauzima, also known as Miss Bora, as well as Rose Lola, Abeti Masikini, Tshala Muana, M'bilia Bel, and others, the role of female musicians has been marginal. Nevertheless, these stars had opportunities to shine.

Among the most sought-after female Congolese singers today are Trecy Le Cayenne, a singing sensation who has seemingly filled the void left by Tshala's departure from the mainstream music industry due to her passing, and M'bilia, who is not very musically active.

Trecy was born and raised in London. In her childhood, she was a great admirer of American RnB singer Brandy. Her father's passion for the works of Victoria Eleison superstar King Kester Emeneya also inspired her love for music and planted the desire to become a musician early on. Trecy honed her skills under the tutelage of music genius Michel Lumana, also known as Michel Bass, in 2002. Michel is a Wenge veteran who has recorded and performed with several prominent artists, contributing immensely to the works of Fally Ipupa, Ferre Gola, and others.

Trecy's talent has been evident since she was six years old, participating in school singing competitions. She had a breakthrough with her opening act for Ferre Gola at the double Adidas concert, which remains one of her biggest achievements. She has also performed on several major stages, backing up the same musician at his concert at Zenith in Paris, an event that also featured Yemi Alade in 2024. Additionally, she participated in events at Melting Crew in Paris and Kabar Dock in the Reunion Islands.

By deploying her skills in singing and occasionally playing the piano, Trecy has established her authority in music by supporting artists such as Fabregas Metis Noir. Recently, she had the privilege of being one of the opening acts for the legendary Reddy Amisi.

Some of her singles are,

Trécy La Cayenne - Paradis (Apu Pia)
Trécy La Cayenne - Love Story
Trécy La Cayenne - Amour
Trécy La Cayenne - Until you cry

Michel played a pivotal role in Trecy's meteoric rise and laid a foundation for her musical legacy earning her a position in the high table of Congolese musical bigwigs. Definitely, the sky is the limit for Trecy and she is just getting started.

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