Jabulani Library

MBOTELA, KENYA’S VETERAN BROADCAST JOURNALIST DIES IN NAIROBI

February 08, 2025 - 08:56 AM In the mid-morning of 7th February 2025, news outlets were awash with sad news. The patriarch of broadcast journalism in Kenya, Leonard Mambo Mbotela had breathed his last at Nairobi Hospital, where he had been admitted for treatment. The octogenarian who had an illustrious career at KBC/VOK for over six decades died at around 9.30 a.m., according to his nephew Anne Mbotela. News of his death spread fast and furious with Kenyans mourning him across several social media platforms, as a man whose authoritative voice defined radio broadcasting in the country, through football commentary and his all-time popular program 'Je, Huu Ni Ungwana', which castigated people of uncouth......

BOUKAKA, THE MUSICIAN WHO ALSO WORE AN ACTIVISM CAP

February 06, 2025 - 07:47 AM Sporadic sounds of gunfire pierced through the tranquil night of Brazzaville on 22nd February 1972, with noise gaining crescendo with every passing minute as dawn approached. When morning finally came reluctantly, the information had already spread that there had been an attempted coup d’etat against the government of Marien Ngouabi, who had been Republic of Congo president since 1968.However, forces loyal to the incumbent thwarted the attempt, with the military capturing the dissidents. Among those listed as arrested was Franklin Boukaka, a musician who had made a name for himself both in Brazzaville and Kinshasa and was one of the musical superstars of the time. In a strange twist......

JOHNY BOKELO: A SCION OF A MUSICALLY RICH FAMILY

February 03, 2025 - 04:33 PM Are musicians born or made? Any attempt to Respond to this question in the context of Congolese rumba; is likely to land you at the doorstep of the Isenge family. This is for the reason that this is easily the largest musical family in the history of the genre. The Isenge octad, comprising eight musical superstars, compares well and even surpasses "The Jackson’s five" of the USA, Mushrooms quintet, sons of Kaloleni Giriama in Kenya, and even the six musical children of Dorcas, popularly known as Bana Kadori, of Kenyan benga, whose patriarch was Ochieng’ Kabaselle. For the Jacksons, the youngest star shone the brightest, while for Mushrooms and the Kadori, it was the eldest, but......

WASIFU WA M'PONGO LOVE

February 02, 2025 - 03:50 AM Alfride M’Pongo Landu, aliyejulikana kama M'Pongo Love, alikuwa mwanamuziki aliyejumuika na uzuri wa kuvutia na tabia ya kuongoza. Pigo la polio liliwapunguzia uwezo wake wa kimwili kwa kumzuia kuwa na mkao mzuri na kutembea haraka, lakini tabasamu lake la kuvutia lilimfanya kuwa kitu cha kufurahisha kwa mashabiki wake, na sauti yake ya kusisimua ilifanya muziki wake kuwa wa kulevya, hivyo kukuza uaminifu kati ya mashabiki. Sio tu hiyo. Mchanganyiko wa sababu nyingine ndizo zilizomfanya kuwa maarufu zaidi. Matukio mengine ya bahati yalikuwa kama upepo uliozidisha moto wa mafanikio yake. Katika rumba ya Kongo, uchomanganyifu ni kichocheo kinachojulikana cha ubunifu, kama ilivyoelezwa......

M’PONGO, ANOTHER SHINING STARLET FROM THE COUNTRY OF MUSICAL GODS

January 30, 2025 - 02:36 PM She was a breathtaking beauty and had a charming persona and an infectious voice. Maybe God was compensating for her physical inadequacies brought about by polio, which denied her a straight posture and a brisk walk. The gorgeous smile on her face endeared her to fans, making her music addictive, thus cultivating loyalty among her fans.It wasn’t just that. A cocktail of other factors catapulted her to fame. Other incidental happenings acted as the wind that blew air into the embers that flared up the flames of her success. In Congolese rumba, rivalry is a known catalyst for creativity, as exemplified by Franco’s double-barreled shots of ‘chicotte’ and ‘course......

BIOGRAPHY OF QUATRE ETOILES (FOUR STARS).

January 29, 2025 - 05:46 PM The Quatre Etoiles is a Congolese rumba band, formed in 1982. It was composed of the following members;Bopol Mansiamina (born Kinshasa, June 27, 1949; bass, guitar), Syran M'Benza (born Kinshasa, May 31, 1950; guitar), Nyboma Mwan Dido (born Nyoki, Congo-Kinshasa, Dec. 24, 1952; vocal), Wuta Mayi (born Kinshasa, Aug. 3, 1949; vocal).The Quatre Etoiles came together in Paris in 1982 under the auspices of producer Ouattara Moumouni. Bopol and Syran had been working on and off in Paris ever since the African All-Stars split up in 1979. At their urging, former Bella Bella singer Nyboma left Togo, where he had been working with other remnants of the All Stars, and moved to Paris at the beginning......

LOWAY: KINSHASA’S INDOMITABLE SAXMAN

January 27, 2025 - 12:20 PM Ida is a masterpiece from Franco and his OK Jazz. The song features the magical voice of Malage De Lugendo on backup vocals as Franco does the singing, actually lamenting about a lady, Ida. At some point, Franco loses hope and hands over the baton of lamentations to the saxophonist Empopo Loway by declaring, 'Loway, lelela ngai' (cry it out for me). 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......

TSHALA MUANA

January 26, 2025 - 02:11 AM Tshala Muana ni moja ya wanamuziki wa kike wa Afrika aliotambulika na kuenziwa zaidi. Katika miaka ya katikati ya 1980, alikuwa jina maarufu katika kanda hii, na nyimbo zake zilichezwa sana kwenye vipindi vingi vya redio. Wimbo wake maarufu Karibu Yangu ulipata umaarufu mkubwa kwenye sehemu za burudani. Uonyeshaji wa kipekee aliowasilisha katika muziki wa Kongo na James Brown kwenye tamasha la pambano la masumbwi la 1974 kati ya Muhammad Ali na George Foreman, liliojulikana kama Rumble in the Jungle, na kuendelezwa na bendi za ndani kama Orchestre Sosoliso na Orchestre Stukas, ulipata mfanikio katika miaka ya 1980 kupitia maonyesho ya nguvu ya Tshala. Ustadi wake wa dansi, ulioelezewa na......

IS VICKY LONGOMBA CONGOLESE RUMBA GREATEST VOICE?

January 24, 2025 - 04:00 AM When enumerating the families in Congolese music, the Longombas occupy a prime position among the most prominent, in the league of the Isenge siblings and the sons of Lola along with his siblings. The Longombas comprise OKJ and African Jazz singer Vicky Longomba, Viva La Musica and Loketo drummer Albert Willam Longomba aka Awilo, Super Mazembe singer Lovy Longomba, and the Longomba siblings of the Nairobi who did contemporary hip hop. Vicky Longomba is the patriarch of this music lineage. Born on 13th December 1932, Vicky is the fourth musician in the hierarchical ranking of the Brussels sextet, after Grand Kalle, Dr Nico, Dechaud Mwamba, and Roger Izeidi. Vicky was a wonderful singer......

THE MUTUASHI QUEEN'S REIGN EXTENDS BEYOND HER DEATH

January 23, 2025 - 09:15 AM It has been two years since the Queen of Mutuashi, Tshala Muana, breathed her last in a hospital in Kinshasa, where she had been admitted. Her death marked the end of an illustrious career that lasted three decades and saw her become a celebrity not just in her home country, the DRC, but across the continent. Although DRC has had a galaxy of women musicians, from the days of Pauline Lisanga at Loningisa studios in 1952 to the era of Marcel Ebibya, Lucy Eyenga, and the generation of Mbilia Bell, and even those who came after her, like Cindy Le Coeur, Tshala Muana's contribution to Congolese music stands out for several reasons. She is the face of Mutwashi. She did not invent the dance, but......