Jabulani Library

ANOTHER BENGA SUPERSTAR FROM THE MOUNTAIN

July 21, 2025 - 10:40 PM While Franco served a six-month jail term in Makala Prison in Kinshasa for composing two songs, "Jackie" and "Heleni," considered explicit and lurid, an almost similar occurrence was happening simultaneously in Nairobi. Musician Daniel Kamau Mwai, popularly known as DK, was facing charges in court for composing two songs, "Nana" and "Mwithua," both of whose lyrics had been censored as graphic. Luckily for DK, he was never convicted and was instead acquitted of the charges. He had been in the music scene for almost a decade and was already a household name, having created a band that went on to record some of the most popular songs of the era. In a classic case of adopting, repackaging,......

WHAT IF FRANCO LUAMBO WAS ALIVE?

July 14, 2025 - 10:41 PM Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, the brightest star in the constellation that is Congolese music, was born on July 6, 1938. Were he alive today, he would be celebrating his 87th birthday. One cannot help but wonder—had death not stolen this immense talent from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the land of musical gods, where would he be today? Eighty-seven years is a long time. Most likely, he would have long retired. That’s a whole 27 years past the official retirement age in Kenya and many other countries. It is generally accepted that by age 60, age has taken its toll, and most people are well beyond their peak productivity. However, in music, some players stay in the game much......

OLIVER MTUKUDZI - NERIA LYRICS (WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

July 07, 2025 - 08:16 PM [Intro]Neria, Neria, woo!Neria, Neria, oh!Usaore moyo ka Neria, Mwari aneweDon’t let your heart be troubled, Neria, God is with youUsaore moyo ka Neria, Mwari aneweDon’t let your heart be troubled, Neria, God is with youMwari anewe ka Neria, Mwari aneweGod is with you, Neria, God is with you [Verse 1]Kufirwa nemurume hanzvadzi, zvinoda moyo wekushingaLosing a husband, sister, requires a heart of courageUsaore moyo ka Neria, Mwari aneweDon’t let your heart be troubled, Neria, God is with youUsaore moyo ka Neria, Mwari aneweDon’t let your heart be troubled, Neria, God is with youMwari anewe ka Neria, Mwari aneweGod is with you, Neria, God is with you [Verse 2]Neria,......

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

July 01, 2025 - 08:10 PM Very few women have dared to challenge the male dominance of Central Kenya's vibrant music industry and achieve the level of success that Queen Jane did. Many others who take up the challenge rarely rise beyond the roles of dancers and backup vocalists, as the terrain is treacherous for women and seemingly structured to favor men. Performing in clubs all night, being away from family, and battling the stigma that often portrays musicians as vagabonds are just some of the challenges that have bogged down many aspiring female musicians. But Queen Jane defied the odds. She not only navigated these hurdles but also rose to the apex as one of the region's and the country's top musicians. Her......

SUNSET COMES FOR JOSEPH JUST OF LES WANYIKA

June 22, 2025 - 05:00 PM "Joseph Just was not just a percussionist with the Wanyika bands but a great vocalist as well," reminisces Abbu Omar, his former colleague at Simba Wanyika and Les Wanyika, while mourning the Tanzanian musician who made a name in Kenya, featuring for several bands over several decades. Joseph Just, also known as Muzungu due to his light skin complexion, died on June 20, 2025, at the KCMC Hospital in Himo Town, Moshi Municipality, Tanzania, after battling a heart ailment for a couple of years, according to his wife, a Kenyan from Kakamega. He had since retired from music. He left Kenya to settle in his hometown during the COVID-19 period and operated an M-PESA shop there. Joseph Just was......

MUSAIMO’S METEORIC RISE UP THE TOP

June 19, 2025 - 06:42 PM Had his father made good on his attempt to chop off his fingers, Kenyan music wouldn't have been graced by the magical guitar works of Musaimo. He had campaigned for the late John Michuki for the Kangema Parliamentary seat in the 1979 elections and was paid 5,000 shillings, quite a tidy sum at that time. This was the money he used to pay for his secondary education. However, upon completing school, no job was forthcoming, and he had to eke out a living performing menial jobs, commonly known as "mjengo," at construction sites, often accompanying his father, who was a mason. It was from his wages that he saved and bought his first guitar for 40 shillings. In the evenings, he sat under a......

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

June 17, 2025 - 05:20 PM Although each exists as a distinct genre, there are numerous striking similarities between the two. Kenyan Benga is a close relative of Congolese rumba, based on their shared ancestry and the striking similarities in the structural formation of the songs, especially in terms of instrumental arrangements. Both are modernized traditional music styles, performed with contemporary instrumentation and recorded in modern studios. Over time, as globalization became a reality, the music embraced foreign influences to evolve into what it is today. Many other genres have emerged in the last century under similar circumstances. A rumba musician, in the Congolese sense, can easily fit into a Benga......

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

June 13, 2025 - 05:43 PM When Ugandan billionaire Christopher Atama journeyed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, in the mid-1970s, his sole mission was to scout for musical talent to entertain patrons at his club, Economy, in Kampala. At the time, Economy was one of the busiest joints in town. Little did he know that he was also unknowingly scouting for talent for Gor Mahia, one of East Africa's leading football clubs. At the time, Kampala's thirst for Congolese rumba was growing daily, especially after a series of shows in the city by Orchestra Veve, led by saxophonist Verckys Kiamuangana. Orchestra Veve was then one of the biggest bands in Congo and the region. Some members of the Veve......

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

June 09, 2025 - 08:46 PM Interview Between Simaro Lutumba and Banning Eyre Venue: Simaro's House INTRODUCTION Simaro Lutumba was perhaps the greatest poet among the composers of Franco's great TPOK Jazz. He joined the band in 1961 and later became the band's long-term vice president. His melancholy 1974 hit "Mabele," sung by Sam Mangwana, was a landmark in OK Jazz's "authenticité" era releases and cemented Simaro's reputation as "Poet." In the late '70s, he was one of the musicians jailed at Makala prison during Franco's most serious run-in with the authorities, a clash over two songs deemed obscene. Simaro operated the band during Franco's long absences in Europe in the 1980s. This interview took place......

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

June 05, 2025 - 09:06 PM The song "Asembo Piny Maber" is a figurative narration that extols the greatness of a locality as a way of expressing the beauty of a woman."Asembo piny maber wachame mawembe""Kalando piny maber wachame nyamami gi mbuta"(Asembo, the great land that serves juicy mangoes and delicious Nile perch) The song, undoubtedly the biggest hit by benga sensation Osito Kalle, is a musical narration of the history of his Kakia sub-clan of the Asembo clan. He compares this history to the beauty of Jane Akelo Nyaimbo, a woman the musician was in love with. The clan traces its origin to a legend of a hunter from Kano who was killed by a fellow hunter from Asembo during an expedition. A court session......

Jabulani Library

ANOTHER BENGA SUPERSTAR FROM THE MOUNTAIN

WHAT IF FRANCO LUAMBO WAS ALIVE?

OLIVER MTUKUDZI - NERIA LYRICS (WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

SUNSET COMES FOR JOSEPH JUST OF LES WANYIKA

MUSAIMO’S METEORIC RISE UP THE TOP

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

News

Jabulani Library (230)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (24)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

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Jabulani Library

ANOTHER BENGA SUPERSTAR FROM THE MOUNTAIN

WHAT IF FRANCO LUAMBO WAS ALIVE?

OLIVER MTUKUDZI - NERIA LYRICS (WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

JANE THE BENGA QUEEN

SUNSET COMES FOR JOSEPH JUST OF LES WANYIKA

MUSAIMO’S METEORIC RISE UP THE TOP

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

News

Jabulani Library (230)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (24)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

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