TEDDY'S SAX GOES SILENT 

TEDDY'S SAX GOES SILENT 

By Jerome Ogola 

Teddy Kalanda, the founder of the sibling band Them Mushrooms, is dead, aged 73. According to sources, Teddy died yesterday at his home in Kaloleni Giriama, after battling ill-health since 2018, when he became paralysed.

At the time of his death the composer, singer, band leader and saxophonist had lost his eyesight and was also confined to a wheelchair. 

Teddy was the eldest of the Mushrooms quintet, that also included John Katana who plays keyboard, composes and sings, Billy Saro who composes, sings and plays bass. The other were the late George Ziro who died in 2015 and Denis Kalume who died in 1992.

George Ziro was a very talented musician who played all instruments, sang and composed while the late Denis Kalume was a drummer. 

Teddy Kalanda created the band alongside his three siblings and two other musicians Arthur Okoth and Prit Nyale, on 12th December 1972, in Mombasa. By then the band was known as Avenida Success. The late Denis Kalume joined latter in 1974. They began performing in the Coast, playing cover versions of Congolese and Tanzanian music.

In 1981, the band traveled to Nairobi's famous production house Polygram amd recorded four songs, Kenya Hakuna Matata, Bonde Kwa Bonde, Mombasa and Mateso. 

Hakuna Matata, which was composed by Teddy shattered the glass ceiling to become the group's most successful song, selling over 100,000 copies and winning several awards. It is easily one of the country's most successful hits of all times.

Apart from being adopted by Kenya as an anthem to market the country's tourism, the song was also done by other international musicians in France, USA, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and other countries. The Belgian Airforce band also played the song. 

In 1978, the band relocated base from Mombasa to Nairobi where they signed a contract with Carnivore a top entertainment joint in the city those days, as a resident band. In the same year, the band won the 'battle of bands' competition held at the Bomas of Kenya, emerging tops as the country's finest. 
The band has extensively travelled the world, perhaps more traveled than any Kenyan band, and only rivaled by the globe trotting president Ruto. 

The list is endless. The band has been to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and India. The band has also held concerts in England, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Italy.

In the conetinent, the band has Uganda, Tanzania, Seychelles, Botswana, Burundi, Morocco, Djibouti, Ethiopia and others. 

Teddy Kalanda retired from the band on his 50th birthday in 2001. At this time the band had recorded 10 albums and dozens of singles. 

He was was born on July 25, 1951 in the former Kilifi District, now Kilifi County. He began his schooling at St Michael's Preparatory School and sat his Kenya Primary Certificate (KPE) in 1965 before joining St George's High School (1966 - 66). He excelled and proceeded for A-Level at Allidina Visram High School in Mombasa. 

Teddy's son Louis Mulashani Harrison, also an accomplished musician, a guitarist, based in Greece died in July this year, and the news may have devastated the father, further aggravating his ill health. 

Despite Teddy's big name, he was a down to earth man, very jovial and socialized with everyone. I once asked him what inspired him compose 'kupata ni majaliwa' and he laughed it off and told me, as opposed to Odongo who was a beef eaters, Kamau was a Hoof-Eater. He spoke dholuo sketchily and called me Jatelo. 

He was also a regular contributor on this wall, mostly on musical matters. 

Buriani Bingwa

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