Jabulani Library

THE VINYL THAT OUTLIVES THE SILICON

August 11, 2026 - 06:02 PM 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 n...

SCHOLAR AND MUSICIAN

August 05, 2026 - 10:46 PM 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......

KOBWAKA LIBANGA

July 28, 2026 - 02:41 PM 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......

THE PAST IS THE PRESENT

July 23, 2026 - 11:14 PM For decades, calling a song "retro" was just a polite way of writing it off as outdated.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 BAOBAB THAT HAS SURVIVED MANY STORMS

July 08, 2026 - 06:46 PM 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......

MEKANISI MODERO'S DEATH REKINDLES MEMORIES OF AFRISA INTERNATIONAL

June 30, 2026 - 12:33 PM 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......

THE SOULFUL RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN MUSIC

June 26, 2026 - 12:03 PM 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......

MEKANISI MODERO DIES IN THE USA

June 23, 2026 - 10:07 AM 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......

A NEWS ANCHOR WHO ALSO SANG HIS HEART OUT

June 16, 2026 - 05:00 AM 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,......

SUKUMA BIN ONGARO

June 10, 2026 - 11:04 AM In 2024, Kenya's President, William Ruto, reorganized his cabinet to accommodate elements of the opposition in a bid to nip in the bud a looming insurgency by a youthful generation, amid fears that their rebellion would morph into a revolution. One of the opposition members elected to serve in the cabinet was Wycliffe Oparanya from Western Kenya. As it happens with politicians, such achievements are feted with a goat-eating party back at home. In this case, Oparanya hosted a party at his rural home, and the most celebrated musician from the region was invited to grace the event. Wilson Onzere Ongaro, also known by the moniker Sukuma Bin Ongaro, was the man invited to grace the event as......

Jabulani Library

THE VINYL THAT OUTLIVES THE SILICON

SCHOLAR AND MUSICIAN

KOBWAKA LIBANGA

THE PAST IS THE PRESENT

THE BAOBAB THAT HAS SURVIVED MANY STORMS

MEKANISI MODERO'S DEATH REKINDLES MEMORIES OF AFRISA INTERNATIONAL

THE SOULFUL RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN MUSIC

MEKANISI MODERO DIES IN THE USA

A NEWS ANCHOR WHO ALSO SANG HIS HEART OUT

SUKUMA BIN ONGARO

News

Jabulani Library (274)

Jabulani Swahili (9)

Rumba Chronicles (30)

Programs

JABULANI TOP 7 AT 7

WEEKEND RHUMBA OVERDOSE REPLAY

TOP 10 AT 10

WEEKEND SOUKOUS ODYSSEY

BENGA BLAST

RHUMBA REVIVAL

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

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Jabulani Library

THE VINYL THAT OUTLIVES THE SILICON

SCHOLAR AND MUSICIAN

KOBWAKA LIBANGA

THE PAST IS THE PRESENT

THE BAOBAB THAT HAS SURVIVED MANY STORMS

MEKANISI MODERO'S DEATH REKINDLES MEMORIES OF AFRISA INTERNATIONAL

THE SOULFUL RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN MUSIC

MEKANISI MODERO DIES IN THE USA

A NEWS ANCHOR WHO ALSO SANG HIS HEART OUT

SUKUMA BIN ONGARO

News

Jabulani Library (274)

Jabulani Swahili (9)

Rumba Chronicles (30)

Programs

JABULANI TOP 7 AT 7

WEEKEND RHUMBA OVERDOSE REPLAY

TOP 10 AT 10

WEEKEND SOUKOUS ODYSSEY

BENGA BLAST

RHUMBA REVIVAL

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

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