Jabulani Library

WHY FAME FAVOURS THE SOLO GUITARIST

March 02, 2026 - 03:01 PM In Rumba circles, a band is said to be as good as its solo guitarist. The departure of a band's soloist is often more noticeable than that of any other member. The deserter’s replacement also becomes news across town, and his style and mastery define the trajectory the band’s music will take. “Dino Vangu changed the style of Afrisa International when he took over from Dizzy Mandjeku,” Faugus Izeidi once opined. Faugus, a younger brother of Roger Izeidi, was himself a star mi-solo guitarist with the same band but quit years earlier to create his own band, Fiesta Populaire. What makes a solo guitarist such a star member that some bands only pay solo guitarists, while......

PEPE BOUGIER LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

February 27, 2026 - 03:00 PM Nakondi nzoto motema motondi na makanisi(My body has become thin, my heart is full of thoughts)Pepe eh! Nga nabebi motema(Pepe eh! My heart is destroyed)Mama eloko babengi bolingoKuruze oyo tomema, zuwa se pembeni(the cross we carry, is accompanied by jealousy beside it)Oooooh! Pepe yo! yo! Pepe eh!(Oooooh! Pepe yo! yo! Pepe eh!)Yokelanga ata mawa(please have mercy on me) Okangi motema kaka mbala moko(you have closed your heart for my love at once)Obendi nzoto, po omonaki ye(you disengaged yourself from our love just because you saw him)Connaissance ya pamba oyo yo Pepe(this is free knowledge to you Pepe)Nga namemi nde ngambo lelo(I am in trouble today) Motema na ngai napesa na yo(I gave......

VETERAN PRODUCER, BABU, TAKES A BOW

February 24, 2026 - 09:03 PM Veteran music producer Allan Kanyottu, aka Babu, is dead. The proprietor of Studio Sawa, situated at Munyu road, died on 19th February in a Nairobi hospital, according to a post by his son Lee Kanyottu. Babu, who was born in 1945, studied sound production at VOK in 1966 and recorded a galaxy of stars in his studios. Among the notable names are Les Wanyika, Kakai Kilonzo, Joseph Kamaru, and Ochieng Kabasele, among many others. "He was the pillar of our family and a true legend of the Kenyan music industry. From founding Studio Sawa Sound, a pioneer record label that was a platform to many iconic voices, to mentoring generations of broadcasters and sound engineers at KIMC and......

FADHILI WILLIAMS BEYOND MALAIKA

February 23, 2026 - 08:31 PM He stands tall because of the hit song “Malaika,” but even if the song were expunged from his discography due to the long-standing dispute over its authorship, Fadhili Williams would still remain a towering figure in Kenyan music for a cocktail of other reasons. “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......

ADIA LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

February 17, 2026 - 05:00 PM ADIA BY OLIVER N'GOMA ChérieVumissio wa murim'aguNi skia muneOh AdiaMurim'ami n'agu u liOh n'agu buandi(Oh-oh-oh-oh) DarlingI miss you so muchI can hear youOh AdiaYou’re all I haveOh my love(Oh-oh-oh-oh) Nge ni va tsoleNdzile ineNdzile i guluA ngeyuMognu'amiBébé, ehTu es à moiJe suis à toiPour la vieFlorence When you come aroundI feel aliveI feel so highOh my loveMy darlingBaby, heyYou're mineAnd I'm yoursFor eternityFlorence Ngambo bi biva u siMurime ndzunguOh chérieNgambo yetu kue tu liMo murim'agu(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)Murime ufitseSuze otima Our love is unbreakableYou make me feel goodOh darlingOur love is meant to beWith you, my......

KANINDO: THE GODFATHER OF BENGA

February 10, 2026 - 06:00 PM During the peak of the popularity of Benga music in the 1970s and 1980s, the genre came to be known as Kanindo in Zimbabwe and Malawi, and the name has stuck to this date. The success of this high-paced music, characterized by captivating stories narrated in melodic tunes that follow patterns struck by the solo guitar, saw a genre that originated on the shores of Lake Victoria spread fast across the country. It dominated the local music scene to the point of becoming the country’s unofficial genre. It became the center of gravity around which Kenya’s entertainment revolved. As its popularity spread rapidly across the country, the influx of Congolese expatriate musicians into......

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

January 28, 2026 - 09:22 PM Just how important was the role Josky Kiambukuta played in the band that he became indispensable? When he made himself unavailable at the band’s headquarters at Un Deux Trois for a few days, Franco launched a manhunt for him. A physical search was conducted in town to establish his whereabouts until he was finally found. Each time the band was traveling abroad for performances, he was the very first to be cleared. He literally participated in all concerts that the band held abroad during the period he was with the band. Could it be for the reason that he was a versatile vocalist, gifted with a wide vocal range on the musical scale, which made him fit anywhere as a lead or backup......

NAMISWI MISAPI LYRICS TRANSLATION

January 21, 2026 - 06:00 PM (A composition by Denis Bonyeme & vocals of Super Ya Ntesa Dalienst) SYNOPSIS "Namiswi Misapi" (which translates to "I bite my fingers"). This is a gesture of deep regret or "I've learned my lesson." This is a classic rumba that revolves around heartbreak and the humbling of a former Playboy. The song tells the story of a man who once took pride in his ability to mistreat women, only to find himself completely broken and humiliated by a woman named Di Lulu. He admits to having been a bourreau de coeur (a destroyer of hearts). He reflects on his past arrogance (lolendo) and how he used to toy with women’s emotions. Now, the tables have turned; he is the one suffering, losing......

A PIONEER KENYAN MUSICIAN

January 19, 2026 - 06:26 PM “Tausi Ndege Wangu” was a signature tune that introduced the Swahili soap opera Tausi on KBC TV in Kenya in the mid-1990s. The program was very popular with TV viewers across the country. Coming at a time when most TV programs were imported from abroad, local content naturally became an instant hit with audiences. To give a complete local touch, the producers chose the song "Tausi" as the introductory tune. The introduction was laden with significance; while the country’s entertainment was dominated by foreign art, the country also had talent that could quench that thirst. The song was recorded in the early 1950s, making it one of the earliest songs recorded in Kenya.......

RECORD COMPANIES PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EVOLUTION OF RUMBA

January 05, 2026 - 06:06 PM Kenya may not have attained the same level of musical success as the DRC, but seemingly, the genesis of its musical narratives bears striking similarities. The earliest local recording company in Kenya was East African Records, which established a recording studio with its record label, a house band called Jambo Boys, and a pressing plant based in the Industrial Area in the early 1950s. This was a milestone in the commercialization of music and created prospects for professional musicians for the very first time. In 1960, a retired British army officer, Peter Colmore, established yet another recording label in Nairobi known as High Fidelity. This is the facility that housed Eduard Masengo......

Jabulani Library

WHY FAME FAVOURS THE SOLO GUITARIST

PEPE BOUGIER LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

VETERAN PRODUCER, BABU, TAKES A BOW

FADHILI WILLIAMS BEYOND MALAIKA

ADIA LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

KANINDO: THE GODFATHER OF BENGA

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

NAMISWI MISAPI LYRICS TRANSLATION

A PIONEER KENYAN MUSICIAN

RECORD COMPANIES PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EVOLUTION OF RUMBA

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Jabulani Library (267)

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

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Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

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Jabulani Library

WHY FAME FAVOURS THE SOLO GUITARIST

PEPE BOUGIER LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

VETERAN PRODUCER, BABU, TAKES A BOW

FADHILI WILLIAMS BEYOND MALAIKA

ADIA LYRICS WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

KANINDO: THE GODFATHER OF BENGA

THE INDISPENDABLE VOICE

NAMISWI MISAPI LYRICS TRANSLATION

A PIONEER KENYAN MUSICIAN

RECORD COMPANIES PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EVOLUTION OF RUMBA

News

Jabulani Library (267)

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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