Jabulani Library

THE GOLDEN VOICE OF AFRICA

February 22, 2025 - 03:00 PM CELEBRATING SAM MANGWANA'S IMPACT ON MUSIC When the 'Shakespeare of African music,' Simaro Lutumba, was asked which vocalist he felt delivered his poems best, he unequivocally stated that it was Mangwana. Indeed, Mangwana brought to life songs like "Ebale Ya Zaire", "Mabele", and "Faute Ya Commercant" in a way that captivated listeners. While Simaro had composed several songs prior, it was these two 1973 tracks that helped him gain recognition as an astute poet, with lyrics that were rich with philosophical interpretations.The fact that Simaro regarded Mangwana as the greatest, despite working with other vocalists like Josky Kiambukuta, Vicky Longomba, Youlou Mabiala, Djo Mpoyi, Malage De......

THE LAST MAN STANDING

February 17, 2025 - 07:53 PM “There was a woman fan of our band in the late 1970s. She frequented our shows and seemed to have been craving the attention of bassist Atia Joe, who apparently was reluctant to yield to her gestures. This lady, in typical determination, became more aggressive and began sending anyone willing to play an emissary role to Atia,” Bua Mangala, aka Loboko Passie, told Jabulani. “The habit became so often that Atia’s colleagues in the band began chiding him frequently with the phrase ‘mama anakuita,’ which after some time became his sobriquet, hence the many times you hear the line dropped in Mazembe songs.” This is the shot that darted the bull’s......

THE MAGICAL VOICE OF JOSKY

February 13, 2025 - 04:27 PM The city streets are filled with the fragrance of fresh roses because all spaces adjacent to the busy streets have been converted into makeshift flower shops. Hotels are advertising special offers for couples, and gift shops are abuzz with activities, all because love is in the air, and soon it will be Valentine's. February 14 is marked globally as a day of lovers. Although this tradition, with roots in the ancient Roman Empire, hadn't gained much traction in Africa until recently, it is now observed even in remote villages, where it is not strange to find the local grocer selling plastic roses. On Valentine's Day of 1949, a major development happened in the port city of Matadi, when......

MZEE LEONARD MAMBO MBOTELA: AIAGA DUNIA

February 11, 2025 - 01:57 AM Habari za Kusikitisha: Leonard Mambo Mbotela, Baba wa Uandishi wa Habari za Redio Nchini Kenya, Afariki Dunia Habari ya kusikitisha imetangaza kuwa Leonard Mambo Mbotela, baba wa uandishi wa habari za redio nchini Kenya, amefariki dunia asubuhi ya tarehe 7 Februari 2025 katika Hospitali ya Nairobi, ambapo alikuwa amekabidhiwa matibabu. Mzee wa miaka zaidi ya thelathini alifariki karibu saa tatu na nusu asubuhi, kulingana na taarifa zilizotolewa na mpwa wake, Anne Mbotela. Habari ya kifo chake ilisambaa haraka, huku Wakenya wakimlilia katika mitandao ya kijamii, kama mtu ambaye sauti yake ya uongozi ilitawala maonyesho ya redio nchini, hasa kupitia taarifa za michezo, ikiwemo mpira wa......

FROM DOWN SOUTH TO THE WORLD, WITH A TRUMPET

February 10, 2025 - 07:23 PM The Story of Hugh Masekela, The South African Jazz Hero With no less than 40 albums to his name, all world-class jazz classics, and having had musical engagements with leading American superstars, Harry Belafonte, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder among others can only mean one thing that Hugh Masekela, the South African Jazz maestro was a global music titan. Hugh was a master of trumpet, with extraordinary skills, but it would be grossly inaccurate to restrict the narration on who he was to his prowess in music. He was also an anti-apartheid crusader, with immense contribution to the struggle for liberation in a country where day-to-day life was defined by racial......

MBOTELA, KENYA’S VETERAN BROADCAST JOURNALIST DIES IN NAIROBI

February 08, 2025 - 09:56 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 - 08:47 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 - 05:33 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 - 04:50 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 - 03:36 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......

Jabulani Library

THE GOLDEN VOICE OF AFRICA

THE LAST MAN STANDING

THE MAGICAL VOICE OF JOSKY

MZEE LEONARD MAMBO MBOTELA: AIAGA DUNIA

FROM DOWN SOUTH TO THE WORLD, WITH A TRUMPET

MBOTELA, KENYA’S VETERAN BROADCAST JOURNALIST DIES IN NAIROBI

BOUKAKA, THE MUSICIAN WHO ALSO WORE AN ACTIVISM CAP

JOHNY BOKELO: A SCION OF A MUSICALLY RICH FAMILY

WASIFU WA M'PONGO LOVE

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

News

Jabulani Library (234)

Jabulani Swahili (9)

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

Jabulani Library

THE GOLDEN VOICE OF AFRICA

THE LAST MAN STANDING

THE MAGICAL VOICE OF JOSKY

MZEE LEONARD MAMBO MBOTELA: AIAGA DUNIA

FROM DOWN SOUTH TO THE WORLD, WITH A TRUMPET

MBOTELA, KENYA’S VETERAN BROADCAST JOURNALIST DIES IN NAIROBI

BOUKAKA, THE MUSICIAN WHO ALSO WORE AN ACTIVISM CAP

JOHNY BOKELO: A SCION OF A MUSICALLY RICH FAMILY

WASIFU WA M'PONGO LOVE

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

News

Jabulani Library (234)

Jabulani Swahili (9)

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

Livestream