The Story of Darzee & His Band Bilenge Du Congo, Nairobi’s Current Biggest Band
"Bilenge" is a Lingala word for youth. The name was given to us by Mr. Dr. Maloba, who managed the band," Darzee Kalend says in response to the origin of the name.
"At that time, we couldn't agree on the name to baptize our new band, with some members insisting that it be named Kivu, Lubumbashi, while others wanted Bukavu, based on their hometowns." That was in the mid-1990s. Darzee had been in Nairobi for a few years, having traveled from his home country, the DRC, in 1993. He was brought into Kenya by Evany Kabila Kabanze, the Les Mangelepa supremo, with the intention of reviving the band whose fortunes were fast dwindling.
Brought alongside Darzee were Kounkou, Djo Bebe, and Gregory. They worked with the band for some time before their leader, Kabila Kabanze, traveled to Japan with Kankou Kelly, formerly of Maquis Du Zaire, and others, leaving them stranded in Nairobi.
Life became a little difficult for the young men. The town was becoming a far cry from what they had envisioned when they came to Nairobi. It became a survival of the fittest as Darzee sought opportunities in several bands in the city. He moonlighted with several bands in the city. It was in these sojourns that he encountered Ochieng Kabaselle of Lunna Kidi, whom he singles out as extremely talented and an individual with a warm, welcoming heart. He says he learned a lot from him. He was given an opportunity at a club known as Aturo, and it was here that he became an atalaku (rapper). Previously, he was a drummer and a conga player, the two specializations he had trained in back home in Lubumbashi.
It was during this time that singer Bobo Sukari traveled to Nairobi and was assembling a band with Lesasa Joker and others. They sought the services of the young atalaku, and Darzee got an opportunity to join the starting lineup of Bilenge Musica. The band leader at this nascent stage was Bobo Sukari himself, deputized by Lesasa Joker. Lesasa had been a musician with Saka Saka, led by veteran Bikassy Mandeko Bidjos. Bikassy knew how to smell opportunities from a distance. He sang for Mobutu, sang for Iddi Amin, sang for Kenyatta, Moi, and others. It is possibly for this attribute that he brought Lesasa Joker into East Africa.
The band performed briefly in Nairobi before flying to Dubai, where it found a new home and set up base. They would occasionally return to Nairobi before flying back. In Dubai, to conform to the tastes and preferences of an international audience, the band had to veer off and intentionally derail from the tracks of traditional rumba that the members were traditionally weaned on, adapting to global beats like reggae.
These, among a cocktail of other factors, made Darzee rethink his continued stay in Dubai. He discussed it with the other members and made a decision to create a second faction of Bilenge that would specialize in Congolese odemba and be based in Nairobi. That’s exactly how Bilenge Du Congo was born. True to his word, the band has a unique style that mirrors the OK Jazz School of rumba, colloquially known as odemba, which was based on Franco’s guitar and Vicky’s voice. This style features an extra guitar beyond the traditional solo, rhythm, and bass. In Bilenge, this fourth guitar is acoustic and brings in that unique odemba luster.
The new Bilenge Du Congo was to be based in Nairobi, as the other segment, in its latter days, headed by Lesasa Joker, maintained its base in Dubai. Darzee’s baritone is flawless and unique. It blends perfectly with the high tenor of Dano and Bomb, both vocalists with the band, which is presently based at the Village Inn, where they perform on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The band also boasts the expertise of Jojo and atalaku Abriola, another vocalist, and soloist Barcelona. The rhythm guitarist is Tshimanga, and the band has two bassists, Kitos and Fanfan. The drummer is Jerry, while the percussionist is Pakajuma. This team comprises Nairobi-grown talent and some who Darzee occasionally brings from the DRC.
The band’s fourth album is currently in the studio, following the success of the first three. Darzee began his music career back in his hometown of Lubumbashi in Eastern Congo. He played with several bands in the town.
The notable ones include Sapeur Musica, headed by Chrispine Tambwe, who also later immigrated to Nairobi, and a university student band known as Stono Musica. His engagement with these outfits was strictly as a drummer and percussionist, as opposed to his role these days, where, apart from being band leader with managerial responsibilities, he mostly composes and sings. The musician, born and schooled in Lubumbashi, has also ventured into some social corporate responsibilities, giving back to the community, which he says built him. He sponsors and houses several children from vulnerable backgrounds. The children, some of whom are in national secondary schools here in Kenya, he says, are also an inspiration for him to succeed, as they offer him an opportunity to extend a helping hand.
Darzee, a confessed admirer of ODM politician Raila Odinga, who is also his fan, opines that it is very possible for bands in Nairobi to reclaim the glory of the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, he states that this is the destination Bilenge Du Congo, currently the biggest Congolese band in Nairobi, is headed toward.
By Jerome Ogola
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