Jabulani Library

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

June 17, 2025 - 05:20 PM Although each exists as a distinct genre, there are numerous striking similarities between the two. Kenyan Benga is a close relative of Congolese rumba, based on their shared ancestry and the striking similarities in the structural formation of the songs, especially in terms of instrumental arrangements. Both are modernized traditional music styles, performed with contemporary instrumentation and recorded in modern studios. Over time, as globalization became a reality, the music embraced foreign influences to evolve into what it is today. Many other genres have emerged in the last century under similar circumstances. A rumba musician, in the Congolese sense, can easily fit into a Benga......

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

June 13, 2025 - 05:43 PM When Ugandan billionaire Christopher Atama journeyed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, in the mid-1970s, his sole mission was to scout for musical talent to entertain patrons at his club, Economy, in Kampala. At the time, Economy was one of the busiest joints in town. Little did he know that he was also unknowingly scouting for talent for Gor Mahia, one of East Africa's leading football clubs. At the time, Kampala's thirst for Congolese rumba was growing daily, especially after a series of shows in the city by Orchestra Veve, led by saxophonist Verckys Kiamuangana. Orchestra Veve was then one of the biggest bands in Congo and the region. Some members of the Veve......

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

June 09, 2025 - 08:46 PM Interview Between Simaro Lutumba and Banning Eyre Venue: Simaro's House INTRODUCTION Simaro Lutumba was perhaps the greatest poet among the composers of Franco's great TPOK Jazz. He joined the band in 1961 and later became the band's long-term vice president. His melancholy 1974 hit "Mabele," sung by Sam Mangwana, was a landmark in OK Jazz's "authenticité" era releases and cemented Simaro's reputation as "Poet." In the late '70s, he was one of the musicians jailed at Makala prison during Franco's most serious run-in with the authorities, a clash over two songs deemed obscene. Simaro operated the band during Franco's long absences in Europe in the 1980s. This interview took place......

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

June 05, 2025 - 09:06 PM The song "Asembo Piny Maber" is a figurative narration that extols the greatness of a locality as a way of expressing the beauty of a woman."Asembo piny maber wachame mawembe""Kalando piny maber wachame nyamami gi mbuta"(Asembo, the great land that serves juicy mangoes and delicious Nile perch) The song, undoubtedly the biggest hit by benga sensation Osito Kalle, is a musical narration of the history of his Kakia sub-clan of the Asembo clan. He compares this history to the beauty of Jane Akelo Nyaimbo, a woman the musician was in love with. The clan traces its origin to a legend of a hunter from Kano who was killed by a fellow hunter from Asembo during an expedition. A court session......

LES WANYIKA - AMIGO LYRICS

June 03, 2025 - 09:13 PM Chunga watoto wakoTabia zako zimeshakuponzaMke na watoto wamekimbiaTulikukanya chunga heshima yakoMke na watoto wako nyumbaniNdio hazina ya maisha yako... Amigo, Amigo Wakati tunakupa ushauri weehUliona sisi watu fitinaTwaingilia mambo yako ya ndaniNa kwamba tukuache kama ulivyoSababu wewe bingwa wa maisha... Amigo, Amigo Thamani ya mke ni mavaziKula vizuri kulala vizuriNdio siri ya kudumisha ndoaMtaishi kwa raha amigo Watoto wako wapeleke shuleKwa manufaa yao ya baadayeElimu ndio zawadi muhimuKwa watoto wako, Amigo Badala yake mambo yote hayoKwa mkeo imekuwa ni ndotoMaisha yake ya kubahatishaNa kazi unfanya, Amigo Mke amechoka mwisho kakimbiaUmebaki kulaumu wenzioLawama zako hazina......

Prof. NGUGI WA THIONG'O, KENYA'S LITERARY SUPREMO HAS RESTED

May 29, 2025 - 02:30 PM Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s pen has dried up and will write no more. The literary icon died on Wednesday in the USA, where he lived and worked for five decades. His death was announced by his daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ, in a Facebook post. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o,” the post read in part. According to the post, the renowned author, described by others as the Chinua Achebe of East Africa, died on the morning of Wednesday, the 28th. Immediately, social media platforms were awash with messages of condolence pouring in from every corner of the country, in a pattern that left no doubt Ngũgĩ was revered in......

NDOMBE OPETUM: AN INCREDIBLE MUSICIAN

May 28, 2025 - 10:34 PM "Mokolo nakokufa, nayebi ndenge bakolela ngai" When Madilu System died, Ndombe Opetum gathered a few musicians present at the funeral to sing this line over his coffin moments before it was lowered into the grave. The line, which translates to "when I die, I know how they will mourn me," originates from a song titled "Nayebi Ndenge Bakolela" by Opetum himself and OKJ of Franco. That was in August 2007, and five years later, it was time to experience how the world would mourn Ndombe Opetum himself. He died on May 24, 2012. It has been 12 years since this star musician from the DRC, the country of musical gods, died in a Kinshasa hospital. Opetum, also called Pepe Ndombe, is easily one of......

STELLA WANGU BY FRESHLY MWAMBURI LYRICS

May 17, 2025 - 06:16 PM Nilikua na mchumba wanguTulipendana kama nyama chomaAlibahatika kwenda ngamboChuo kikuu kwenda kusomaMiaka mitatu kule JapaniKusomea udakitari, Stella wangu eeehNilikua na mchumba wanguTulipendana kama chama chomaAlibahatika kwenda ngamboChuo kikuu kwenda kusomaMiaka mitatu kule JapaniKusomea udakitari, Stella wangu eeehNilivyo mpenda Stella jamaniKajitolea kwa roho mojaNikauza shamba languSababu yake yeyeNikauza gari langu, sababu yake yeyeNikauza Ng'ombe na mbuzi sababu yake yeyeIli apate nauli yakeNa pesa nyngine za matumizi kule JapaniIlikua tarehe kumi na saba mwezi wa tanoIlikua tarehe kumi na saba mwezi wa tanoNdiyo ilokua tarehe kamili ya Stella kurudi KenyaNilikwenda uwanja wa......

ELVIS LOLA BROUGHT A FAMILY TRADITION TO NAIROBI

May 13, 2025 - 06:56 PM A dozen men and women on a raised podium, all clothed in dazzling white suits, with the stage lights complementing the spectacle by giving it a charming finish, create an immediate impression of what to expect from the band. If elegance were the sole parameter to gauge a band's greatness, no band in Nairobi would match Afro Sounds Band, headed by Elvis Lola. On a typical Saturday evening at Club Paradiso, along Jogoo Road, Elvis and his team converge to give their fans a taste of Congolese rumba. It is only when the solo guitarist strums the first chord that one's attention shifts from the sapeur-like elegance to their core business, music. Just like many typical Congolese bands, among the......

A RISE TO THE TOP AGAINST ALL ODDS

May 12, 2025 - 04:49 PM The Story of Malian music star, Salif Keita In a recent interview with Jabulani Radio, one physically disabled musician recounted every detail of his musical journey, explaining how he had a difficult childhood. However, he later requested that nothing about his disability be included in his story. This is clear evidence that, despite living in a more enlightened society, disability is still viewed through the same lens as it was in the past, when communities hid such children under the assumption that they were bad omens or brought shame to the family. These are the kinds of challenges that Salif Keita faced. Social ostracism, health complications due to albinism, and being born into a......

Jabulani Library

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

LES WANYIKA - AMIGO LYRICS

Prof. NGUGI WA THIONG'O, KENYA'S LITERARY SUPREMO HAS RESTED

NDOMBE OPETUM: AN INCREDIBLE MUSICIAN

STELLA WANGU BY FRESHLY MWAMBURI LYRICS

ELVIS LOLA BROUGHT A FAMILY TRADITION TO NAIROBI

A RISE TO THE TOP AGAINST ALL ODDS

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Jabulani Library

THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENGA AND RUMBA

THE CONGOLESE MUSICIAN TURNED SUPERSTAR

SIMARO LUTUMBA'S ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH BANNING EYRE

THE REIGNING BENGA KING

LES WANYIKA - AMIGO LYRICS

Prof. NGUGI WA THIONG'O, KENYA'S LITERARY SUPREMO HAS RESTED

NDOMBE OPETUM: AN INCREDIBLE MUSICIAN

STELLA WANGU BY FRESHLY MWAMBURI LYRICS

ELVIS LOLA BROUGHT A FAMILY TRADITION TO NAIROBI

A RISE TO THE TOP AGAINST ALL ODDS

News

Jabulani Library (229)

Artist Spotlight (24)

Editor's Choice (13)

Jabulani Library: Most Popular (45)

Jabulani News Archives (21)

Music Lyrics (52)

Playlists (4)

Playlists 2 (0)

RhumbaChronicles2 (0)

Trending (16)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (21)

Programs

Weekend Rhumba Twilight Mix

Weekend Soukous Odyssey

Benga Blast

Rhumba Revival Mix

Weekend Zilizopendwa Mix

Weekend Rhumba Mix

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us

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