The history of the evolution of African music will never be correctly captured if the faces behind the establishment of the record companies that midwifed its development are left out of the debate, unmentioned.
In the DRC, just like in Kenya and most other African countries, recording technology knocked on the doors in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Most of these companies were owned by European businessmen, as was the case with other enterprises, since this was the era when European influence was creeping into Africa, at the peak of the colonial era.
In the DRC, for example, the first three record companies were Ngoma, Opika and Loningisa. They were all owned by Greek businessmen. They played a very pivotal role in the evolution of Congolese music, as recording technology meant musicians could now make money and eke out a living from music, thus creating a vibrant industry with fully professional players, as opposed to the initial days when music was more of a part-time venture reserved for occasions.
However, it was CEFA, which came in 1955, that dictated the pace and direction that the young genre took. This was for the reason that, as much as the very first set of entrepreneurs played an influential role, theirs was driven mainly by the desire to create an opportunity for musicians and, from the venture, make money.
Nonetheless, CEFA was introduced by Bill Alexandre himself, a renowned musician from Belgium. He was a good guitarist, and he introduced the electric guitar to the genre and played it himself in the very first recordings.
The guitar was to later become the engine of the genre, thus his contribution is more visible than that of his predecessors. The DRC was, in those days, a colony of Belgium, and in this way, it is safe to conclude that the influence of the colonial masters found its way into music.
Much later, in 1972, Verckys created his own record company as the first indigenous one. This is what midwifed the evolution of cavacha, which became the genre's third-generation music. Maybe if the very first companies had been owned by either locals or Belgians, the developing genre would have taken a completely different trajectory.
In Kenya, similarly, the companies were owned by foreigners. Jambo, Equator, Mzuri, AGS, High Fidelity and others were mostly owned by Europeans. However, Chandarana was also an important player. This record company, based in Kericho, was owned by Chandarana Records founder Arvindkumar Popat, "A.P."
Mr Popat was an Indian. His record company, which was the only important player based outside Nairobi, came with several unique characteristics. As it happened with other aspects of life, European influence heavily impacted the manner in which everything was run, from education to religion and music as well.
However, for Chandarana, the music remained unadulterated by any foreign influence, and not even his Indian tradition or civilization. This partly explains why benga thrived in the region. It is Chandarana that recorded many of the big names in benga in the 1960s and 1970s.
That was one of the biggest enterprises in the town. It made the town, which lies amid the lush and hilly scenery of green tea bushes, an otherwise agrarian town, thrive in robust business.
Chandarana was established in 1957 and didn't just concentrate on benga but on rumba as well as other East African songs. In his book Maisha Yangu Na Bendi Za Wanyika, author Abbu Omar, who played with all the Wanyika bands, Simba Wanyika, Les Wanyika and Super Wanyika Stars, narrated the central role that Chandarana played in the evolution of Kenyan music.
He went ahead and stated that Chandarana had become a regional giant that produced musicians beyond East Africa, reaching regions as far as Malawi, Zambia and others, where benga found favourable ground to germinate.
In his narration, he states that the singing sensation Issa Juma, who was to become Les Wanyika's top vocalist before later creating his own Super Wanyika Stars, first came to Kenya via Chandarana, where a bunch of musicians had been scouted in Tanzania and brought to Kenya for a series of studio projects.
Musician Ochieng Kabasele, whose biography has been authored by this writer, also worked at Chandarana Studios in the 1970s, during which he did songs with a band known as Orchestra Kericho Jazz, which was a studio band based at the Chandarana studios.
Okeyo Soja and Agutu Onagi, in their biography of Osito Kale, narrate how Chandarana escaped by a whisker being Osito's launching pad. After learning the trade under Awino Lawi's Victoria C, Osito travelled to Kericho for his first recording, only to learn that Chandarana had just closed its doors.
In its heyday, Chandarana released records from across the entire region, mostly distributed under four labels. Hundhwe mostly catered for Luo music, Upendo for Kisii music, Furaha for the twist genre, while the Mambo label mostly dealt with Kalenjin music, in an era when the record labels were prominently emblazoned on the 45 RPMs, revolutions per minute.
Among the big names who recorded at the studios were Kipchamba, Christopher Monyoncho, Collela Mazee, Owino Misiani, Mengo, Kaware Boys, Mbaraka Mwinshehe and many others.
Chandarana had a nose for talent, and this gave him an edge over his competitors. He prospected for talent far and wide and valued it. His studios were always awash with numerous guitarists, vocalists and others.
Chandarana died in November 2024 and left behind a legacy rich in culture that will evidently outlive his entire generation. His was entrepreneurship powered by passion and interest in culture; thus, his contribution to preserving the African heritage through art, and specifically music, remains unmatched.BY: JEROME OGOLA
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