FMES: Tuwakumbuke Wanamichezo Africa!

Sam Mapangala: Icon Musician Orch. Virunga, Nairobi Kenya.



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Samba Mapangala performs at the Coca-Cola Stadium in Nairobi, on Saturday. He plans to re-establish the Orchestra Virunga band in Nairobi


By ERIC ODANGAPosted




The return of rhumba Samba Mapangala Nairobi last week seemed to blow a salubrious breeze to the local live music scene. When he attended the Benga Blast show at the city’s Coca-Cola Stadium, the Orchestra Virunga founder and band leader, who is now based in Maryland, United States of America, announced that he would re-establish the band in Nairobi before the end of the year. And local rhumba fans took the news from Samba well.



Samba, who came to Kenya from the DR Congo in 1977, nostalgically remembers the 1980s when live performances took the country by storm.

Nairobi then had a vibrant entertainment circuit which was complemented by good recording studios that attracted musicians from as far as Zambia and DRC, then known as Zaire. At the time, even Afrisa International founder Tabu Ley recorded his music in Nairobi.



Samba remembers that when he started doing music at the age of 17, East Africa benga was the rave. “It was big and we were curious to know what made benga tick. Cavacha, which was also big, played second fiddle to benga,” he says. The 54-year-old musician remembers the days when Nairobi was a hub of live band performances. “The bands competed for the entertainment market.” The musician met officials of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya and says piracy is killing creativity.



“Musicians are a suffering lot because of piracy. There are no live music clubs,” he says. But he still believes Kenya can regain her position as a hub of music. Samba performed at one of President Barack Obama’s inauguration balls at Crystal Gateway Marriot Hotel in Arlington, VA alongside The Boys Choir from Kenya in January.



The Pan Africa Inaugural celebration of Obama’s win was co-hosted by the Kenya Government, African Diplomatic Corps, African Union, African Professionals in Washington DC and Corporate Council on Africa.

Samba sang his latest release Obama Ubarikiwe, and used the occasion to release a live recording of his North American tour, a digital-only album with bonus remixes of Obama Ubarikiwe.



Samba Mapangala has also been busy getting a feel of the Kenya and Zanzibar music scenes. In February, he was in Zanzibar to headline the sixth Sauti za Busara Festival. He was accompanied by lead guitarist Syran Mbenza and drummer Komba Bellow. The singer has also worked with Suzanna Owiyo in Tupande Miti, an environment awareness song that will be launched in June. He says he hopes to work with Eric Wainaina.



After living in Kenya for two decades before his departure to the US in 1997, Samba considers Kenya his second home. Even performing in the US has not changed his passion for Kenyan music.



“They have good facilities but do not understand our kind of music, which makes it is difficult to come out with a very good and creative product,” he says. Which is why Samba would prefer recording in Kenya.

Respect.

FMEs!
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Freedom Balisidya (Mwenye koti la leather jeusi kulia), mdogo wa The Great Patric Balisidya akiwa na bendi yake mjini Dar.


Respect

FMES
 
FMES na wengine,

Naomba pia mtupe undani wa Ochestra Moja One ya Kenya enzi hizo.

EFALP20.jpg


From 1978-80 Moreno was based in Dar-es-Salaam where he sang with Safari Sound before returning to Kenya. Back in Nairobi in 1980 he started Moja OneShika Shika). Their biggest hits were "Pili Mswahili," "Dunia ni duara," (in 1981) where he teamed with tenor Coco Zigo Mike, guitarist Siama Matuzungidi and drummer Lava Machine (with other musicians from , & "Urembo si hoja."

For some time in 1983, Moreno briefly joined Samba Mapangala's Orchestra Virunga in what was perhaps the group's most star-studded line-up ever. The group which turned the now defunct Starlight Club into the hottest live-music nightspot in town, featured Coco Zigo, Fataki Lokassa, Dago Mayombe and later Moreno on vocals, along with Ottis and Samba Mapangala; Manitcho Nsilu, Sammy Mansita, Django Nkulu Mwilambwe, Bejos, Siama Matuzungidi and Beya Mikobi Dibuba on guitars, and others, some of whom were only briefly in the band.

Siama recalls Lava Machine replaced Willy on drums and the trumpeter was named Kodila. The outfit later split three ways to create Vundumuna, Ibeba System and Virunga. But Moreno went solo. He mainly sang in Kiswahili and the themes of his songs varied from social commentaries like "Dunia ni Duara," "Mapenzi ya Shinda" and "Mwanamke Hatosheki," to love songs like "Angela" and "Pili Mswahili."

This last was a song about his girlfriend, Pili Mikendo Kassim, a Tanzanian model he met in 1976 while with Orchestra Les Noirs in Mombasa. His 1993 chart topper was "Vidonge Sitaki," based on a Taraab song by Golden Star, but sadly he died the same year, aged only 38
.


<table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10"><tbody><tr><td>Moreno & Moja One

Moreno and l'Orch First Moja-One (AIT Records EFALP020) Sister Pili

A1. Adidja
2. Kaka Punguza wivu
B1. Aoko (Danger girl)
2. Sister Pili


Personnel:


Guiter-solo: Mokili
Rhythmn: Siama & Bibiley
Bass: Lomboto (Toms)
Saxaphone: Kayumba (Frankai)
Drums: Lava & Kaster & Hasani
Vocals: Coco-Zigo & Dewolo
Solo vocals: Moreno
Music arrager: Moreno
Produced by: Felix Jacomo (G.A.)
Recording engineer: Steve Ndesandjo
Recorded at: CBS Studios (Nairobi/Kenya)
[Note: A literal transcription of the back cover. There is some irony in adding the epithet "First" to the band name as "Moja" also means "One"!]


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</td><td> Moreno casset

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Respect.


FMEs!
 
Mkuu wangu FMES popote ulipo rudi kuiendeleza thread yetu hii tupate burudani......Siasa kila siku zinaboa nazo
 
mara ya mwisho alikuwa Botswana huyu Shabani Yohana Wanted
Shabani Yohana 'Wanted' alikuwa na kipaji huyu jamaa,alikuwa analikung'uta gitaa la SOLO hasa...Nakumbuka alivyoondoka Vijana Jazz kwenda kuanzisha bendi ya Ngorongoro Heroes na akina Skassy Kasambula vijana walitetereka sana thank God wakampata bwanamdogo 'kinda' enzi hizo Miraji Shakashia(huyu SHAKA ZULU wa Twanga Pepeta sasa) na kumpachika jina la utani CID(Askari wa upelelezi) wakimaanisha kwamba anamsaka Shabani Yohana ambaye ni 'Wanted'
 
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Baba Gastone Ilunga wa Ilunga



- Wakulu naamini mnakumbuka kile kibao maarufu cha huyu mzee mashurui sana cha "Kakolele Noel Kritsmas" hasa kule migombani sehemu za Kaskazini mwa Tanzania.

Respect.


FMEs!
Shukrani sana Field Marshall, yaani umenikumbusha mbali kuhusu huyu mzee. Yaani namkumbuka nadhani ndio ilikuwa miaka yake ya mwisho pale alipofungua kagrocery store pale Uhuru Road A-Town opposite na Subzali Building, nadhani ilikuwa kwenye late 1980's. Kwa kweli Papa alikuwa amechoka sana na maisha.

 
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R to L: Lola Chécain, Aimé Kiwakana, Josky Kiambukuta ''Londa'', ''Pape''Ndombe Opetum, Lukoki Diatho (Brussels, 1991) of the legendary TP OK JAZZ
 
Ni kweli kuwa kisa cha Shabaani Marijani na Georgina ni ukweli mtupu.Mimi nilisoma na Marijani Darasa moja Tambaza form I kabla ya kuhama shule hiyo.
Georgina mtoto wa Chang'ombe miaka hiyo na aliishia ualimu vijijini huko Iringa baada ya wazazi wake kuhakikisha Marijani haoni ndani.
Kwa masikio yangu miaka kama mitatu hivi iliyopita nilimsikia redioni mwanamuziki mmoja wa zamani simkumbuki jina akisema kwamba yeye ndiye aliyetunga wimbo wa Georgina wakati akiwa bendi moja na Marijani. Akasema kwamba kilichopelekea yeye kutunga wimbo huo ni baada ya kukutana na kupendana na Georgina msichana mmoja mrembo aliyekuwa ni housegirl kwenye familia moja mjini Dar es Salaam. Kwamba kabla penzi lao halijafika mbali siku moja jamaa (huyo mwanamuziki) akaenda kwenye mji alipokuwa akifanya kazi huyo dada lakini akakuta kwamba msichana ameachishwa kazi na tayari amerudishwa kwao mkoani Iringa. Na kwa vile kwa miaka hiyo mawasiliano yalikuwa ni ya shida jamaa alikosa kabisa namna ya kuwasiliana na mrembo na kuishia tu kutunga huo wimbo wa Georgina. Sina hakika na ukweli wake lakini hayo ndiyo niliyoyasikia redioni siku hiyo.
 

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