Nice to meet yet another Benn loxo listener and a few of his friends a couple nights ago. Never hesitate to get in touch if you’re through Paris or live nearby..

Anyway, thanks to several of you I now have 23 out of the 39 Original Music releases. I hope to complete the collection at some stage so please get in touch if you’re up for a trade.

In the meantime I’ll try to keep sharing the wealth here on Benn loxo with some music from a 1996 Original Music release, Sam Chege’s Kickin’ Kikuyu Style.

As you read this I’m probably sipping Guinness, eating oysters and riding hookers.. not to mention birthing a calf somewhere. Imagine me doing this all simultaneously while singing Sam Chege. Seriously, even a dip in the cold Irish Atlantic couldn’t get this guy’s catchy, up-tempo music out of my head.

Chege is a Kenyan musician who plays benga in a fast Kikuyu style, as opposed to, say, the Luo way. His sound also has a strong soukous feel. I read a review that said it also drew upon Nigerian influences… but really? Name three.

As usual, I’m a little weak on my East Coast African music knowledge, but a little digging revealed that Chege is actually a relatively young guy, having finished his graduate studies in the US just a few years ago. He grew-up in a rural Kikuyu part of central Kenya before moving to Nairobi where he worked (or works?) as a music journalist.

Sam Chege - Victoria

Benn loxo reader and contributor, Fabián, comes through again with some great music by Congolese musicians living in Kenya during the 1970s. I’ve also included a few tracks from my own collection to beef-up the post.

I love reading the stories about how all these bands and the personalities behind them are connected. This is especially true when you’re talking about a relatively small group, Conogolese musicians living in Nairobi during the 1970s and early 80s.

Pepelepe was formed by ex-members of Baba Gaston’s Baba Nationale who had recently moved to Nairobi from Zaire in the early 1970s.

Jim Monimambo formed the Boma Liwanza offshoot, Special Liwanza, in Nairobi in 1976. I would love to get some more Boma Liwanza music. Anyone up for a trade?

Monimambo also wrote and performed for Orchestra Shika Shika, another group that had formed in 1980s in the aftermath of Boma Liwanza’s break-up.

I’ve included some Orchestra Mazemba since they were one of the leading Congolese bands in Kenya during the 1970s and 80s.

Finally, something from the Kenya and Tanzania natives, Simba Wanyika, so we can hear how it wasn’t just the Congolese playing that pre-benga, early soukous style in 1970s Nairobi.

Thanks to Benn loxo reader, Cheeku, and Matt over at Matsuli Music for first introducing me to Shika Shika and the various Liwanzas. And thanks, Fabián, for the continuing contributions.

You can find more info by people who know a lot more about this era than I do here and here.

Orchestre Pepelepe - Mulambo
Orchestre Special Liwanza - Mwale parts 1 & 2
Orchestre Shika Shika - Diabanza
Orchestre Shika Shika - Ivete parts 1 & 2
Orchestre Super Mazembe - Kassongo
Simba Wanyika - Shilingi maua tena maua

Benn loxo reader, David, suggested in a comment a few posts back that I check-out the new Kenge Kenge release from the World Music Network’s “Introducing…” series. A nice find; thanks for the heads-up.

Kenge Kenge play traditional music from Kenya’s Luo ethnic group mixed with a heavy dose of benga and contemporary African sounds à la Konomo No. 1. The group’s name apparently is Luo for a “fusion of small, exhilarating instruments”. Indeed. I bet these guys would be amazing live.

The background vocals also remind me of one of my all-time favourite African bar songs, Meiway’s Miss Lolo. Ah, the lost glory days of late, late nights at Chez Diamy…

You can grab it on emusic. These guys are also featured on World Music Network/Rough Guide’s excellent compilation, The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya.

While you’re at it, check-out this great video of a Luo dance in southern Sudan. I think the videographer has a bit of a crush on the tall girl, though..

Kenge Kenge - Kenge Kenge

Big thanks to Benn loxo listener and solid DJ, Boima, for the tickets, beer and music last night at the Trabendo. You can catch Boima on tour in Europe with Spearhead at the moment. I’ll be posting something off his latest release, a Sierra Leone hip-hop mix, later this week. In the meantime check-out his web site.

It’s great to keep meeting Benn loxo people. Nice crowd.

Anyway, over a year ago a Benn loxo listener, Carsten, sent me a guest post. Sorry for taking so long to put it up. I re-found Malika’s Poleni just the other day after digging Carsten’s e-mail out of the depths of my inbox:

“Malika was born on the island of Lamu (Kenya) and at an early age moved to Somalia where she began her singing career. In the 1960s she appeared on Somali radio and television and soon gained fame as a singer up and down the East African coast.

Apparently at some point in her career, Malika suffered damage to her voice but unfortunately, I don’t have any early recordings by her so I can’t really make a before and after comparison. Although Malika’s voice at present is not an excessively powerful one nor does its have an extraordinary range, it is a joy to hear her sing. Her phrasing is exquisite and her singing exudes a subtle poignancy that this reviewer finds irresistible.”

You can hear more Malika on the album, Tarabu: Music from the Swahili of Kenya.

Thanks for the post, Carsten.

Malika - Poleni

Today we’ll hear some more good Kenyan music from the Orchard re-release collection on eMusic. This time it’s a little later, a mid-70s recording by Kenyan rumba star, Habel Kifoto.

Initially a member of the famous “military band”, Maroon Commandos, Habel Kifoto released a bunch of solo tracks as well. Benn loxo friend, Steve Mugiri, can tell you more about the Maroon Commandos - and much more - if you’re curious.

Elsewhere, this guy was in Habel’s daughter’s class in Nairobi and enjoys good night out in Nairobi, while this guy feels guilty about listening to pirated copies of their music.

While you’re at it, hear Kifoto and others on the excellent selection of African podcasts over at Podmatic. (For those who don’t know, you can listen to Benn loxo as a podcast, too.)

Habel Kifoto - Sine Ndoe
Habel Kifoto - Charonyi Ni Wasi

eMusic has a surprisingly great collection of early Kenyan recordings, thanks in large part to the Orchard re-releases of music belonging to the Music Copyright Society of Kenya. You heard some already in that ever-popular post about Juma Muhina about a month back.

eMusic has always positioned itself as a spot for young, DRM-unfriendly listeners who are mainly into “indie” music. Their homepage features music by people like Sufjan Stevens, Damien Jurado and Tom Waits, as opposed to iTunes’ Westlife and Beyoncé. It’s nice that a company like eMusic is exposing the Pitchfork generation to some jewels of early African recordings.

Fadhili William is one such Kenyan treasure in the eMusic collection. The collection of his songs recorded between 1963-67 is just the kind of simple, guitar-jangle music that I’m into after a nice weekend in Amsterdam. The dialogue in the middle of Big City Blues is particularly amazing.. cracks me up every time.

Fadhili Williams Mdawida - Big City Blues
Fadhili Williams Mdawida - Wee Jane

Almost a year ago Benn loxo listener, Tim, sent me a guest post. It got buried in a heap of e-mail and only re-surfaced the other day:

“You may know Mbaraka Mwinshehe’s music already. A Tanzanian, he was one of East Africa’s most popular musicians of the 1970s, first with the Morogoro Jazz Band and then in his own group, Orchestra Super Volcano. His career came to a tragically premature end in 1979 when he was killed in a car crash in Kenya.

The Morogoro years were covered in the CD Masimango issued by the German Dizim label in 2000. Plans to issue a second volume covering Mwinshehe’s later work were announced in the sleevenotes of that release, but this has yet to happen. A shame this, because many of his songs with Super Volcano highlight Mwinshehe’s propulsive guitar style and impassioned vocal style. It’s the sound of somebody taking a Congolese model and making it his own.

The track I’m sending to you, Shida, was a huge hit. It has been rescued from a cassette I bought in Nairobi 25 years ago and, as you will hear, the sound quality is only so-so.

[...] The sound balance is just the way the tape sounds. In particular, the horns send the dials into the red every time. Maybe the the song would benefit from being cleaned up and remastered by somebody with the technical know-how to do it, but I’ve come to love its ragged edges.

East African music of this era was often recorded for radio and then pirated on cassette. Very little of it has made it onto CD - or at least ones available in Europe and America. Groups such as the Orchestras Super Volcano, Les Wanyika and Les Mangelepa are little known yet deserving of a wider recognition.”

Thanks, Tim. Great tune and an informed post. And yes, I know that’s not the right cover but I don’t exactly have a huge stock of Mbaraka Mwinshehe images at the ready.

Mbaraka Mwinshehe - Shida I & II

Just enough time for a quick post today from a 1999 African funk music compilation that I re-found recently.

Today’s tracks are a funky reminder that afrobeat and its derivatives weren’t just an anglo-West African phenomenon. Great bands like Mombasa, Matata and others rocked the Kenyan soul and funk scene during the 1960s and 1970s.

I also thought of today’s songs because a friend was asking for tips for a song that “you’d listen to while walking down the street.” Both of these tracks are good mood, long walk classics. If you see a guy on his bike on rue Saint Honoré tonight, bobbing his head to an inaudible beat, it’s probably me singing these tunes to myself.

Matata were BBC’s Best Band in Africa in 1971 but unfortunately they faded away by the mid-70s. Mombasa I know much less about. Can someone fill us in?

You can find both of these tracks on the quality compilation Africafunk from the guys at Harmless Records.

Mombasa - African Hustle
Matata - Talkin’ Talkin’

Lately I’ve been getting so much new music from Benn loxo listeners that I can’t keep up. Big thanks for all the great sounds coming my way. I promise I’ll get to all of it.. just give me some time and keep tuning in.

Several of you have asked for more Kenyan music and that champeta post a while back got some great feedback. With these two requests in mind, Benn loxo listener, Fabián, came through with a classic Orchestra Super Mazembe track in both its original format and as a champeta remix. You can also check-out his web site, Africolombia, with much more music.

Apologies in advance if I got the champeta group name wrong - please correct me, but it wasn’t clear from the song tag or some armchair research who exactly recorded this tune.

Orchestra Super Mazembe is actually a Congolese band by origin, forming as Super Vox in Likasi, Congo-Kinshasa, in the mid-60s. After meeting up with the Super Eagles in Zambia a few years later the band decided to hit-up the booming music scene in Nairobi, Kenya. Since Nairobi already had another band named Super Vox they changed their name to Super Mazembe, which roughly translates into “huge bulldozer”.

From the mid-1970s onwards Super Mazembe released several big hits in Nairobi, maintaining a large following right-up until the late 80s. Today’s track was released in 1983. You can find it on Earthworks re-release, Giants of East Africa.

Orchestre Super Mazembe - Shauri Yako
Dogar Dis - Quedo en las tablas

Were/are any of you into Arthur Russell? The driving bass drum and repetitive melodies in Juma Muhina’s recordings with Nairobi Matata remind me a lot of his music.

If you know Arthur Russell, your first reaction might be that Kenyan Swahili rumba doesn’t have much to do with early disco pioneers. But give today’s track a listen and tell me they don’t go great together on a mix. The release dates are roughly similar and who’s to say the dudes in Nairobi Matata didn’t have a secret love for underground NY disco? Not so secretly, I wish there had been more fusion along these lines.

Dada Mwajuma was a popular tune when it was originally released in 1977. It was produced by the accomplished musician Isaya Mwinamo Asiebera, who also produced albums for many of the other big local groups at the time such as Orchestra Mazembe (some of their tunes coming tomorrow if I have time), Daudi Kabaka and Orchestra Viva Makale.

Big thanks goes out to Benn loxo listener, Zim, who pointed out the Juma Muhina album amongst numerous great Music Copyright Society of Kenya re-releases on Orchard now available on Emusic. I’ll be featuring a few over the next while.

This reminds me how a friend of mine would quietly mix Xplastaz into French hip-hop parties, or how I try to hide amazing West African funk tracks on soul mixes for people who wouldn’t normally be into it. Which reminds me… check back tomorrow.

Juma Muhina - Dada Mwajuma (Part 2)
Arthur Russell - Dinosaur L / Go Bang (Francois Kevorkian mix)

A family friend, Chana, recently got back from Kenya where she was working for a few months in a rural hospital. I bumped into her in Toronto about a week ago, Benn loxo came up, and next thing you know I find a compilation of Kenyan hip-hop sitting in my inbox. And a good one, too. Thanks, Chana.

Ogopa Deejays is a music production company run out of Nairobi, Kenya. It’s played a big part in promoting Kenyan urban music.

West Africa has long been known for its talented and well-promoted hip-hop, reggae and RnB acts like PBS, VIP, Daara J, MC Solaar, Pee Froiss, Tiken Jah and many others. On the other side of the continent things have moved a bit slower in terms of musicians breaking into the international market. Labels and production companies like Ogopa Deejays are helping to finally raise awareness about East Africa’s urban music scenes.

Their first compilation was released in 2001 and was a huge success both at home at abroad. It kick-started the careers of many young Kenyan musicians, including Amani, Big Pin and the late hip-hop MC, E-Sir. You’ll hear some tracks off this compilation titled “Ogopa 1 - Kenyan Club Classics” on today’s post.

You can buy albums, see videos, hear clips and learn more about Ogopa Deejays on their official web site.

E-Sir - Leo Ni Leo
Vinnie Banton & Mr. Googs - Wasee (Githurai remix)
Amani - Move On

When I was in Germany for the World Cup I worked with a great Kenyan guy named Aki. He taught me a lot about his country and its culture while learning to drive on the right hand side of the autobahn.

Perhaps most importantly, he translated the Swahili lyrics of that amazing Xplastaz song, Msimu kwa msimu. Yeah, Olivier, that one; it will always remind me of one of the better house parties I’ve ever attended.

So if you’re reading, Aki, I promise to make good on that Mombasa road-trip promise by next year or 2008 latest.

I confess to not knowing a whole lot about Kenyan music beyond the few posts I’ve done for this site. However, the best African music compiler I know, Benn loxo listener Cheeku, consistently comes up with classic Kenyan sounds. Today I’ll feature one such Cheeku pick, Daudi Kabaka.

The late Kabaka had a long career as the “King of the Kenyan Twist”. He plays that kind of simple, acoustic, African rock’n'roll that I’ve loved so much on Benn loxo. Technically, the style is called Benga. Regardless of its name, Swahili sung a jangling guitar with East African harmonies sounds amazing.

Daudi Kabaka - Pole Musa

Guest post today by Benn loxo listener, CC Smith, editor/publisher of The Beat Magazine in Los Angeles, CA:

“Last month I traveled to England to attend several concerts by Samba Mapangala and Orch. Virunga, meeting up with Ethan Bloomberg of Boston, (Samba’s U.S. representative and advisor and East African music connoisseur), and Martin Sinnock, one of the world’s leading experts and collectors of Congolese music, and columnist for my magazine, The Beat. Samba has just put out a new album called Song and Dance, and the short tour of England was to support the release. As an extra added attraction, Orch. Virunga this time included guitarists Syran Mbenza and Bopol Mansiamina, who came in from Paris to assist their longtime friend and colleague.

I first heard Samba’s music in London in 1984 and was instantly a fan. The stunning, pitch-perfect a cappella intro to “Malako Disco” still knocks me out, and the song is as fresh as ever, blending Congo dance music with distinctive Kenyan elements, like the skittering hi-hat cymbal riding atop the flowing music.

Samba is Congolese but made his reputation in Kenya. He had a good deal of success in Europe, America and throughout East Africa in the ’80s and ’90s, but since relocating to the States 9 years ago, his music was put on hold while he established a life for himself and his family. His last newly recorded album was Ujumbe in 2001, so the new disc is a long-overdue treat, and I dearly hope presages the renaissance of his career. We need him back!

The first night I saw them, at the Amersham Arms in SE London on Mar. 21, was a bit rough: the sound was bad, the audience sparse, and the 9-member band, having only played together for a week, still trying to gel. Still, it was an enjoyable performance: Samba still has his magnificent voice, and with two backup singer/dancers, put on a lively show. The next evening, in Brighton, was even better: better attended, better sound, better ambience, but it was the third show, in Graffham, East Sussex, a tiny country town, when the group actually became a band. Two hundred people filled the rustic hall and were dancing from the first note. Syran, who had put down his Kekele-acoustic guitar to pick up his electric again for this tour, was conducting the orchestral maneuvers with guitar cues and glances, and ripping off mind-blowing leads.

The highlight for me came when they trotted out the old warhorse, “Malaika” — I’m thinking, oh, geez, do we have to hear this again? — but Samba, reaching deep down in his soul, brought out such intense emotion that the song was completely transformed, and Syran responded with one of the most profound, heartfelt solos I’ve ever heard him play.

For more information on Samba Mapangala and the new album Song and Dance: www.virungarecords.com. Martin Sinnock and Ethan Bloomberg have recorded an Internet radio broadcast on Samba that will be available April 7.”

Thanks for the great music, cc. It’s great that so many guest posts have been coming in lately. Keep it up! Even if you don’t want to write but have a song you’d like to share, let me know.

Samba Mapangala - Adija

I’m in the mood for some more old-school pop-Africa sounds on this (finally) quiet Friday evening. Nothing like a glass of wine after work and some Kenyan twist from the 1960s to ease you into the weekend, eh?

As far as I know John Amutabi Nzenze is still alive today, around 65 years old and living in Nairobi, Kenya. Until recently he was still touring the country with his group, Wazalendo Eagles Band, playing the good old stuff for his Kenyan fans. Nzenze’s real fame came during the 1960s when he released Angelica Twist, a jangly guitar pop song that made the kids dance a mean twist.

There’s not much to say about this kind of music except that it’s dead simple and fun, but still somehow cooler than your mom’s Dixie Cups albums. Nzenze sings in Kiswahili, which I’ve always thought is a great-sounding language when sung.

You can grab this track and more from The Orchard’s Kenyan music sampler.

John Amutabi Nzenze - Angelica Twist

THE MP3 HAS BEEN FIXED

Back in an airport on wi-fi with some time for a quick post.

Yunasi is a contemporary group of six Kenyan musicians, often backed up by percussionists and orchestras of different shapes and sizes. They’re all pretty young - early 20s - and have a really fresh sound that’s very modern and distinctly Kenyan.

Over the last 3 or 4 years their popularity has steadily climbed both home and abroad following several successful gigs on some major European music festivals. They also scored several of Kenya’s Kisima awards in 2003 including “best overall group”, helping to give them a boost in their country.

They have several great tracks, including Kisumu 100 and Ji ogopore. I settled on another for today’s post, Yamala, since it’s currently my favourite driving song. Make sure to turn up the bass on this one - nice production. If you can’t find a Yunasi album, you can grab this track on the Rough Guide’s surprisingly excellent “Guide to the music of Kenya“.

ps- I used to be quite skeptical, but I’ve decided to give these Rough Guide Africa compilations a listen and I gotta say I’m pretty impressed with many of the picks.

Yunasi - Yamala