The following article from the Nairobi paper, The Nation, was seen on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200710051263.html . Among other things, it gives some perspectives on African languages from some musicians' point of view. Don
Kenya: Where Local And Lingala Mix to Produce Delightful Music The Nation (Nairobi) http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/ 6 October 2007 Posted to the web 5 October 2007 John Makeni Nairobi It is evening at Club Changes in Nairobi's Ngara neighbourhood. The throbbing beats by the Toddi International group shake the spot as the fans holler with excitement and joy. Tapping his arm and swaying with the tune is Simon Kimuyu, the manager. "At the beginning we had a band playing Lingala music only, and then came a one-man guitar," he says. "But the patrons did not like this much." "Patrons here like rhumba, and this is why we had to invite this band to perform here every Friday and Saturday." The band members are deeply engrossed in their music. Selesele, the title of the song being played, may sound like a Lingala tune, but listening keenly, one realises that it is in fact a Luo one. Toddi International is remarkable in that it is one of only a few groups that mix traditionally Luo music with Lingala rhumba. This courtesy of Congolese Steve Kawingi Mwembo and veteran Kenyan artiste Laban Juma Toto. Sings with wife Mwembo sings with his wife Roselyn Ombogo and long-time friend Toto. Music fans may have been wondering what became of Toto who is remembered for 1960s hits such as AFC Gor Mahia. The music bug bit Toto as he grew up in his home Siaya district in 1966. His relationship with Lingala music started when he came to Nairobi the same year. "When I started my music career in 1966 and came to Nairobi, I would meet Congoles musician's quite often," he recalls, citing famous musicians such as Dr Nicolas Kasanda (Dr Nico) and Taabu Ley. "Their music is respectable and fans request us to replay them more often, and this is an indication that the music lives on," he says. In the city, Tooto joined the Hodi Boys band, and later teamed up with other bands such as France Negro Success. He composed his first song, Dori Mama, in 1968 and recorded it under the guidance of Isaiah Mwinamu of the Julietta song fame. "I asked myself that if other people had composed their own songs, why not me, because we were playing Lingala," he says. A year later, he composed his second song, Atieno Nyaseme, which did very well in sales. Then in another year, Toto decided to compose songs to entertain football fans, and came up with AFC Gor Mahia, a tune the club fans crooned during matches. Later, he formed a musicians association to champion the cause of artistes, and he became the treasurer. In 1972, Toto and Ochieng' Kabeselleh (late) formed Toddi International, and he is to day the leader. One must have talent, discipline and commitment to become a good musician, he says. Toto has a lot of respect for current colleagues such as Achieng' Abura, Margaret Waitherero, Suzzane Owiyo and Eric Wainana, and says they are among the best Kenya has ever had. Other than Toddi International, Mwembo runs his Titanic Four by Four band. He met Toto in 2005 when the latter was still running Toddi International. Mwembo was a member of Eden Musica of Nairobi. Mwembo says he was reluctant at first. "I thought it was a good idea to learn from Juma Toto who had been in the music industry for a long time," he says. Unknown to Steve at the time, the friendship with Juma was the beginning of a great music career fusing benga and Lingala music. "Lingala is like Kiswahili and it is also like Dholuo," he explains. "The mood of the music in all the three languages is the same because they are African songs," adds Juma Toto. Toddi International members also sing in English, but the group's songs are mainly in Lingala, Dholuo and Kiswahili. But does Mwembo not find it difficult to sing in Dholuo, a language he is not proficient in? "When you are a musician, you take all the languages as yours," he says. " I feel good singing in Dholuo because it is just like any other African language." Mwembo discovered his singing talent when he was a 12-years-old boy growing up in Kinshasa. His grandmother, Mamu Kapinga, was an ardent singer who occasionally performed for DRC strongman Mobutu Sese Seko. With great admiration for his grandmother's music prowess, he would sing at the Nzambe Malamu church in the city. And his voice so impressed Punch Kavasha, a renowned band in Kinshasa, that they invited him to join them. The artiste says music has taught him a lot, and that musicians are like pastors who have advice and messages for the community. When he left Kinshasa for Nairobi with Punch Kavasha in the late 1990s, his grandmother gave him her photograph. "She told me: 'Take this photo, you will remember me by it,'" he says. But the old woman died three years later. A police officer But his father Elias Mwembo, a police officer in the Mobutu government, did not like his son making music his career as he wanted him to pursue education. Initially he would have the boy arrested for not going to school. "I liked music and I didn't see the need to go to school because I knew how to speak French and also knew how to read and write," he recalls with a chuckle. But today, his father has accepted this and tells him that it is God who gave him the talent to sing. Mwembo's role model who, he says, inspired him is Franco Luambo Makiadi of TP OK jazz band. But although he would attend the maestro's shows, he never got the opportunity to interact with him. Franco (now late) knew his mother, though. "Franco's songs are my favourite," he says. "The songs have a message; the songs depict your problems and they touch one." Other Toddi International members are Charles Kazungu (bass), Haji Ashitiba (drums), Pamela Awuor (vocals) and Adam Kasera (second solo). Copyright © 2007 The Nation. All rights reserved. **************************** Disclaimer ****************************** Copyright: In accordance with Title 17, United States Code Section 107, this material is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material posted to this list for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Content: The sender does not vouch for the veracity nor the accuracy of the contents of this message, which are the sole responsibility of the copyright owner. Also, the sender does not necessarily agree or disagree with any opinions that are expressed in this message. ********************************************************************** Yahoo! 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