Post by Yona Maro on Sept 4, 2005 2:43:15 GMT -5
From World War II onwards, Kenyan musical history is filled with examples of individual musicians and whole ensembles settling in Kenya from neighboring countries and beyond. In the 1950s, for example, Congolese finger-style guitarists Edouard Masengo and Jean Bosco Mwenda became household names throughout Kenya. Peter Tsotsi and Nashil Pichen from Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) played a critical role in the development of the Equator Sound Band's "twist" style, modeled after the South African kwela rhythm (see Before Benga Vol. Two: The Nairobi Sound, Original Music).
Congolese groups were performing in Nairobi night clubs as early as 1964. As conditions in the Congo (later, Zaïre) deteriorated in the 1970s, more groups made their way to Nairobi. By the mid-seventies, several Zaïrean groups were playing rumba music at night clubs on a regular basis. Examples of their music are not readily available for this period but one characteristic of their style caught on in Kenya and remains a key feature in most Kenyan music today. That element is the cavacha rhythm, popularized through recordings of Zaïrean bands such as Zaiko Langa Langa and Orchestra Shama Shama. The Kenyan definition of cavacha covers a family of rhythms, something akin to the "shaveandahaircut, sixbits" clavé beat. This fast paced rhythm played on the snare drum or high hat quickly became a hallmark of the Zaïrean sound in Nairobi and is frequently used by many of the regional bands.
The late seventies and early eighties was an extremely creative time for the Zaïrean groups in Nairobi. This period also corresponded with the beginning of Europe's new-found interest in African music. Virgin records got involved in a couple of projects in Nairobi that produced two highly acclaimed LPs from the Tanzanian-Zaïrean group, Orchestra Makassy and the Kenya-based Zaïrean band, Super Mazembe. About this same time, the French label Afro Rythmes had just released Orchestra Virunga's Malako LP recorded in Nairobi. Of these, a wonderful example of the Mazembe style is captured on the Earthworks Dance Mania CD in the now classic "Shauri Yako" (It's Your Affair). In what may be the finest song craftsmanship to come out of Nairobi, the Virunga Malako recording has been reissued as an Earthworks CD titled Virunga Volcano. At nine or ten minutes each, the four original songs are superbly arranged in a flowing, leisurely fashion allowing plenty of time for them to progress through beautiful vocals, innovative sax solos and duets, and precision guitar and bass work (not to mention a good dose of the cavacha on high hat). The Orchestra Makassy release hasn't reached the divine status bestowed upon Malako, although there are fans in Europe who might argue to the contrary. Unfortunately, Makassy's Agwaya LP is out of print and has not yet been reissued as a CD.
Before the breakup of the East African Community in 1977, there was a continuing flow of Tanzanian musicians visiting Kenya to record and perform. The Tanzanian variety of rumba music was extremely popular and widely accessible through radio and records in Kenya. But with many bands under state or corporate sponsorship and providing their musicians a regular salary, there was little incentive for Tanzanians to settle in Kenya's uncertain, laissez-faire environment. A few did, however, including the founding members of Simba Wanyika who took up Kenyan residence in 1971.
Like most Tanzanian bands, Simba Wanyika played rumba with Swahili language lyrics. In contrast to the emerging benga style of the period, Simba Wanyika's music had a much gentler feel; smoother, flowing. Their first recordings didn't even have a drum set. The rhythm was carried along on congas together with clavés and a fast, cavacha-like rhythm on high-hat. The rhythm guitar was active and fluid, but very light in its presence. The lead guitar came in only intermittently for soloing. Likewise, the saxophone was used sparingly in solos and to elaborate instrumental portions.
The Simba Wanyika sound, as the prototype of Kenya's "Swahili music" proved to be quite popular and durable.(4) Along the way, other Kenyan groups such as the Maroon Commandos and Nairobi Matata joined in with their own "Swahili" styles. While the Kenyan variety was already diverging from its Tanzanian roots, the border closure after 1977 may have speeded the process by further isolating musicians in the two countries.
In 1978, a new "Wanyika" group, Les Wanyika, split off from Simba Wanyika and a short time later, a third group was created called variously, Super Wanyika, Wanyika Stars, Waanyika, etc. All of these maintained elements of the rumba/cavacha style with delicate rhythm guitar, congas, horns, etc. (although the latter group moved considerably in the direction of benga).
Examples of these Swahili rumba styles are found on Guitar Paradise with Simba Wanyika's "Wana Wanyika". The Maroon Commandos have selections on both Nairobi Beat and Kenya Dance Mania. Also featured on Dance Mania are songs by Les Wanyika and Super Wanyika.
Swahili rumba remains one of the popular urban sounds of the mid-nineties and the Maroon Commandos and Les Wanyika continue to have steady employment. Since the early 1980s, the Swahili bands have experimented with various stylistic innovations but even today, their music remains closely tied to their rumba origins. While Les Wanyika continue to have major hit recordings in Kenya, they are almost totally unknown and their music unavailable outside of East Africa. Simba Wanyika, on the other hand, did finally attain some notice on the international scene in the early 1990s but tragically, the group's two founding brothers passed away -- George Peter Kinyonga, in 1992 and Wilson Peter Kinyonga in 1995. With their departure, Simba Wanyika lost its creative genius and has since broken up. The group has, however, left behind one very fine CD recorded in Holland. The release, called Pepea (on the Kameleon label), celebrates the band's twenty years up to 1991 with updated versions of some of their most famous songs.
Congolese groups were performing in Nairobi night clubs as early as 1964. As conditions in the Congo (later, Zaïre) deteriorated in the 1970s, more groups made their way to Nairobi. By the mid-seventies, several Zaïrean groups were playing rumba music at night clubs on a regular basis. Examples of their music are not readily available for this period but one characteristic of their style caught on in Kenya and remains a key feature in most Kenyan music today. That element is the cavacha rhythm, popularized through recordings of Zaïrean bands such as Zaiko Langa Langa and Orchestra Shama Shama. The Kenyan definition of cavacha covers a family of rhythms, something akin to the "shaveandahaircut, sixbits" clavé beat. This fast paced rhythm played on the snare drum or high hat quickly became a hallmark of the Zaïrean sound in Nairobi and is frequently used by many of the regional bands.
The late seventies and early eighties was an extremely creative time for the Zaïrean groups in Nairobi. This period also corresponded with the beginning of Europe's new-found interest in African music. Virgin records got involved in a couple of projects in Nairobi that produced two highly acclaimed LPs from the Tanzanian-Zaïrean group, Orchestra Makassy and the Kenya-based Zaïrean band, Super Mazembe. About this same time, the French label Afro Rythmes had just released Orchestra Virunga's Malako LP recorded in Nairobi. Of these, a wonderful example of the Mazembe style is captured on the Earthworks Dance Mania CD in the now classic "Shauri Yako" (It's Your Affair). In what may be the finest song craftsmanship to come out of Nairobi, the Virunga Malako recording has been reissued as an Earthworks CD titled Virunga Volcano. At nine or ten minutes each, the four original songs are superbly arranged in a flowing, leisurely fashion allowing plenty of time for them to progress through beautiful vocals, innovative sax solos and duets, and precision guitar and bass work (not to mention a good dose of the cavacha on high hat). The Orchestra Makassy release hasn't reached the divine status bestowed upon Malako, although there are fans in Europe who might argue to the contrary. Unfortunately, Makassy's Agwaya LP is out of print and has not yet been reissued as a CD.
Before the breakup of the East African Community in 1977, there was a continuing flow of Tanzanian musicians visiting Kenya to record and perform. The Tanzanian variety of rumba music was extremely popular and widely accessible through radio and records in Kenya. But with many bands under state or corporate sponsorship and providing their musicians a regular salary, there was little incentive for Tanzanians to settle in Kenya's uncertain, laissez-faire environment. A few did, however, including the founding members of Simba Wanyika who took up Kenyan residence in 1971.
Like most Tanzanian bands, Simba Wanyika played rumba with Swahili language lyrics. In contrast to the emerging benga style of the period, Simba Wanyika's music had a much gentler feel; smoother, flowing. Their first recordings didn't even have a drum set. The rhythm was carried along on congas together with clavés and a fast, cavacha-like rhythm on high-hat. The rhythm guitar was active and fluid, but very light in its presence. The lead guitar came in only intermittently for soloing. Likewise, the saxophone was used sparingly in solos and to elaborate instrumental portions.
The Simba Wanyika sound, as the prototype of Kenya's "Swahili music" proved to be quite popular and durable.(4) Along the way, other Kenyan groups such as the Maroon Commandos and Nairobi Matata joined in with their own "Swahili" styles. While the Kenyan variety was already diverging from its Tanzanian roots, the border closure after 1977 may have speeded the process by further isolating musicians in the two countries.
In 1978, a new "Wanyika" group, Les Wanyika, split off from Simba Wanyika and a short time later, a third group was created called variously, Super Wanyika, Wanyika Stars, Waanyika, etc. All of these maintained elements of the rumba/cavacha style with delicate rhythm guitar, congas, horns, etc. (although the latter group moved considerably in the direction of benga).
Examples of these Swahili rumba styles are found on Guitar Paradise with Simba Wanyika's "Wana Wanyika". The Maroon Commandos have selections on both Nairobi Beat and Kenya Dance Mania. Also featured on Dance Mania are songs by Les Wanyika and Super Wanyika.
Swahili rumba remains one of the popular urban sounds of the mid-nineties and the Maroon Commandos and Les Wanyika continue to have steady employment. Since the early 1980s, the Swahili bands have experimented with various stylistic innovations but even today, their music remains closely tied to their rumba origins. While Les Wanyika continue to have major hit recordings in Kenya, they are almost totally unknown and their music unavailable outside of East Africa. Simba Wanyika, on the other hand, did finally attain some notice on the international scene in the early 1990s but tragically, the group's two founding brothers passed away -- George Peter Kinyonga, in 1992 and Wilson Peter Kinyonga in 1995. With their departure, Simba Wanyika lost its creative genius and has since broken up. The group has, however, left behind one very fine CD recorded in Holland. The release, called Pepea (on the Kameleon label), celebrates the band's twenty years up to 1991 with updated versions of some of their most famous songs.