By Jerome Ogola
Mzee Jean Claude Kasongo aka Kasongo Wa Kanema and porpulary known as Baba Maurice to his friends, is dead
His death was announced by his son Maurice Kasongo, stating that the late musician died in his home in Langata, in the evening of Tuesday
He had been battling high blood pressure
Kasongo, was a top vocalist with a unique baritone, the same which you hear deliver the hit song “kaokolele christmas”, harmonizing the high tenor of Mzee Tchouchou Batenga. The song is by Baba National’s of Baba Gaston
Kasongo sang with several bands, but it is while at Mazembe that he became a household name in Kenya
Super Mazembe, was one of the several dozens of bands which lit Kenya’s entertainment in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The competition and rivalry among the bands, was intense and this ignited a very vibrant music period, in the history of Nairobi
This put Nairobi on the music world map. The bands included Les Les Mangelapa, Virunga, Le Noirs, Viva Makale, Shika Shika, Boma Liwanza, Bana Ngenge and many more
An in depth analysis of the musical safari of all these bands, which literally brought Kinshasa to Nairobi, is documented by Alastair Johnston in a compilation Congo in Kenya, also available in his muzikfan website
http://www.muzikifan.com/shika.html
These bands mostly featured musicians from Congo who for various reasons shifted from band to band ans as some bands disbanded and went down, in the same pace, other new ones emerged like mushrooms, dotting the city’s entertainment terrain, all in competition for Nairobi’s attention
Unlike most of the bands which were created in Nairobi, Super Mazembe was a Congolese export. The band was created in Congo as Super Vox in the 60s, by Mutonkole Longwa Didos, and only shifted base to Nairobi in 1974
The other founding members were, solosist Bukalos Bukasa, rhythmst Rapok Kayembe, bassist Atia Jo, drummer Dodo Doris, vocalist Katele Aley, another rhythmst Kasongo Songoley
It is in Nairobi, that the Kasongo Wa Kanema joined the band. Kasongo had been a member of Baba National of Baba Gaston Wa Ilunga. He had travelled with this band from his native Congo and settled with them in Dar es Salaam in 1971, before shifting base to Nairobi in 1975
When the band disintegrated over managerial issues several musicians, among them singer Evani Kabila Kabanza, Lutulu Kanicky, Badibanga Wa Tshilumba, Bwami Walumona and Twikale Kalonda, created a splinter group Les Mangelapa, which soared high in the era, performing across Africa and also became the band which outlived them all
Les Mangelapa is alive in Nairobi todate, under the leadership of Kabila Kabanze. Kasongo Wa Kanema, told this writer, he was part of the team that created Les Mangelapa, but he didn’t last long in the band, before switching to Super Mazembe
Apart from Kasongo Wa Kanema, Super Mazembe also added several musicians, to their retinue, including rhythmst Loboko Passie, who played rhythm alongside Kasongo Songoley but shifted to solo, when Bukalos died in the 80s
Loboko had traveled to East Africa with Orchestra Basanga of sax player Kalombo Mwanza
Super Mazembe churned out hundreds of hit after hit in the entire period and most of the songs, played on radio, making the band a household name, in Kenya and the entire East Africa
They performed in the city where they maintained a large fanbase, and also toured the country to perform in several towns
Kasongo Wa Kanema was one of the musicians who became the face of the band, mostly for his role in the vocals formation
His baritone describes the singing style of the band the song titled Kasongo, composed by vocalist Katele Aley, in honor of rhythmst Kasongo Songoley also played a role in propelling Wa Kanema to fame, because as a vocalist, he was more visible in band activities
Among the original Super Mazembe musicians, drummer Dodo Doris is the only one alive, and among the bands veterans of the 70s, guitarist Loboko Passie is alive though battling ill health
Kasongo also sang for other bands, Bana Likasi, a studio ensemble that featured musicians mostly from Mazembe, among them singer Katele Aley. This band was headed by Lovy Longomba, who had since quit Mazembe and created his own Super Lovy
The team recorded under the banner Bana Likasi, for contractual reasons. He also sojourner for Virunga of Samba Mapangala, an arrangement which birthed the recording of several songs
When the original Super Mazembe died of old age and natural causes in the late 80s, Kasongo managed to reinvent himself
He has been active in the music scene and even established his own music production in Yahya Centre that recorded several top local and Congolese musicians
The 66 year old Kasongo quit active music in 2017 on advise from his doctors
His former colleague at Super Mazembe, KBC broadcaster Mfumu Kimbangu, eulogies him as a hard working musician, who apart from exploring his talent in music, also pursued business and other entrepreneurial ventures, which gave him a formidable financial stability that has eluded many a musicians
He also points out that the late Kasongo was a great vocalist, one of the best East Africa has had, and a great manager who took over the management of Super Mazembe after the demise of Longwa Didos
Fellow musician, Babu Kabaselleh of Lunna Kidi expressed shock on hearing the news. He says his family shares a history of friendship, straddling the boundaries of music and the loss is too magnificent to comprehend
He observes that the music fraternity has lost a father figure, a void that may not be easy to fill
Kasongo Wa Kanema may be buried in Langata, as it has been the tradition with most Nairobi based Congolese musician, on a date yet to be announced by the family
The music fraternity mourns this icon