- A lot has been written about Kasongo wa Kanema who was buried on April 24. Lingala music expert Wambua Komu Kiawa takes a deep dive into Wa-Kanema’s musical life.
Many people associate him with Super Mazembe but Mazembe was of the many bands he had sung with. Kasongo was born in Lubumbashi, DRC in 1954 growing up together with Kalenga Nzaazi Vivi the veteran Mangelepa musician.
At school, he was a choir member and was later employed as a miner by the Union Miniere Company, a Belgian. There he joined the company band to entertain fellow workers. In November 1972 he left the job because of the risks of working underground and he joined Lumpe Jazz Band-Lumumba Patrice Emery and toured DRC (then Zaire).
In 1973 Kasongo was invited to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to join the TP Santafee Jazz, a band which had many Congolese musicians. There, he met Joseph Bartholomew Mulenga Spoier, the former lead guitarist of Mlimani Park Orchestra who has since passed away.
The band was based at Gateway Club at Dar’s Mnazi Mmoja suburbs. In 1974, he joined orchestra Marquis du Zaire, led by the late Chinyama Chiaza Chichi and Nguza Mbango Viking. The band toured Port Louis, Mauritius and Nairobi performing at Aquarius club owned by the late Sheikh Yahya Hussein, the famous astrologer.
In Dar es Salaam, he met Baba Gaston the leader of Orchestra Baba National, who invited him to fill up the vacuum left behind by the exodus of the musicians who, led by Bwamy Walumona had decamped to form Les-Mangelepa which took Nairobi by storm with his such as Embakasi and Nyako Konya. That was in 1976.
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With Baba National they recorded Kakolele Viva Christmas, Kasongo being the lead vocalist. At Baba National, he found Jimmy Kanyinda, Kashala Majita, Kayembe Bosho, John Ngereza, Aloni Vangu, Ekombo Malabu, Shushu Betanga, Zortos Shemwana, Lutulu Kanicky Macky among the others. Many of these musicians have since passed on.
In 1977, Kasongo left Baba National with other musicians to form orchestra Bwambe; the main reason for departing from Baba Gaston was poor payments.
While with Bwambe, he met Longwa Didos the leader of Super Mazembe who invited him to join their vocals department. Mazembe was then playing in the same League with Mangelepa and Samba Mapangala’s Les-Kinois, later Ochestra Virunga, Nairobi’s Garden Square Restaurant being the main battleground.
Kasongo joined Super Mazembe in late 1978. In 1979 Loboko Bua Mangala together with Lovy Longoma joined from Shango Lola’s Orchestra Boma Liwanza.
Mazembe became a household name.
The full lineup featured: Kayembe Rapok, Atia Jo, Bukasa wa Bukasa, Bukalos Dododorise, Mousa, Charles Makila, Tshishi and Katele Aley.
They recorded hits like Okova, Naleli libota, Kingo Mwambe, Naweli Nini, Atia Jo, Longwa, Kayembe, Loboko, Mukala Musi, Mado Zaina, Lokeke, Isabella, Auma and Ouma among the others.
In 1983, Kasongo left Mazembe and joined Samba Mapangala’s Orchestra Virunga of teaming up with Coco Zigo Mike, Dago Mayombe, Sammy Mansita and Lover Machine among others.
He featured in hits like Kweya, Fonseka and Kapemba.
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In 1987, together with Sammy Mansita they left Virunga and formed Ibeba System but it didn't last long due to the demise of Mansita and Mayombe.
He was later invited by Okello Joseph Songa a former Les Kinois and Mazembe bassist to join the Ivory Band which had landed a contract in Tokyo Japan to perform at Pigapiga Night Club.
After the end of the contract, Kasongo returned to Kenya and opened a recording studio at Hurlingham Nairobi, to nature young talents. He also tried to revive Mazembe but with minimum success, retiring from live performances in 2017.
Kasongo leaves behind a family with grandchildren and was married to Joyce, daughter of Archbishop Festo Olang. the late leader of Anglican Church in Kenya.
Rest in Peace Kasongo wa Kanema.
Mokolo nakokufa nani akolela ngai.
