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Derek Otieno and Elly Gitau

Legendary rhumba musician Kasongo wa Kanema has died. The maestro who led the successful Super Mazembe troupe that created waves in the music scene in the 1970s and 1980s is reported to have died at his Lang’ata home, Nairobi, on Monday night.

Kasongo, who arrived in the country with the second wave of musicians from Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has struggled with his health after suffering a stroke in 2017 following a long bout with high blood pressure.

The veteran musician, who served Super Mazembe for four decades as a guitarist, singer and composer, will be best remembered for the 1980 Kasongo chart buster composition that took the whole East Africa by storm. It was in an album called Giants Of East Africa.

His son Shappaman—who is an urban music artiste formerly of the defunct pop group Camp Mulla—eulogised his old man saying, “Love you man! I won’t let you down, I promise!”

The musician, who owned the popular Watoto Studio in Nairobi’s Yaya Centre where local-based and visiting Congolese music stars recorded songs, had been in and out of the hospital for the better part of 2017.

Loved music icon

Legendary broadcaster Fred Obachi Machoka recounted his last moments with the singer saying the two had been in communication four days before his demise.

“Just four days ago, he called me from a pharmacy seeking some little assistance and texted to thank me only last evening…and now he is no more!” wrote Machoka on his social media platforms.

His death came just days after another veteran artiste Aziz Abdi Kilambo died in his native Voi, Taita-Taveta County last Saturday.

He will be remembered for a string of popular songs such as Sina Kazi and Nyumbani Ni Nyumbani.

Aziz, who was the leader of the multi-national Benga Africa Band, and later Ngoma Afrika, had long retired from performing live music and had been in and out of hospital.