There is a rhumba song that the band Bilenge Musica du Congo had to perform every time former Prime Minister Raila Odinga attended their shows.
Its opening line goes: “Wazazi wangu hawataki tena mimi na wewe tuoane. Si kosa langu, tabia yako mbaya… (My parents don’t want me and you to marry anymore. It’s not my mistake; it’s your bad character…”
Darzee Kalend, the band leader, told Nation Lifestyle that Mr Odinga had a soft spot for the song, which was recorded by the original Bilenge band before a split.
Bilenge Musica du Congo band leader Darzee Kalend.
Photo credit: Pool
“We knew that if we played it, he would be on his feet,” he said. “He had the energy. He could dance even for three hours on stage… He was a big fan of rhumba, and he loved dancing.”
Darzee spoke a day after Mr Odinga’s death in India, still struggling to come to terms with the demise of one of their biggest fans.
“Yesterday [Wednesday], I tried to perform, but it didn’t work. We have lost a leader who was an example for many Africans,” noted the crooner. “We have lost a father, a brother.”
About four years ago, he noted, Mr Odinga gave them a Sh300,000 donation after a show. He called it a “soda”.
“He called me aside and signalled his bodyguard. I went to his car, and he gave me the money,” said Darzee.
“I later sat with my band and we agreed that rather than share the cash, we would buy some of the instruments we were lacking, and which would remind us of Baba every time we saw them. And we have those instruments to date. Whenever we play them, we remember Baba.”
“Whenever he gave me something, he didn’t want people to see. He was a respectable man. Whenever he gave, he didn’t want the other hand to know, as they say,” noted Darzee.
With 17 members, Bilenge Musica du Congo is made up of mostly Congolese members, though it is based in Nairobi. Its Kenyan members include youths co-opted into the group to keep them away from crime.
“Including the technicians and everyone, there are 17 of us. I made my band in the image of TPOK Jazz. That’s why you’ll see us playing with four guitars and a keyboard in the OK Jazz style,” said Darzee.
Darzee Kalend, the leader of the band Bilenge Musica du Congo. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had a soft spot for the Nairobi-based Congolese band.
Photo credit: Pool
One of their songs is titled Baba Anakuja (Baba is Coming), and it was inspired by an instance when Mr Odinga attended a show at a hotel in Bondo, Siaya County. “Baba” is one of the many nicknames given to Mr Odinga.
“As we performed, there were rumours that Baba would attend. We weren’t sure. It was a well-attended concert. And soon, we saw a convoy of vehicles coming in, alongside police vehicles. And so, we knew Baba was here. So, we transitioned from the song we were singing and started ‘ye ule, ye ule, Baba anakuja ,’” said Darzee.
On entering the hotel, Mr Odinga went right to the stage, and “Baba Anakuja” became a refrain that later became a song. They recorded the song in 2021, and it was used a couple of times in Mr Odinga’s 2022 presidential campaign.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga dances with his wife Ida during Mama Ida Odinga's 73rd birthday party and the couple's 50th wedding anniversary at Villa Rosa Kempinski, Nairobi on August 25, 2023.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“Someone advised us to go into the studio to record that song. It was picked up during campaigns and used here and there. But we didn’t compose it due to Baba’s campaign; no,” said Darzee, who insisted that they stay apolitical because he is a foreigner who doesn’t have a vote.
“I loved Baba as a fan of Bilenge. As a band, Baba supported us. Whenever we met, he would give us something in support. We loved him as a fan who loved our band,” said the singer.
Darzee said that their ties with Mr Odinga began years ago, long before he became a big name in Kenyan politics.
“Baba was a fan of Bilenge, of rhumba,” he said. “I remember that in 1995, he would come to Legacy Africa at Parklands, where we started off. So, Baba knew us even by name. He would come to our concerts till a time when he got a role in government, and he disappeared. We didn’t see him much.”
When he became the Premier, he said, he “disappeared” from them but later returned to their shows.
“About two years ago, he came to a concert where we met again, at Kuche Kuche [Club]. He had the energy to dance, never tiring. I would marvel at how he’d advanced in age but was still dancing,” said Darzee.
