Ohangla great Jack Nyadundo moves to Nairobi from Kisumu

The man who is highly revered for revolutionising the Luo traditional music style, ohangla, into a popular danceable beat is back in Nairobi, promising fireworks in competition with the numerous new and flamboyant stars who have ridden on his back to national fame.

Veteran musician Jack Nyadundo ‘Le General’, fondly referred to as the father of ohangla music in Kenya, has been away from the national capital for nearly 10 years.

HOW IT BEGAN

The burly musician, who started his career in Bungoma Town in the mid-1980s, for quite a while sung as a hobby, his main source of income being working as a tailor. He made clothes during the day while at the same time working on a new sound to replace the original mournful ohangla tune.

As he seeks to reignite his career and entertain the hordes of ohangla fans in the city, Jack Nyadundo, whose younger brother, Tony, is among the most versatile stars in this genre of music, will be among the highlights on the entertainment menu for the festive season.

Speaking to the Nation earlier this week, Jack said he was eagerly looking forward to his first performance in the metropolis in the sun.

“I chose to make a return to Nairobi following pleas from my many long-time fans,” he said.

MUSIC GROUP

His African Bulls Group, which is made up of six members including his 24-year-old son Roba, will be based at the Ice on Fire Club on Ngong Road-Mugo Kibiru Road junction, opposite Nakumatt Prestige Plaza. He will hold concerts from Wednesday to Sunday.

His rich traditional musical background has seen him groom some of the current top ohangla musicians. His younger brother, Tony, was also initially a member of African Bulls during their stint in Bungoma.

Others whose careers he helped nurture include Lady Maureen, Onyango Alemo and Onyi Papa Jey. They started out either as percussionists, singers or dancers, before going solo.

“Since forming my group, there have been 46 splinter groups, each one taking away a wealth of experience gained under me,” Jack says.

GOOD RELATIONS

But he is happy that he has all along maintained good relations with most of his former musicians.

Some of the African Bull founder’s most popular tracks are Tom Alila, Ukimwi and Sammy Wakiaga.

“I always feel honoured as I often get to interact with most of them,” he says.

Ohangla music, he adds, has been transformed from what was initially just the traditional orutu, drums, harp and mouth organs to more use of sophisticated keyboards.

Some critics have taken issue with the genre, which they lambast for monotony of similar melody and beat. But Jack strongly disagrees with the claim that ohangla music is on the decline.

BREAKTHROUGH

During his early days with African Bulls in Bungoma, the group mainly performed in western Kenya and the border towns of Busia and Malaba to pull in Ugandan fans. The group then featured percussionists and a team of at least 12 dancers.

Jack recalls one of his major breakthroughs as having occurred in Nairobi in 1996, when he was among the artistes who took part in the Nation/House of Manji Benga extravaganza held at Nyayo National Stadium.

“This was the time local music fans got to see how ohangla music had begun to compete with benga music,” a proud Jack adds.

Among the top benga musicians who performed at the show were guitar wizard and composer Dr Collela Mazee, D.O. Misiani and Okatch Biggy (all now deceased). Others were Princess Jully, the Nairobi-based Congolese band Bilenge Musica Du Congo and Luhya music maestro Sukuma Bin Ongaro.

PERFORMER

The music extravaganza served as an eye opener on the immense talent available then.

From then, Nyadundo became a regular performer at prime Nairobi entertainment joints such as Simmers Restaurant, Hillbreeze, Sippers and Egesa Club in Umoja.

Another memorable show for Jack Nyadundo was in 2004, when he staged an ohangla versus ndombolo show pitting him against Congolese superstar General Defao, of the Sala Noki hit song fame.

“It was after the show that fans nicknamed me Le General, like Defao, due to my body size and dancing style,” he says.

In 2005, Nyadundo and his group went on a concert tour of Arusha.

Ever since relocating to Kisumu from Nairobi in 2008, the father of 10 has been based at his Nyadundo Villa in Nyahera in the lakeside town.

Nyadundo’s latest songs include Sarah Nyar Nyakach and Opitha Opiny Konwok.

“I have many more songs lined up for my fans which I hope to release in due course,” he says.