Mombasa Roots
Encyclopedia
Mombasa Roots are a Kenya
n afropop
/hotel pop musical group. They have recorded some of the most successful hit single
s in Kenyan pop music, such as Disco Chakacha and Kata. Their most famous album is Lele Mama.
). They were later joined by Mahmood Siraj (guitar and vocals), Hassan Malambo (trumpet
and vocals), Tamrat Kabede (drums), and a fourth Juma brother, Ahmed (guitar, saxophone
, vocals). The band played live throughout Kenya, achieving a great popularity.
In 1987 they recorded for Polygram
their debut album, Msa Mombasa, from which hit singles Disco Chakacha and Kata were taken.
As many Kenyan bands, Mombasa Roots mostly played live in great hotel
s. This gave them some popularity among Europe
an and America
n tourists and foreigners in general, as well as the opportunity to play abroad (most notably in Germany
, Switzerland
, Canada
, Dubai
, and Oman
).
In 1999 they recorded a successful CD
, Lele Mama, that included some tracks from Msa Mombasa as well as previously unreleased material.
Despite their success, Mombasa Roots experienced much personnel rotation. Most of the founding members left between the 1980s
and the 1990s
: drummer Katebe relocated to Sweden
, trumpeter Malambo left the music business, Mahmood Siraj moved to another band, and Saeed bought a farm
. In 1990 also Ahmed Juma left the band and moved to the United States to study as a sound engineer. When he returned to Kenya, he founded one of the first digital recording studio
s in the country, Sync Studios. Suleiman, founding leader of Mombasa Roots, left in 2005 and went to live in Canada
. All these were replaced over the years by a number of other musicians, including Jacky Freeman (vocals), Salim Karama (drums), Hassan Swaleh (keyboards) and Mohamed Khalifa (percussions). For a while, the personnel also included the Nazareth Sisters, a female duet from Mombasa, as well as Saeed Tito, Catherine Wekesa, Adam Solomon
, and Susan Kahumbu.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n afropop
Afropop
Afropop or Afro-pop may refer to:*African popular music*Afropop Worldwide, a weekly radio program from Public Radio International...
/hotel pop musical group. They have recorded some of the most successful hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s in Kenyan pop music, such as Disco Chakacha and Kata. Their most famous album is Lele Mama.
History
The band was founded in 1977 by the "Juma Brothers" from Mombasa, i.e., Suleiman Juma (keyboards, vocals), Saeed Juma (band manager) and Ebrahim Juma (guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
). They were later joined by Mahmood Siraj (guitar and vocals), Hassan Malambo (trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and vocals), Tamrat Kabede (drums), and a fourth Juma brother, Ahmed (guitar, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, vocals). The band played live throughout Kenya, achieving a great popularity.
In 1987 they recorded for Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
their debut album, Msa Mombasa, from which hit singles Disco Chakacha and Kata were taken.
As many Kenyan bands, Mombasa Roots mostly played live in great hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s. This gave them some popularity among Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n tourists and foreigners in general, as well as the opportunity to play abroad (most notably in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
).
In 1999 they recorded a successful CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, Lele Mama, that included some tracks from Msa Mombasa as well as previously unreleased material.
Despite their success, Mombasa Roots experienced much personnel rotation. Most of the founding members left between the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
: drummer Katebe relocated to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, trumpeter Malambo left the music business, Mahmood Siraj moved to another band, and Saeed bought a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. In 1990 also Ahmed Juma left the band and moved to the United States to study as a sound engineer. When he returned to Kenya, he founded one of the first digital recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
s in the country, Sync Studios. Suleiman, founding leader of Mombasa Roots, left in 2005 and went to live in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. All these were replaced over the years by a number of other musicians, including Jacky Freeman (vocals), Salim Karama (drums), Hassan Swaleh (keyboards) and Mohamed Khalifa (percussions). For a while, the personnel also included the Nazareth Sisters, a female duet from Mombasa, as well as Saeed Tito, Catherine Wekesa, Adam Solomon
Adam Solomon
Adam "The Professor" Solomon is a Juno Award-winning composer, guitar maestro, and singer. Solomon began performing at an early age, playing the kivoti and the at village celebrations and festivals...
, and Susan Kahumbu.
Discography
- 1987: Msa Mombasa (Jambo BwanaJambo Bwana"Jambo Bwana" is one of the best internationally-known Kenyan pop songs. It was first released in 1982 by Kenyan band Them Mushrooms, and later covered by a number of other groups and artists, including Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band, Khadja Nin, Adam Solomon and the German group Boney M....
/ Msa Mombasa / Mama Sofia / MalaikaMalaikaMalaika, which means "angel" in Swahili , is the most famous love song in Kenyan pop music, as well as one of the most widely known Swahili songs...
/ Kata / Disco Chakacha / Reggae Sound of Africa / Kasha Langu / Karibishe / Mezea Tu (Lele Mama)) - 1999: Lele Mama (Ngongoro Ngongoro / Imbube / Karibuni / Reggae Sound of Africa / Kasha / Mombasa Island / Meli / Malaika / Karibishe / Mama Sofia / Lele Mama / Jambo Bwana / Disco Chakacha / Kata)