Maroon Commandos is a musical group from

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. It is a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...

belonging to 7 Kenya Rifles (

Kenya Army Infantry The units of the Kenya Army Infantry are the principal fighting arms of the Kenya Army. The primary mission of the Infantry formations is to fight and win land battles within area of operational responsibilities in the defence of the nation again ...

) of the

Kenya Army The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces. History The origin of the present day Kenya Army lie with the British Army's King's African Rifles. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the British began actively enforcing the aboli ...

. They are based at the Langata Barracks in

Langata Lang'ata is a predominantly middle-class residential suburb of Nairobi in Kenya. The suburb consists of many smaller housing developments, referred to as estates. They include Nairobi Dam, Otiende, Southlands, Ngei, Jambo estate, Onyonka, Mad ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

. The group performs

benga Benga may refer to: Ethnonym * Benga people, an indigenous ethnic group of Equatorial Guinea * Benga language, spoke by the Benga people * Benga music, a genre of music originating in Kenya Places Romania * ''Benga'', the old name of Mo ...

rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...

and other styles of music. They perform both original and

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s.''The Standard'', 7 August 2009
Soldier marches back to his roots
The band plays often at state functions.Daily Nation, 12 February 2009
Maroon Back With Hit Album
/ref> The group was formed in 1970 by bandleader Habel Kifoto and some other member. The next year they signed with

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

KenyaMuzikifan.com
DISCOGRAPHY OF EAST AFRICAN MUSIC Part 2: POLYGRAM (Kenya)
/ref> and released the hit "Emily". In 1972 the band had a traffic accident, which left some of their members dead. After the accident the band was dormant for five years before releasing their album ''Riziki Haivutwi'' after 1977. They also released the song "Charonyi ni Wasi", whose lyrics were written in the

Taita language Taita is a Bantu language spoken in the Taita Hills of Kenya. It is closely related to the Chaga languages of Kenya and Tanzania. The Saghala (Northern Sagala, Sagalla) variety is distinct enough to be considered a language separate from the Daw ...

. "Charonyi Ni Wasi" became Maroon Commandos' first major hit. The band had a 10-year recording break which ended with the release of ''Shika Kamba'' album in 2007, released by the Sound Africa label. The band has had several line-up changes since its formation. Former bandleader Habel Kifoto retired from the military and was from 2009 to 2011 the chairman of

Music Copyright Society of Kenya The Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) is a copyright collection society for Kenya. It collects royalties on behalf of authors, composers, arrangers, and publishers of music. It collects royalties for public performances and mechanical reprod ...

(MCSK). Kifoto died on 31 July 2011 in Nairobi as he collapsed due to a suspected heart failure. One of its former core members, David Kibe Left the band after he rose in the military ranks and had no more time for the band. Another former member was Laban Ochuka, who also played for another army band, the Ulinzi Orchestra. Ochuka died in May 2006. ranks.Daily Nation, Saturday Magazine, 30 January 2010
Maroon Commandos march to their rhythm 40 years and counting
/ref>

Discography

Their albums until 1991 were released by Polydor Kenya and the latest albums by Sound Africa. *Riziki Haivutwi (1977 or later) *Dawa Nimuone Hani (1983) *Pesa Maradhi Ya Moyo (with

Daudi Kabaka Daudi Kabaka (1939–2001) was a Kenyan vocalist and musician. The type of music he is known for is called Benga, a popular style in East Africa. His best-known songs include "African Twist", "Harambee Harambee" and "Western Shilo". His song " He ...

) (1986) *Hasira ni Hasara (1986) *Bila Jasho "Mwakaribishwa na Maroon" (1989) *Bonya Kuché (1990) *Shikamoo (1991) *Shika Kamba (2007) *Kenya Unite *Habel Kifoto & Maroon Commandoes – Greatest Hits

References

{{Authority control Kenyan musical groups Kenyan military bands Musical groups established in 1970 1970 establishments in Kenya