Musa Juma Mumbo (December 6, 1968Daily Nation, March 18, 2011

/ref> – March 15, 2011) was a

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

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 ...

musician from

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

. He was born to the second wife of his father, a policeman, and into a family of 18 children. He grew up in Homabay where he attended primary and secondary schools. He began singing and playing instruments at a young age. His first instruments were guitars and drums made from tins and strings. He was the bandleader, guitarist and composer for Orchestra Limpopo International. Most of his music was sung in

Dholuo language The Dholuo dialect (pronounced ) or ''Nilotic Kavirondo'', is a dialect of the Luo group of Nilotic languages, spoken by about 4.2 million Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania, who occupy parts of the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas to the ...

. Some of his songs are a fusion of the Luo and Congolese musical styles. He also sang in Kiswahili and English. He was born in Usonga,

Siaya District Siaya County is one of the counties in the former Nyanza Province in the Western part of Kenya. It is bordered by Busia County to the north, Kakamega County and Vihiga County's to the northeast and Kisumu County to the southeast. It shares a wa ...

(now Siaya County).Daily Nation, March 16, 2011
Benga maestro leaves fans wailing for more
/ref> Juma (or MJ as he was popularly referred to) ventured into music immediately after completing high school. It was a difficult decision because music was not paying in the 1980s in Kenya and it was not considered as a career. However, Musa's determination could not be stopped by the societal view of music and he pursued his talents and interests. After a long struggle, MJ and his brother Omondi Tony (Anthony Omondi Mumbo) launched their band, Orchestra Limpopo International. Together they started playing rumba in small clubs in

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 ...

and

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...

. Their performances and compositions saw Orchestra Limpopo International gradually rise into national fame. Years later, the two brothers would separate and Omondi Tony turned to a solo career. Juma thrilled his fans with rumba style music laced with Congolese styles. Musa Juma identified and signed top talent s into his band making it a great group. He had singers and guitarists from Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya. Some of the famous members of Orchestra Limpopo International band that are having a glistering career are John Junior and Prezda Igwe Bandason. Some of the most popular songs by Musa Juma were "Hera Mudho", "Ufisadi", "Mercelina", and "Freddy".Daily Nation, March 15, 2011
Popular rhumba artist Musa Juma dies
/ref> He released eight albums, the last of them being titled ''Lake Victoria''.The Standard, March 16, 2011
Curtain rolls down on rumba, benga star Musa Juma
/ref> During his career he toured various countries. Only weeks before his death in 2011, he and his band had a tour in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on March 15, 2011 at

Mombasa Hospital The Mombasa Hospital, established by the British in 1891 as the English Hospital, is the oldest and largest private hospital in Coast Province of Kenya. It is located in the Kinzingo area of Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southe ...

. He was survived by his wife, Winnie and a young daughter, Vicky.

References

External links

Musa Juma
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juma, Musa Kenyan musicians 1968 births 2011 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Kenya People from Siaya County Soukous musicians