Ahead of their highly anticipated Blankets and wine debut Les Wanyika this week announced that they will also be headlining FESTAC Festival from 21st to 27th May in Arusha.

Arguably the oldest Festival on the continent, FESTAC made a came back last year May in Zanzibar after a 45 year hiatus. “Les Wanyika band fully represents what FESTAC Africa is about; Bringing Africans together. The band has members from Kenya, Tanzania, Congo and Nigeria. We are officially welcoming Les Wanyika to the FESTAC family. They will be performing at all FESTAC Festivals,” Says Yinka Abioye, Chairman at The Inspire Group and FESTAC Festival.

Though formed in Nairobi Kenya In 1978, the history of Wanyika bands traces back to Arusha in the early 70s. Wilson Kinyonga formed Arusha Jazz after leaving Jamhuri Jazz In Tanga. When the band got a residency in Mombasa they changed their name to Simba Wanyika. Later on they moved to Nairobi where a few members left and formed Les Wanyika. A key founding father of Les Wanyika, Tommy Malanga played all over East Africa with Arusha Jazz before their name change. He has been active through the band’s history playing bass for all Les Wanyika hits including Sina Makosa, Afro, Safari ya Samburu just to mention a few.

“Our music is loved by all people from the president to his watchman. Jomo Kenyatta would summon us to play for him every time he would visit the Mombasa statehouse. Just last year we played for his son Uhuru at his last public holiday as a president. Every week we play for prominent judges, and our song is played at major national celebrations all over Africa,” He proudly informs.

On the road to Arusha, the band will create a FESTAC EP featuring other East African artistes which they will perform at several pitstops. Owing to their enormous contribution to East African music, organizers of the festival have also pledged to tour Africa with them in future.

“This is the beginning of great partnership,” Band leader Sijali Zuwa said. “We have fans all over Africa who have loved our music for years but have never gotten a chance to hear us, and we look forward to playing for them live.”

Original Article by the Sauce – Capital FM

The post Les Wanyika, others to perform at FESTAC Africa festival first appeared on Les Wanyika.

They were among the most successful bands in East and Central Africa during the golden era of Swahili rumba in the 1970s & 80s.

By the 1990s the evolving trends in music and the death of their charismatic lead singer halted their success and consigned Les Wanyika to oblivion.

Even their most ardent fans would not have imagined that the band would be revived two decades later and return to performing at major festivals.

“Many people assumed we were all dead and the band was no more,” says Sijali Zuwa, one of two survivors from the original Les Wanyika.

“Some of those fans shed tears when they see us on stage today,” he says during a break from their rehearsals for their highly anticipated performance at this weekend’s Blankets and Wine festival.

Les Wanyika will be sharing the stage with a whole new generation of artists during this Sunday’s All-Kenyan edition of the popular event.

“We fear that the taste of music is being lost today so we have maintained the original sound that people have loved through the years,” says Sijali.

“If it is trumpet then we blow it live, and if it is guitars, we play them just like we have always done, it’s a complete band.”

As if to affirm their commitment to the big band sound reminiscent of their heyday, the band’s current setup comprises 10 musicians: three vocalists, two trumpeters, three guitarists, a drummer, percussionist.

For the last three weeks, the band has been performing every Friday night at the Office Park on Riverside Drive, Nairobi and attracting a host of nostalgic fans.

This weekend’s performance though will bring back memories of the era when they would pack stadiums and other venues across the region.

Even though this is a whole new era but the hits recorded over 40 years ago still retain a strong connection with fans of all ages.

“As you can hear we are rehearsing the all-time favourites like Nimaru, Paulina, Pamela and Sina Makosa,” says Sijali with the sound of guitars in the background.

The 60-year-old veteran was the youngest member of the seven-piece band comprising Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan musicians that were formed in 1978 as an offshoot of the original Simba Wanyika.

Of the original members, only two remain in the current band: Sijali and Tomy Malanga, the bass player, from Rabai, Kilifi, who was among the musicians who departed from Simba Wanyika.

After a prolific run of hit songs in the 1980s which made the band a household name in the region, the group sunk into oblivion for more than a decade though their music remained alive thanks to radio airplay and the release of compilation albums.

“You cannot go into any club in Nairobi or any town in East Africa without hearing the music of Les Wanyika and that is why we have remained relevant,” says Sijali.

“There is also a resurgence in the popularity of rumba music on the radio and streaming platforms.”

“When band leader John Ngereza died in 2000 the Wanyika name disappeared from the scene,” recalls Sijali.

“But Tommy Malanga and I who were the original members and were then doing our own projects came back and revived the band.”

Sijali’s face beams as he recalls: “We were playing at the Carnivore in September 2011 at a tribute concert for Habel Kifoto of Maroon Commandos and when we came on stage the whole place went crazy. We realised that we needed to get back to the scene.”

“We thank God because how many great bands who were our contemporaries can get another chance in the spotlight after so many years,” reflects Sijali.

“It is not just the old fans but the younger ones love the music because they have been introduced to classics like Afro, Safari ya Samburu, Kajituliza Kasuku, and Sina Makosa so we are serving different generations.”

Cross-generational influence

Les Wanyika’s influence has inspired a whole new generation of performers.

Notably. Sauti Sol has paid respects to Les Wanyika as one of the biggest influences on their own style and last year a whole album of cover versions of Wanyika classics, by contemporary Kenyan artists, was released.

The band can’t wait to get on stage during this Sunday’s Blankets & Wine All-Kenyan edition at the Laureate Garden, Moi International Sports Centre, where they will share the stage with Nyashinski, Nviiri the Storyteller, Okello Max, Lisa Oduor, and Xenia Manasseh.

In May, they will make a homecoming trip to Arusha, Tanzania, where the band was formed as Arusha Jazz (forerunner to Simba Wanyika and Les Wanyika) to perform during the Festac Africa Festival of Arts and Culture.

Original Article by → bodidi@yahoo.com – Business Daily

The post Les Wanyika heads to festival with a mission first appeared on Les Wanyika.

Clad in blue shirts, white trousers and matching fedoras, the 10-man orchestra made their way to the Standard Group HQ for a rare interview. It has been a while since they went quiet, but now, 24 years later, Les Wanyika returns.

Their wrinkly faces will tell you they have left their youth behind, but their spirit is unmatched.

Hits like Jessica, Sina Makosa, Afro and Kasuku, among many others live on, they are some of the classic oldies of yesteryear.

Most of their songs were inspired by real-life stories, take for example Sina Makosa, which began with a fight that the late Professor Omar had in a bar with another man over a woman.

This gave birth to the iconic line “yule si wako, nami si wangu, chuki ya nini kati yangu mimi na wewe.”

Every song had its own peculiar story.

Over the years, Les Wanyika has mostly been faceless. This was one of their first media interviews since the inception of the group.

One major reason that necessitated their comebacks is the fact that a majority of fraudsters have been masquerading as Les Wanyika and riding on their fame.

“There are many people who don’t know our faces, some even think we are all dead, but I assure you we are here and ready to thrill our fans,” founding member and bassist, Tommy Malanga said in an earlier presser.

“We are back due to public demand, though as a band we have not played in 24 years, our songs have grown stronger than ever,” band Leader Sijali Zuwa.

“Les Wanyika is an evergreen band we make classic hits.”

Immediately we set the cameras up and started rolling, the studios turned into a mini extravaganza as the band gave a majestic performance.

Their Lead guitarist Tuesday Oguro fills the air with guitar riffs that have shaped East African music for decades.

The youngest member of the band, 25-year-old, John Sappy handles the guitar expertly. His flawless execution of the Kajituliza Kasuku intro, shows why he’s in the band.

The group, an offshoot of Simba Wanyika, another legendary band was formed in 1978. For close to 20 years they were at the top of their game.

So when did the rain start beating them?

The iconic band initially comprising members from Tanzania and Kenya came to life when drummer Rashid Juma, guitarist Omar Shabani, bassist Tommy Malanga, saxophonist Sijali Salum Zuwa and Phoney Mkwanyule left the Simba Wanyika Band. They were joined by guitarist John Ngereza and vocalist Issa Juma.

They formed one of the most formidable musical teams. However, the death of band leader, John Ngereza in 1998 broke up the ensemble. Four of the founding members are now deceased.

“During our times, we didn’t have any structures in place and the death of a band leader meant the death of the group as well, we are lucky right now things are looking good and we have good management,” says Sijali Zuwa.

He also faults the mismanagement of funds by the pioneering leaders as to have caused them their woes.

He explains that, for example, through their hit song Sina Makosa they made a fortune but their leader then, the late Professor Omari, squandered their fortune.

“Mungu aendelee kumlaza mahali pema, lakini yeye ndiye aliyezitumia pesa zile vibaya na hatukupata haki yetu. Hii ndiyo sababu wengi wetu tulitoka kwenye bendi,” he says.

Once they left the band they came up with their ensemble and they had to think of a name.

“That is when I came up with Les Wanyika, indicating that we are the Wanyika team although now we were less,” he said.

As Zuwa puts it, their comeback was due to public demand.

This saw him take the reins in 2019 and begin constituting the new team, which consists of trumpeter Sijali Zuwa Salum, bassist Tommy Malanga, trumpeter, Bernard Kilindo, lead guitarist Albert Tuesday Oguro, rhythm guitarist John Sappy, drummer Msabaha Zuberi, vocalists Rama Kocha, Charles Obala, Rajab Kadima and percussionist Hassan Muhammed.

Coming up with the bands was a hefty task as not many young people can play Les Wanyika’s songs effectively, said Zuwa.

“Amongst the youth, we do not have like legit original players that can play Les Wanyika’s songs. But the team I managed to put together is mature and we are going to do marvellous things.”

The team now consists of some youngsters as well.

“My journey with Les Wanyika began in 2021 when I came to Kenya on tour with a band from Congo. I was spotted by the bandleader, who invited me for an audition,” said John Sappy.

Msabaha Zuberi termed working with this team as a dream come true, but he also comes with vast experience having played for three other bands before officially joining Les Wanyika.

The new cast has formidable team players who have played for other iconic bands like Maroon Commandos, Juju Masaai, Black sweat and Mangelepa.

After the 24-years hiatus, Less Wanyika is now set for its inaugural comeback concert. It will be held on June 1 at the County 2 County Grill in Westlands Close, Nairobi.

“Our research reveals that despite being gone for 24 years, Les Wanyika’s timeless tunes keep the band relevant. We’ve devised a great comeback strategy based on data and actionable tools, and it’s working out nicely so far,” says Boniface Nyaga, CEO of Mawaitha PR who doubles up as their manager as well.

His major task will be to ensure that the band catches up with the ever-changing world.

“The dynamics have indeed changed, but we still need to embrace the culture of celebrating our past. Les Wanyika history is the history of East African music,” adds Nyaga.

“Absence in any market creates a vacuum that is filled by other players and by the time you are coming back technology and culture have changed, we have embraced new technology and we are ensuring that Les Wanyika gets all the digital footprints on all social media platforms,” says Evelyn Njeri the digital manager.

The comeback plans also come with the pain of royalties and the issue of writing new music instead of depending on their former glories. A fact that the team has thought over and actually has already hit the studios and recorded some hits already.

“Our first plan is the grand comeback concert and after that, we shall figure out the rest. But we know in Kenya royalties are a mess, so us as Les Wanyika we are bringing diplomacy on the table, ready to sit down and come up with sustainable ways for all of us and the governing bodies,” says Boniface.

What they term a historic moment, their Madaraka day concert is a celebration of the resilience and power of East African music.

Although tickets are going for Sh5,000 and sources close to the band reveal that they are quickly running out.

Zuwa has assured fans Les Wanyika is back and better, and with new management taking the reins, the group is confident the future is bright.

Original Article By Boniface Mithika – Standard Media

The post Rebirth of Les Wanyika: ‘Afro’ hitmakers comeback plan first appeared on Les Wanyika.