For 16 years, Orchestra Bana Mazembe has lived in the shadow of a legendary name.
Now, like birds finally leaving the safety of the nest, the 12-member outfit is spreading its wings with its first-ever album, a milestone that has taken years of patience, resilience and determination.
The journey has been anything but easy.
There have been setbacks, changing musical tastes, demanding contracts and the inevitable challenges that confront bands trying to survive in an industry where many outfits formed at the turn of the century have struggled to stand the test of time.
But Bana Mazembe endured.
The band has gradually carved out its own identity while carrying the enormous legacy of Orchestra Super Mazembe, the celebrated Congolese-founded outfit whose original members arrived in Kenya in the 1970s and went on to become giants of East African rhumba. Today, most of those pioneers are gone.
Bana Mazembe emerged in the aftermath of the deaths of members of the former band, taking on the responsibility of keeping alive a musical heritage that might otherwise have faded with its creators.
The name itself tells the story.
“Bana Mazembe” means “Children of Mazembe” — a deliberate connection to their musical forebears and a declaration that the legacy of Super Mazembe would not be forgotten.
Band leader Longwa Ngoi says the group adopted the name to preserve the identity, ideals and fame of the original outfit while developing its own musical journey.
“That’s why we are out to promote and our music in unison in remembrance of our former and current legends at a special occasion when we launch our first album this week,” Longwa told The Sunday Standard.
That occasion comes on Friday at Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi, where the group will officially unveil its debut album, Merci Papa La Mazembe — translated as “Congratulations to the Legends”.
The five-track album features Fumy Njiru, Oliva Corton, Petro Vizer, Rafi Lai and Ukraine. The songs are predominantly in Lingala, with a mixture of Kiswahili.
For Bana Mazembe, however, the album represents more than a collection of songs. It is a tribute to the musicians who came before them and a statement that the younger generation can carry the torch without erasing the past.
Longwa believes good music requires time.
“Good music comes over a long period of time, as was in the past. It allows an articulation of moral lessons in songs as opposed to the current generation of musicians who are in a hurry to make a kill,” he says.
The album is therefore dedicated to former and current legends who shaped the musicians’ careers, with the group planning to perform several Super Mazembe classics during the launch.
“We cannot afford not to pay our respect to those who inspired us. They are our mentors. We are set to follow their footsteps, albeit in a different format,” says the 44-year-old.
His (Franco’s) virtues are a morale booster for our band,” he says.
Most of the musicians are aged between 30 and 40, giving the group a blend of youthful energy and an appreciation for the older traditions that shaped their sound.
Yet their ambitions extend beyond the capital.
Much of the group’s current work is concentrated in Nairobi, something Longwa attributes to contractual commitments with their clients.
“We are dictated by long contracts signed by different clients. And we cannot and will not violate what makes the team a market leader,” he says.
The contracts typically run for between six months and a year.
Still, Longwa insists the band’s geographical concentration should not be mistaken for a lack of ambition to reach audiences elsewhere.
“We are open to perform in any part of the republic on invitation as a week-related ethical measure,” he says.
In Nairobi, the group maintains a regular circuit, performing at Bulls in Karen on Thursdays, Ocon along Ngong Road on Fridays, Pizza Gardens in Westlands on Saturdays and New Carnation in Pangani on Sundays.
For a band that has spent 16 years building its name, the debut album is both a beginning and a homecoming.
It is a chance to step out from behind a celebrated predecessor while carrying its music forward.
“This is a commitment that requires lots of patience, dedication and above all, discipline,” Longwa says.
And so, after 16 years of waiting, Bana Mazembe are finally taking flight — not away from the legacy that gave them their start, but with it firmly under their wings.