Tim Kamuzu Banda
5 July 2008
Nairobi — Tabu Osusa is synonymous with the Kenyan music, and this has been the case for a very long time.
For the past 30 years, Tabu has contributed immensely to the local music as a leading producer, composer and band manager.
In his career, he has shaped and run some of the top-recording and performing music groups in the country.
He is remembered especially for his role in shaping up Orchestra Virunga in the 1970s and, more recently, he has been the force behind the Nairobi City Ensemble.
More recently, Tabu Osusa has been in the forefront of the creation of a genre of music that is popularly referred to as Afro-fusion.
It is the genre of music that has placed the likes of Eric Wainaina, Abbi Nyinza, and Suzzana Owiyo on the national map.
This he has done through the Spotlight on Kenya Music, an annual talent search initiated by Alliance Francaise in 2005 to boost the development of authentic Kenyan music countrywide.
The long list
The long list of more recent artistes whose careers Tabu has nurtured at one point or another include Makadem, Olith Ratego and Iddi Achieng.
A few months ago, Tabu Osusa attended the Babel-Med festival in Marseille, France, courtesy of Alliance Francaise sponsorship, although he returned home an extremely worried man.
The festival is one of the largest music concerts and markets in the world - second only to Womex which is held in Spain every year.
Hosted by Marseille, Babel-Med is an opportunity for countries to showcase their musical products.
Tabu had been sponsored by Alliance Francaise to the festival with the hope that he would not only be able to market Kenyan music, but also lobby for an opportunity for the local artistes to perform at the prestigious concert.
Smaller African countries
"I had a great time in France, but I am worried that so many other smaller countries in Africa have moved to define genres of music for their countries that have made a mark, but not Kenya," he explains.
Tabu says music styles such as benga and ohangla may be considered contemporary, but they are yet to make a mark as the genres that spell out the Kenyan music.
He blames this state of affairs on the fact that the songs have a great rhythm and melody, but they lack meaningful music arrangements.
He is also of the opinion that bringing back folk music to the public domain will create a unique genre that will define the typically Kenyan music.
"Take benga for example; it is just similar to the Congolese music, but the Congolese music is well arranged, and that is why it has made a mark in the international market and is distinctive," he explains.
Tabu Osusa explains that he has decided to do something about it and that this year, Spotlight On Kenya - which he chairs - is focusing on unearthing traditional genres from across the country. The project is already proving a great success.
"We have the concerts for the short-listed artistes in August, and Kenyans can come and witness what should be authentic Kenyan music during the countrywide tour," he says of the search that is co-sponsored by Total Kenya.
On the personal level, Tabu Osusa has embarked on another countrywide tour to find out the traditional music of different tribes and musicians who embody this kind of music.
Two artistes found
"I am not talking about benga or ohangla, or even chakacha, but the more traditional like the dodo of the Luo and the Pokot traditional songs," he explains.
So far he has not only identified two artistes during his search, but has almost completed recording their music at his Ketebul Studios awaiting release into the market.
One of the artistes is Ogoya Nengo who, at the ripe age of 70, has just begun a career as a recording artiste.
Tabu Osusa met Ogoya as she performed at a funeral in the remote Ranga'la village of Siaya district.
"She is well known in the area for performing dodo songs," Tabu says of Ogoya. Dodo is particularly popular with the older generation.
"With her compelling voice and the incisive social commentary in her music, I was not surprised that she hailed from a family of musicians."
Tabu Osusa invited her to Nairobi where she recorded an album, Matatu, with Nairobi City Ensemble.
Music lovers in the country will be surprised to learn that although relatively unknown in Kenya, Ogoya has performed in Mozambique, South Africa, France and Brazil. Tabu also came across Ronald Ontiri who, despite venturing into the music scene in 1994, was barely known outside his native Kisii district.
Born in 1976 in Kisii town and orphaned at an early age, Ontiri only completed primary education.
He then followed in his father's footsteps as a local traditional musician, playing the eight-string Kisii harp, or the obokano. However, his style backed up by his mastery of the traditional instruments, convinced Tabu to give him a chance at the studios after he competed at the Spotlight On Kenya.
"I have fused his traditional music and style with some contemporary genres and the work is amazing," Tabu says of the artiste whose 10-track album, Ero Asuga, is also complete. However, part of his major ambition is to get this kind of music to the international audience.
"Our athletes or footballers like Dennis Oliech are famous because they perform on the global stage; this is what we should do with the music," Tabu points out.
"And this will be the best way to show the world what is Kenyan music."
Just as he did at the Babel Med festival, the producer intends to attend the Womex which will be held in Spain in October and which is described by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) as "the most important international professional market of world music of every kind".
But Tabu Osusa would like the process to be as inclusive as possible and he would like to invite anyone in the industry to join him on his journey towards discovering, highlighting and marketing authentic Kenyan music at the international market.
"Ideally, I would love the country, through the Government, to own the process, but the truth is that someone has to start such programmes," he explains.
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