Author Topic: Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi  (Read 1283 times)

Offline KenyanPlato

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Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi
« on: June 16, 2022, 04:03:53 PM »
In my youth I spent time dancing to roots music in various Nairobi, Embu and Mombasa clubs. Under Moi dictatorship kenyans sought liberation inspiration from Reggea Roots music.

 In Nairobi next to Jamhuri High school was a club called brilliant. Brilliant was the gold standard of Reggea music. Dj Papa Chally and Lefty were legends. They were entertainers in their own rights. Once they took the mic the place would go wild. They also took their Dejaying on the road and would spin at Harambee Hall in KU. I attended two of their concerts in KU. Then there was Jack Marley a super talented DJ spinning out of cbd Nairobi. Never attended his performances in downtown Nairobi but I did go to the club he played in Mombasa. His girlfriend was the club vixen. she was half Japanese and Kamba. A very beautiful woman wearing dreadlocks.

Anyway lefty died in 1995 or 96, 2 years after I left kenya. I had the goodbye performance album of his last spin at Brilliant. It was a soulful mourning collection. It was a goodbye to Reggea Papa legend dj and an era. Charlie is still spinning and I wonder where is Jack Marley.

King lion sounds had other djs like the African American Bongoman. We hated Bongoman because he was uncultured fool. He would talk in an American ebonics slang and utter very unafrican curse words like mo...f...ck..er we would boo him off stage and throw bottles at his ignorant arse. He was a lighskinned dreadlocked America bug ignorant and arrogant as his fellow countrymen

What is/was your experience?

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Re: Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2022, 05:03:27 PM »
Era of Kinglion sounds , Jambo Sounds, Papa lefty, Papa Charlie , Sister Lucy Passie.
Jah Key Marley as late as 2012 when Ridims were very popylar  used to play ar Baricho road and  Westlands . He had a following . They used to chant we want pullo. Once Riddims went down due to Vybz Cartell getting arrested he dissapeared from the scene.
In Mombasa 90s  they used to play at Salambo and Toyz.

Offline KenyanPlato

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Re: Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2022, 05:10:27 PM »
Era of Kinglion sounds , Jambo Sounds, Papa lefty, Papa Charlie , Sister Lucy Passie.
Jah Key Marley as late as 2012 when Ridims were very popylar  used to play ar Baricho road and  Westlands . He had a following . They used to chant we want pullo. Once Riddims went down due to Vybz Cartell getting arrested he dissapeared from the scene.
In Mombasa 90s  they used to play at Salambo and Toyz.

I was a Toyz guy. I could only afford brilliant

Offline gout

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Re: Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2022, 09:08:42 PM »
The story of reggae proper starts with Papa Bhingi. Bongoman was Burundian. Must have been running from Pierre Buyoya's coup.

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In 1980, two Rasta brothers by the names of Ras Eugine Ruhamia and Alonzo Karahamuheto aka Bongoman came to Nairobi from Burundi on they way to Ethiopia. They met another Rasta brother called Calveti Nyabingi, better known as Papa Bingi.

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Offline KenyanPlato

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Re: Golden Era of Reggea Clubs in Nairobi
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2022, 03:56:26 AM »
The bongman I am talking ,qbour  was yellow in color and was young. he claimed to be from New York. He was liked to showoff and would play ragamuffin. We didn't like him