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 musician from

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. He was born to the third wife of his father, a policeman, who had three wives and a total 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 Luo language. 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 District was a district of Nyanza Province in the south western part of Kenya. It was bordered by Busia District to the North, Vihiga and Butere/Mumias Districts to the North-East, Bondo District to the South, and Kisumu District to the sou ...

(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 city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

and

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya located in the Lake Victoria area in the former Nyanza Province. It is the second-largest city after Kampala in the Lake Victoria Basin. The city has a population of slightly over 600,000. The ...

. 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 talents 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", "Hera Mwandu", "Siaya Kababa", "Clackson", "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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on March 15, 2011 at Mombasa Hospital. He was survived by his wife, Winnie and a young daughter, Victoria Amanda Awuor Juma.

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