How Boniface Mganga’s riveting tunes earned choir fame

The famous Muungano Choir headed by veteran musician (inset) performs duirng a public function in the past. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By KENNETH KWAMA

KENYA: Music, particularly the patriotic type, has always held a special place in the hearts of Kenyans.

Veteran musician Boniface Mganga and his Muungano National Choir easily topped the charts in this genre of music for close to two decades.

One of their most memorable renditions was a song called Chama Kanu. The song was a clarion call for Kenyans to register as Kanu members.

 Mganga was a prolific musician and his Muungano Choir virtually changed the country’s music scene.

The choir was founded in 1979 and for a long time was Kenya’s musical ambassador, winning global honours at various festivals.

“The Muungano choir quickly became a leading cultural ambassador for Kenya, touring many countries such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Finland, Italy, Germany, Canada, the United States and Israel,” wrote The Standard in a story published in September last year.

It continued: “The choir’s 1988 recordings Missa Luba and Ten Kenyan Folk Melodies became bestsellers, and can be found in most public libraries across the United States.”

Mganga was a product of the iconic St Stephen’s Church Choir that was led by Darius Mbela – a prominent political figure and accomplished musician in his own right.

In1979, Mganga formed a galaxy of choirs that later morphed into Muungano Choir.

The choir continued with the tradition that started during colonial times where songs were created for every occasion.

During the colonial era, Kenyans, like many other African nations at the time, came up with inspiring compositions that sought to remind the populace of its need to free itself from the yoke of colonialists.

While songs praised the nationalist movement that gained currency in the late 1950s and early 1960s, others unassumingly derided colonial rule.

Popular repertoires

After independence, there were songs to ‘endorse’ nearly every action by the Government.

Religious songs were also given a political twist to serve political purposes.

Prof David K Leonard, a political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who has studied the Nyayo era, infers that these songs emerged during what he calls the “Second” Moi Presidency.

 The choir’s songs are among the most popular repertoires of African choral music and they toured several countries on invitation for performances.

In 2002, Mganga was elected as a Member of Parliament and also served as Assistant Minister of Culture and later Education.

 He died in 2011 in a road accident. Police said the accident occurred near Tsavo River, some 50 kilometres away from Voi town.

The scene of the accident is regarded as one of the major black spots in the country and with his demise; Muungano seemed to have lost a key pillar. It later fizzled out.

At the time of his death, he was chairman of the Board of Kenya Utalii College in Mombasa.