Rhumba

Rhumba music, after so many years of being one of the most platonic, almost forgotten about genres in East Africa,has seen a massive reintroduction with artistes in this age trying to do renditions of old Rhumba hits and others like Diamond Platnumz featuring popular Rhumba hitmakers in their songs , like Koffi Olomide in his hit song Achii.

For the longest time I would use the terms Rhumba and Lingala interchangeably,I don't know,maybe because to me they pretty much meant the same.My day of enlightenment would come unexpectedly as I described to a friend how I preferred  Congolese Lingala to Kenyan Lingala only to be met with a rather long lecture on how there is no such thing as Kenyan Lingala because  Lingala is a Congolese language that features in most Rhumba songs.Alas!The many people I had misled.I hope they all get to read this and make that correction for themselves too🤭.

Congolese Rhumba , despite my being Kenyan, is my favorite with artistes like Faya Tess, Mbilia bel and even Tabu Ley Rochereau being my express favorites.From fast paced danceable Soukous by Mbilia bel and at times Tabu Ley to slow paced hits that you can leisurely sway your hips to (or whatever it is that men have)by Faya Tess,I find all their music blissful creations that are just timeless.

Kenyan Rhumba, popular among the Luo,Luhya and even Taita communities,is also quite the sensation , with artistes like Les Wanyika, Freshley Mwamburi, Prince Inda among many others making what is considered to be Kenyan style Rhumba.

What makes Rhumba stand out is the exceptionally interesting stories that each song carries, some fictional and some real.

Songs like Eswi yo wapi by Mbilia bel ,about a woman who asks her ex to stop talking about her and being in her business because he couldn't take care of her when he had the chance and even Stella Wangu,by Freshley Mwamburi, about a man who invested in the education of his lover who managed to land a scholarship to study abroad in Japan only for her to return years later alongside her Japanese beau and what looked like their baby,all to the disappointment of the man.

We infact join the man every year on the 17th of May to grieve over this massive betrayal😭.

Such ,and the beautiful dance routines crafted to accompany the music,is what makes the ever evolving genre,a combination of Afro and Latin American influences,a worthy listen and even a global sensation.