This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
Kenyan musician Papa Lando has made a name for himself in the music industry by fusing Kenyan beats with Congolese rhumba. The 37-year-old artiste, whose real name is Ephantus Lando, has been working on a new album, 'Mbogi Ya Rhumba', which features a blend of urban rhumba and Kiswahili and Lingala lyrics.
Published on June 22, 2020, Lando spoke to Nation about his inspiration for the new genre. He revealed that he grew up listening to rhumba music courtesy of his father, who had a large collection of rhumba and Benga music.
Some of the legendary Congolese musicians whose music his father collected include Franco Luambo Makiadi, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Tanzanians Simba Wanyika, Mbaraka Mwinshehe, and Benga icon DO Owino Misiani. Locally, Lando has been inspired by musicians like Eric Wanaina, Sauti Sol, and Kidum.
On the international scene, Lando got inspired by Congolese rhumba stars like Koffi Olomide, Ferre Gola, and Lokua Kanza. He has been encouraging other artistes to adopt the new music style.
After a 10-year break from music, Lando made a return to the industry with a new single, 'Sitaki Kua Your Ex', and 'Pesa Ni Maua'. The album features the renowned Genge artists: Gabu of P-Unit. He also released 'Poso Bolingo' (featuring Barcelone), which is available on YouTube.
Notably, on 'Poso Bolingo', Lando was able to blend Lingala and Swahili lyrics played in rhumba beats. As for 'Pesa ni Maua', Lando says it is an inspiration from the legendary Simba Wanyika hit song 'Shilingi yaua tena ni maua'.
He plans to launch the 'Mbogi ya Rhumba' album in December, when he hopes that restrictions on public performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic will have relaxed. He plans to incorporate both Kenyan and foreign artistes during the launch of the album.
