End of an era as benga great dies

On Wednesday, the benga fraternity woke up to the shocking news of the death of Ochieng Nelly Orwa. A virtuoso of the benga guitar and a master composer, Ochieng Nelly was among the pioneers of modern benga music in the 1960s.

One of the founders of the Ogara Boys band, Ochieng, alongside John Ogara Odondi ‘Kaisa’ and Samuel Oketch Oyosi Jabuya were among the first crop of musicians who modernised traditional Luo music by incorporating the guitar, a novel instrument at the time.

Ochieng’s death was especially shocking as it came at a time when he had made a successful comeback to the live music scene after a long break. According to Tabu Osusa, the executive director of Ketebul Music, Ochieng had secured tight bookings both locally and abroad through to 2015. He was set for a tour of Europe next year that would have seen him perform in Germany, Holland and Belgium. But even more immediate, he was set to perform at the DOADOA Festival in Jinja, Uganda next week. His slot has since been taken up by Dola Kabarry.

He had also been shortlisted for the upcoming Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the US next month. The Folklife Festival showcases one country every year, and this year it will be Kenya’s turn.

According to Osusa, they were relying on Ochieng, as the most experienced musician in the troupe, to offer guidance to the younger musicians. “It is very sad,” he said. “Ochieng’s death came at the wrong time.”

Last year, Ochieng made a number of recordings with Radio France International, and he had been invited to perform in France later this year.

Ochieng was a versatile and jocular musician who had good rapport with the younger musicians he worked with, often trading banter whenever they were not in the studio recording. He was adventurous too because he could work with practically anyone, including rappers. One of his recent projects involved a collaboration with the rap duo of MC Matre from the US and Paleface from Finland.

Ochieng was keen on working with young benga and rumba musicians with the intention of passing on his guitar-playing and composition skills.

He was born Nelson Ochieng in Rachuonyo District, Oyugis in Homa Bay County in 1942. His first instrument was the orutu, which he learnt to play in Class 3, before graduating to the guitar.

Although he later became a master of the benga style, Ochieng initially started off playing rumba in 1961, appearing as a solo artist, before joining Ogara the following year. On stage Ogara played the bass, Samuel Oketch Oyosi the lead guitar and Ochieng the rhythm guitar, with all three collaborating on the vocals. They started playing benga, which had been variously called meringue by the Congolese, or samba by the South Americans.

Ochieng traced the root of the word ‘benga’ to a gig they landed in Uganda on invitation by the Luos living there. There was a certain dress that was in fashion with the ladies then — the ‘ogara’ style — which fit loosely. When the women danced to the new music, they felt themselves ‘loosen up’— obengore, in Luo — which lent the genre its name.

On returning home, a businessman known as Ongong’a Sega offered to buy Nelly musical instruments. Ochieng separated from Ogara and formed the OS Fiesta Band in 1965. But it lasted only two years before Nelly left to join the resident band of the Friends Paradise Club, now called Bottoms Up Club in Kisumu.

In 1968, he acquired his own equipment. He toured Uganda briefly with a Congolese band. In 1970 he joined the Bongo Boys, with whom he played for a while before quitting music for 10 years.

It is this ten-year absence that another ‘Ochieng Nelly’— real name Joseph Nyakech from Kabondo, and who has since passed on, appeared, creating confusion on who the real ‘Ochieng Nelly’ was.

The other Nelly, whose full stage name was Ochieng Nelly Mengo, was apparently a protégé of the older musician, having learnt to play the guitar from George Ramogi, who was a student of the older Nelly. Ochieng Nelly Mengo and Collela Mazee made a potent team. In 1980 Nelly made a comeback in live music playing alongside his wife, Jane Auma. They performed as Rachuonyo Jazz Band.

PLAYED FOR NELSON MANDELA

Nelly had toured extensively in his music career, but in an earlier interview with Saturday Nation, he cited playing for Nelson Mandela at Windsor Hotel during his tour of Kenya as one of his finest hours. Before his death he was signed to Ketebul Music label. Among the many talented young musicians Ochieng was working with were Jared Okoth Ndede, better known as ‘Akuku Danger’, Shiphton Winyo and jazz guitarist Eddie Grey.

He died at Kenyatta National Hospital where he was rushed upon collapsing on Wednesday by his family and friends, according to his protégé Akuku Danger. He was set to perform at Choices pub at the end of July. According to Ketebul Music, the show will go on as a tribute to him, with all the proceeds going towards his family.

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