Markus Kamau
Markus Kamau: A Life in the Bush of Guitar
Since the mid-1980’s, when he came to Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer, Markus Kamau has been playing his own rock and roll concoction --- a socially-conscious brew of guitars, bass, drums and clever hooks steeped in an African pot.
His first gigs in the Unity Bar clubhouse, Kibugwe (on the eastern edge of Mt. Kenya next to tea plantations and a thick camphor forest), were with a band called Muendi Mrethii Jazz. MMJazz, very much a garage band, played Kikamba/Meru/Luo-influenced benga pop. Kamau mostly chewed miraa (khat) and took it in, playing percussion on the shilling and Fanta bottle and helping the band engineer its 12 volt amplifier powered from a car battery charged by a solar panel.
In 1986 his day job took him to Nairobi. A friend introduced him to left-handed guitarist virtuoso, Dave “Mob” Otieno, then playing with Black Masesa the house band at Excelsior Hotel on Kenyatta Avenue. Masesa practiced in a potato store down the back staircase of Hollywood Club. Kamau was installed as rhythm guitarist and vocalist, singing his first popular composition, Wanjiku --- a rap about a wayward girlfriend with a catchy chorus.
The core group of Black Masesa split, found a new drummer and went on to form Watume, Nairobi’s first reggae band. Times were tough in the mid-1980’s --- reggae was still viewed as disobedient and seditious by a wary Government recovering from a coup attempt --- and this affected the income --- but the band built up a following. Watume’s gigs were in the Starlight (site of present Integrity House), Hallians, Cantina, Bombax, Visions, Garden Square, Galileos, even the Carnivore. At Andrew Crawford Studios, they recorded two songs, Kamau’s Wanjiku and Otieno’s Freedom Struggle. Towards the end of 1987, the band broke up, Kamau’s volunteer stint ended and he headed back to the USA, with a growing repertoire.
Graduate school research missions and consultant trips enabled him to keep ties to the Kenya music scene, and he continued to write songs. Between 1990 and 1994, Kamau played sporadically in local gigs, wrote songs and recorded in city studios with some of Nairobi’s best musicians. His first cassette of ten songs, Mtaani Nairobi, features David Otieno, Mark van Rossi, Jenifer Moncheri, John Katana, Newton Kibutu, Steve Gatitu as well as the late artists Twahir Mohamed, Wally Amalemba and Ali Makunguru. The rock-reggae song "Muthoni" went to number one on Kenya’s music charts, and built Kamau’s reputation as a “local” song-writer. The cassette sold out its first and only printing.
Between 1996 and 2000, Kamau continued playing and writing songs but focused on his day job as a solar energy engineer. In 1998, Bilenge Musica introduced him to 'ndombolo' (a Congolese style of distorted lingala guitar) at Dream Village, and, after Kamau pulled a team together, John Katana (of “Them Mushrooms”) produced several songs with Bilenge members, including guitarist Rocky Bila and atalaka (rapper) specialist Darzee.
In 2000, Kamau worked with Burundi-Kenyan band Hot Rod, Nairobi’s hottest bar band on the "Rock in a Hard Place" project. The band recorded 7 of Kamau’s songs in Maurice Oyando’s Next Level Studios. Chief contributions on to the CD come from drummer/vocalist Kidum who helped arrange many songs. Robert (RK) Kimanze, engineered the project. "Rock in a Hard Place" is available from Boda Boda Productions.
In 2004, with partner Gladys Sakaja, Kamau formed Boda Boda Band with Kidum (drums, vocals), who was keen to return to Nairobi from Burundi. Kidum pulled together Gilbert Harusha (bass). Kelly Chome (keyboards), and Rocky Bila (guitars). From 2004-2006, the band was popular in clubs around Nairobi, including Kengeles, Pizza Garden, New Stanley, Toona Tree, Carnivore and others. The band was contracted by Peponi Hotel to played the 2005 New Years gig in Shela town, Lamu with reggae singer, Judah.
Boda Boda recorded Chants Sans Frontières in 2005. The CD was conceived when Markus Kamau and Robert Kamanzi laid down demos on an Apple G4 laptop during an April 2004 trip to Lamu. After intesive practice sessions, Boda Boda played all rhythm tracks live with RK producing and engineering in Mingi Love Studio, Nairobi. David Otieno added the guitar leads. Gladys Sakaja managed the project with Markus Kamau.
Kamau is currently managing the monthly Sippers Jam Sessions, planning for the official launch of Chants Sans Frontières and attending to his “real” life as a rural energy consultant and writer.