Collela Mazee

Benga musicians mourn the loss of a godfather figure with the death of Dr Collela Mazee
By Gordon Owino

Last week an event of great consequence took place on the cultural scene. This was the demise of Richard Owino, otherwise known as Dr Collela Mazee and variously referred to as a 'benga' maestro or the chief proponent of the 'benga' beat. While radio stations have given it in depth and heartfelt coverage, the print media gave it a perfunctory mention belying the magnitude of the loss to the nation.

"He is institution, not a maestro," says Alfred 'Oywech Malago' Kawino, the famed rhythm guitarist who once played with Collela in Victoria 'B' Kings. "He is the heart of all music as we know it."

Kawino consciously refuses to refer to the master in past tense, a sign of the shock that is just beginning to register in Homa-Bay town's vibrant 'benga' circles. To most practitioners of this musical genre, the 'artiste of artistes' is gone.

"The curtains have come down on an era," says one 'benga' fan. "Something is irretrievably lost... gone with the man. He was incomparable, without peer or rival. He was absolutely something else. They called him 'hono' (miracle). His death is devastating."

What was it that set this man apart in a community whose musical scene was replete with giants? Legends like George Ramogi, Ochieng Kabasellah, George Ojijo, Prince Jully, Ouma Omore, Opiyo Emmah, Agwatah, Ndugu Rabbi, Okatch Biggy, Awino Lawi (all deceased) and others like Ochieng' Nelly, Orwa Jasolo, Osito Kalle, D.O. Misiani, Princess Jully, Orego Orego are among the greats of 'benga'.

Ouma 'de' Emmah, band leader of Victoria 'A' Kings and son of the late confidante to Collela, Opiyo 'Bwana' Emmah says, "Look at the guys he worked with. Once he touched you, you were assured of a place in the 'benga' Hall of Fame. In 1973 it was my dad, John Onyona, Okeyo Achayo, Odoyo Agwatah, Peter Saoke, Ogutu Panga and Otondo Kajonje. They were immortalised to have been at the start of Victoria Band. Later, Onyango Odol and Awino Lawi would join. But the high point would come almost five years later with the arrival of Apiyo Cappela (Collela's brother), Ndugu Rabbi, Oriro 'Kenya 1' Odham Wembe and Otoi. That was the highest point. No group of musicians will ever bond better; they were the best anyone will ever see. And they thrived under Collela. It was pure magic. 'Oula' (rivulets) even flowed uphill then. Apiyo, Rabbi and Okeyo were the best vocals trio anyone will ever assemble."

If that were the 'Beatles' so to speak, the second phase of the group had Collela, Onyango Orego Orego, Oywech Malago, Omoya Ukwala, Peter Odiwuor, Owino Oomo and Ouma 'Baba Warembo' playing hits commonly referred to in musical circles as "The World Cup of Benga". These included numbers like 'Herina', 'Fatuma', 'Achieng Nyar Canaan' etc. Later on for hits like 'Solea and Apinya John' the group had Owuor Jamapera, Awil Kamusa, Tom Odhiambo, Owich Tony, Richard Abandu, Anando System, Brother Charlly, Odende and many others. One cannot but help wonder how Collela managed to control this crowd, knowing how difficult star artistes can be. According to Odham Wembe (himself a living legend) that was simple.

"Collela was a leader. He worked hard at being the best and this inspired us. There is this thing we had in 'VB' (Victoria Band) that we called 'Feeling'. To play with Collela was to walk the clouds. He strove so hard for perfection, you just couldn't let him down. You gave him all you had. If he was pleased with your work, you knew because the crowd was delirious, more than satisfied. It was an experience you had to be part of to comprehend. Every time he sat down to play the solo guitar, something memorable happened. We were the best of the best." As an all-round instrumentalist, a superb one at that, Mazee radiated authority.

"Every time I looked at him, I wondered how someone could be like that," says Onyango Orego Orego. "To be so good and yet work so hard. To be so simple and yet that knowledgeable. His opinions in 'benga' were the equivalent of the written law. If he praised you, you were made. If he criticised you, you were blown."

Orego Orego and Owuor Jamapera are reputed to be the two people who learnt most from the man who "opened the book of Music for 'jomusiki'" as 'benga' folklore has it. Dr Mazee taught them all there was to know on the solo (lead) guitar, which was his forte.

"His technical ability was awesome," says Onyango Pasaka, soloist at Victoria 'A' Kings. "He pioneered the use of echo in the solo guitar. He filled the gaps between the first and second rhythms so well. He 'ran' with them on beats, chords and keys, 'shepherding' their performance. It was innovative and intelligent."

Tom 'Chogo' Odhiambo of the Rodi Kopany-based 'Les Chomeka' describes playing rhythms with Mazee at the studio as "heavenly". A silky performer on the first rhythm himself, Tom says that, "if I had played with him, there would have been an explosion. His picking and fingering on the solo guitar almost blew your mind. You wanted to cry, you wanted to laugh, and you wanted to shout! It is art at its purest, lyrical best. One couldn't help but give 100 per cent when playing with him. I am so proud of him." Oywech says that the one thing that is forever gone is studio setting. Ouma 'de' Emmah rues the fact that fate has blown the pact they made. "He had agreed to do studio setting for us on our debut cassette next month. He and Ochuo 'Standby' were the two great setters. Orego Orego and Jojo are great, but..." He trials off mid-sentence, getting emotional.

"He is the only band leader who took an active interest in the welfare of his members," says Owino Oomo, a maternal first cousin. "Rent, salaries, hospital bills, school fees, royalties - everything - he was a very fair man. Having learnt everything about vocals from him and (his brother) Apiyo Capella, I can only thank God for the gift of life that they were to us. We are household names because he allowed, against stiff opposition from some quarters, the concept of 'choko' (to praise the players during the climax). It built friendship in the band. We were all very close at Victoria 'B'. The biggest tribute we can pay him is to aspire to the highest of musical standards and to be bold and innovative in our compositions".

Oywech Malango feels that someone should chronicle this great phenomenon that took place in Western Kenya with the last generation of the past millennium.

"'Ja Bar Ochiago' was right at the centre of it. Although we are blessed to have his video recordings and a few riders, only the written word will serve posterity well," he says. "Get to people like Ochieng Nelly and Jasolo and write this thing down. To have seen the man playing was to have seen a 'kalausi' (cyclone)".

One can't help but agree with him. I remember as a kid, sneaking out to go and watch Collela play. Homa-Bay town used to come to a standstill when Colly 'wuod gi Apiyo' came to town in the early '80s. And as early as two O'clock in the afternoon! Having moved from the hype of a pop star, he was and will forever be ripe for intellectual study, for Mazee's music engaged the mind - he was a pursuit in appreciation. He is to be described in two words: phenomenal and superlative. As someone said when Abraham Lincoln passed on; "He now belongs to the ages".