Them Mushrooms founder Teddy Kalanda dead at 72

Teddy Kalanda, a prominent Kenyan musician best known for founding the band, Them Mushrooms in 1972, has died.

Mr Kalanda succumbed to cancer, a disease he had been battling for close to six years.

His brother John Katana confirmed the news saying that it had been a painful journey for their brother who had been an inspiration to them.

Them Mushrooms

Born in Mombasa, Kalanda formed the band with his brothers Billy Sarro and George Zirro.

Originally called Avenida Success, the band became famous after being renamed Them Mushrooms, drawing influences from the mystical African “magic mushrooms.”

The band rose to prominence with the release of the 1982 Swahili hit song “Jambo Bwana”, composed by Kalanda, which became a global sensation and is widely recognised for its catchy chorus “Hakuna Matata.”

Most people today would recognise the phrase “Hakuna Matata” from the Disney movie “The Lion King” but in an interview conducted in 2010, Mr Kalanda said he had no idea the song would gain the popularity it did.

“It was a kind of a joke for me. I remember musicians in Mombasa would tease me and say it was a song for nursery school children.

“For me, as long as the tourists were enjoying and singing along with us and having a good time, we were okay. That was the idea of the song,” he said at the time.

The “kind of a joke song” sold over 200,000 copies and brought Them Mushrooms international fame.

Over the years, Kalanda and Them Mushrooms recorded more than 15 albums, mixing coastal Chakacha rhythms with influences from benga, taarab, and international genres.

Mr Kalanda died in his rural home in Kilifi county. He was 72.

More to follow.

The post Them Mushrooms founder Teddy Kalanda dead at 72 first appeared on KBC.

The post Them Mushrooms founder Teddy Kalanda dead at 72 appeared first on KBC.