VIDEO: African music throwback from Kent campus


One good thing about studying in the United Kingdom is that it confers on you the status of a global citizen. Don’t mind my use of the phrase “Global Citizen”. But in fact, due to the cosmopolitan nature of British Universities you are bound to meet students from all over the world… just name it!! 

University of Kent provided this opportunity to meet with students from other countries and I was always very keen to meet “non-Nigerian” students. Due to my natural pull and affinity for everything African, I always looked forward to making friends amongst the African students. The likes of Ghanaian David & Fred, Kenyan Nyambura, Cameroonian Magbor, Angolan Paolo, Tanzanian Dauda, Zimbabwean Rumby, Guinean Sabally, Congolese Billy, Gambian Katty, Basotho Palesa (Lesotho), South African Sonya & Noxolo, Ugandan Christy, and many more. The list is endless. I’m glad to say I have friends in most sub-Sahara African countries.

Interestingly, when I make friends I like to understand some of their culture, language, arts, music and quirky perspectives of their countries. So in my archives I have African music cutting across the entire continental landscape. And by the way, my choice is always for original indigenous music or old school if you will. The likes of Zilizopendwa, Rumba, Soukous, Bongo-Flava, Pata-Pata, Highlife and others.

So while on campus, with a few friends we managed to set up a small African band consisting of Zimbabwean Rumby singing in Shona, Congolese Billy playing the Guitar and singing in Lingala, and yours sincerely – Nigerian Bell. We also had the PhD candidate, Zimbabwean writer and poet – Tinashe Mushakavanhu.  The clip below was a session we must have taken in 2008 as masters and PhD students (I was studying for my PhD at the time) at the University of Kent. I think this was taken at the Virginia Woolf College of the University, which served postgraduate students. We tried our hands on a number of tracks. I started off with Sound Sultan’s track Ajo Dabile, and Mariam Makeba’s Pata-Pata, and others. Bear in mind that this was shot during one of our spontaneous rehearsal sessions and you can hear how Rumby & Billy blended in their Shona & Lingala lyrics into Ajo Dabile respectively.


I have never shared these clips until now and I hope you enjoy it.


Please feel free to share the link and be kind to leave a comment.


God bless!!

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