WHO IS THIS MAN DR OSITO KALLE?

The year was around 1998!

The national broadcaster KBC used to organize a popular annual benga  competition at Nyayo National Stadium called 'Battle Of the Bands!' 

Musicians and bands back then looked forward to this event, which had corporate sponsors, and whose winner, I think, walked away with ksh 100,000.

Stars of those days like Joseph Kamaru, Sukuma Bin Ongaro, Aziz Abdi, Freshley Mwamburi, Habel Kifoto, Teddy Kalanda, John Katana Harrison. Queen Jane, DK Kamau, Timona Mburu, and others, put their best feet forward.

But it was the Luo benga maestros who had been winning it. Princess, Jully had won the 1997 edition with her runaway HIV awareness hit "Dunia Mbaya," and she was in contention again.

 Now, in 1998, there was an extremely fierce rivalry between Princess Jully with Jolly Boys Band, and Aluoch Jamaranda with Super Hekaheka, just about a year after the death of their leader, the great Okach Biggy. 

Both musicians, Princess July and Aluoch Jamaranda, were flying high with two songs, incidentally sharing the same title; both called MALOMALO! There were accusations and counter-accusations of plagiarism and copyright infringement. 

Jamaranda had, in his song, challenged Jully to a showdown at Kisumu or Migori ASK Show, while Jully wanted an open-air duel at the famous Kondele grounds! Aaah Kondele, they who can dare stop a presidential motorcade, and live to tell the tale....a story for another day!

 The tension was so thick that you'd slice it with a knife!

 Luoland was split right in the middle; with Kisumu/Siaya people throwing their weight behind their homeboy Jamaranda, while the Migori/Homabay people rooted for their homegirl Princess, whom they affectionately called Alili Nyarjogina.

The stage was set! The MC was the Blackest man in Black Africa, Uncle Fred Obachi Machoka! To enter, one had to purchase a copy of a daily newspaper, one of the title sponsors of the event.

After the other benga musicians like Kamaru, Sukuma, Aziz and others had been literally booed offstage by the overzealous, restless, and excitable crowd, who had traveled far and wide...... to witness who was great between Jamaranda and Jully, their turn came.

The two did their best. On one hand, Princess Jully's energy, stage presence, and stage show(led by dancer Atommy Sifa wuod Adiedo) was just out of this world!

On the other hand, Aluoch Jamaranda's benga mastery, guitar wizardry, and husky voice was enchantingly bewitching!

The judges had a really difficult time determining the winner between Jamaranda and Jully.

As the judges retreated to the Nyayo Stadium restaurant ( which later became Kuchekuche club), a little-known, amiable, unassuming gentleman and his band, was brought on stage to keep the crowd busy while they tried to see who was the champion between Jamaranda and Jully!

The man was called Osito Kalle Kassam..... and his band was called Nabii Kings. He had released a song called 'Asembo Piny Maber' in a River Road studio called Jojo Records. The song was in praise of his motherland Asembo.

The moment the first strum of his solo guitar, amplified by the sound system provided by a combined force of Omega One and DS Njoroge International, hit the ears of the crowd, something snapped! Things fell apart for Jully and Jamaranda. The centre could hold no more! Kassam Kadori, had crossed the musical Rubicon!

Osito, just like at yesterday's Madaraka fete at Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu, literally stole the show.

The crowd roared their appreciation, danced ecstatically! The judges, hearing the deafening din, rushed back to the field, wondering what was happening! When they saw the hypnotized crowd dancing away in bliss, they tore up the papers they had in their hands, Jamaranda and Jully quickly forgotten.

Just like that....Osito, who later mentored great artists like Odhiambo Tusker, Omondi Longlilo, and Ogina Koko, walked away with Ksh 100,000, stole the show, and proved to all, that his nickname, "Doctor" .....is no fluke.

How do I know all these? Because my dad Lucas Onyango Gongo and I, were following the event "live" on KBC Radio Idhaa ya Taifa, on his Sanyo transistor radio, from ka Ng'ongo Agida, Osiri village, deep in Gwassi, Suba. 

Jamabinju pod pek!