Binadamu hanunuliwi kama nguo VIP
Ungekuwa dukani ningekununua nikuweke ndani
Lakini nikikuchukua bila mapenzi yako utanitoroka
Binadamu hanunuliwi kama nguo VIP
Ungekuwa dukani ningekununua nikuweke ndani
Lakini nikikuchukua bila mapenzi yako utanitoroka
These are some of the lyrics from the song VIP. The song was composed by the very talented songwriter Jerry Nashon, popularly known as Dudumizi, and was recorded in 1992 by Vijana Jazz Band. This was Jerry Nashon’s second phase being a musician in the band after leaving it and moving to other bands for many years. This song gave the album its title. Other tracks on the album were ‘Shoga,’ composed by Beno Villa Anthony, and ‘Thereza,’ another composition by Jerry Nashon. Additionally, there was ‘Mfitini,’ composed by me, John Kitime, the writer and owner of this website. Mfitini (discord-sower) was a song from a true experience. One of the band members, who was a good friend of mine, would go behind my back to my live-in girlfriend, and he would spill fantastic lies. And so I composed the song. I did not tell anyone why I composed the song, and my dear friend was also one of the happy performers of the song.
The lead guitars, which we also called the solo guitars, were played by Shaaban Yohana “Wanted” and Shaban Abdallah “Dogodogo,” while the rhythm guitar was played by Agrey Ndumbalo. Bakari Semhando and Manitu Mussa were the bassists. The VIP album was the first recording by the band after the passing away of Hemedi Maneti, the band’s very charismatic leader. Before Hemedi Maneti’s death, the band’s style was Pambamoto Awamu ya pili. With the new album, we came up with Saga Rhumba style. I remember there was quite a debate as some musicians wanted to continue the Pambamoto style, eventually it was agreed that the new album would be in the Saga Rhumba style.
The VIP album was recorded at Tanzania Film Company (TFC) studios by the late John Ndumbalo, an excellent sound engineer. The solo guitar playing in that album followed a format we learned when performing jointly with TP OK Jazz, in the first tour that the legendary band made outside Congo after the death of their bandleader Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, by coming to Tanzania, and fortunately for us TP OK Jazz decided to use Vijana Jazz Band’s instruments, which were almost identical to the ones they used back in Congo. I was the sound engineer for their performances.
A major new thing that Vijana Jazz Band learned was playing two solo guitars in a song. TP OK Jazz told us that they didn’t use “mi solo” but instead played two solo guitars in each of their songs. Traditionally, a rhumba band would have a solo guitar, a second solo or a mi solo guitar, a rhythm guitar, and a bass guitar.
The VIP album was the result of that experience. Our skilled solo guitarists, Shaaban Yohana “Wanted” and Shaaban Abdallah “Dogodogo,” played two solo guitars in every song on that album. To this day, I haven’t heard another band record their songs in this style again.
Let’s read a short Bio of the composer of VIP, Jerry Nashon. He grew up in a village called Kigera, located in the Musoma Municipal Council near Mara Secondary School. Jerry began learning guitar at the Musoma Catholic Mission club, which later became Mwembeni Secondary School. The church social club did an excellent job of uniting young people with various talents.
In 1980, he joined the Special Baruti Band, led by Rashid Ruyembe (now Dr. Rashid Ruyembe). Jerry was nurtured by Charles Koya, who was then the rhythm guitarist of the band. He was a diligent student, and after a short time, he became a skilled player, able to record with the band at Tanzania Film Company studios, RTD studios, and eventually various studios in Kenya. Jerry and Special Baruti Band performed many shows in Nairobi city, playing at various halls and clubs such as Bombax Hotel, Kaka Night Club, Rwadhia Night Club. The band also had gigs outside Nairobi in all regions of Kenya except Mombasa and Kisumu. Seeing the band’s leader, who was the composer and singer, gaining immense popularity, Jerry decided to leave rhythm guitar playing and become a singer and composer. His efforts were noticed by the Musoma Prison Department, which recruited him to join Magereza Jazz Band, the prison department’s band. After about two and a half years with Special Baruti Band, Jerry moved to Dar es Salaam to join Magereza Jazz Band.
At that time, Musoma town had other bands, such as Musoma Jazz Band, which played in their Segese style, and Mara Jazz Band, famous for their Sensera style. There was also a band owned by the Catholic Seminary of Makoko, called Juja Jazz Band, which performed only at the church’s agreed venues, so the band did not get the fame of the aforementioned bands, although it was just as good as the others. Jerry stayed for a while with Magereza Jazz Band, famous for their Super Mnyanyuo style, then moved to Bima Orchestra, better known by their style Bima Lee, and was finally recruited to Vijana Jazz Band after the death of Hemedi Maneti. Jerry Nashon remained a member of Vijana Jazz Band until his death in 1995.
