THERE is something striking about Congolese-born musician M.B. Kado, who is still being sought after by his faithful fans.
The most interesting part of this one-time versatile musician is that, he has continued to inspire his audience whenever he takes to the stage.
He still has little vigour left in him and has continued to soldier on musically despite his advanced age.
Meeting him in Lusaka recently revealed a lot in this Zam-rumba legend who never ceases to amuse, especially with his Chinyanja spiced with a Congolese accent that sounds more entertaining to listen to.
Now a Zambian by descent, M.B. Kado, popularly referred to as Papa Kado, has since lost touch with his grass roots relatives after he left his native country to come to Zambia about 50 years ago.
He has virtually lost contact with his relatives and has since adopted his own here in Zambia.
Being reminded about this, he says, “You mean my relatives? Aah! They are plenty here including my brothers, the Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Papa Kado values the Jehovah’s Witness Church members as his true relations who have kept him well since the time he came to Zambia.
Being advanced in age, Papa Kado still has wind in his sails and can play one or two of compositions with some flashes of accuracy.
One of his songs, Moyenda, sung in Nyanja, still reminds his relatives that, he is still alive and sound despite being away from home for a long time and that, one day, they will meet.
His former band, the Limpopo, did a lot on the Zambian music circuit and almost all the compositions were a seller and up to now, fans are still looking for his music.
In 1975, he released his debut single, Ulemu, followed by Chipangano and Zoona, which revealed him to the local audience as the best composer of all time.
He brought stiff competition to the already existing bands such as, Nashil Pitchen and his Super Mazembe, Afro Mods and their Manyama Ya Mpelembe song, and Peter Tsotsi Juma backed by the Fire Family as well as, Uweka and Masiye bands.
. Papa Kado
Born in Kinshasa in 1947, Matumbo Batolomeo Pressure Bwalantama Kado, a.k.a MB Kado, has always been inspired by veterans such as Congolese rumba maestro, Luambo Makiadi also known as Franco and his Orchestra O.K Jazz including Jonny Bokelo during his teen days.
By 1957, while at school, Kado was already entertaining the audience with his accordion on the streets of Kinshasa before he left for Kananga in Kasai Province to join the Emma Bless Jazz Band.
The 11-man ensemble was camped at the famous Bilo Bar in down town Kananga but later, embarked on a tour of Mbuji Mayi and Elizabethville, before trekking to Lubumbashi in 1963.
In 1964, Kado broke away to form his own band, the Limpopo Band also an 11-man outfit that mesmerised the Lubumbashi audience.
“You know, we were always on the move and the same year we decided to cross into Zambia just when the country was about to gain independence from the British,” Papa Kado recalls.
But the band had no money to transport its equipment to Zambia as well as upkeep and instead, started selling women wigs to raise enough.
When the band finally crossed into Zambia, it clinched a deal to perform at the then famous underground Chambishi Bar in Kitwe’s second class trading area, housed at the current B.D Akotia building.
The band also performed at Accra Bar as well as the National Bar, now owned by the Mine-workers Union of Zambia (MUZ).
The band shifted camp to Lusaka in 1965 where they interacted with another famous Congolese musician, Baba Gasto who by then had released a song called, Ilunga wa Ilunga.
Baba Gasto, who already had a contract at the Ridgeway Hotel, gave the band sanctuary at his Hoola Hoop Bar in Kamwala where the band performed for some time.
It was also a regular at the Federal Hotel, now Zani Muone on the Great North Road, before moving to Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), where Limpopo became an instant hit as revellers switched from Simanje manje and twist music to something new.
Other Congolese bands such as the Cadet Jazz. Whose band leader later quit to join Franco’s O.K Jazz, was already there posing a little threat to Limpopo.
Upon coming back to Zambia in 1969, Limpopo Band performed at Chingwere’s Tambalala Bar in Lusaka then run by a business executive Pressure Kasanda before going to Precem Motel.
In 1976, the Limpopo Band broke up and Papa Kado teamed up with the Fire Family Band which backed him on a number of songs such as, Zinthu Zasintha, Kunyumba, President Kaunda, (a liberation song) Bakayombo, Bizimisi (business) Uzani kumbuka and Chilimba Ni Changa.
All of which did very well on the local music scene.
But in 1984, he left the Fire Family to be backed by a Congolese Band, the Lubumbashi Stars before going cabaret, mixing with the likes of Lazarous Tembo and Ackim Simukonda among others.
The 67-year-old musician now resides in Lusaka’s Garden Township and things do not look very good for him as he has to fend for himself, especially that he has no instruments or any one to sponsor his recordings.
He survives through playing folk music in bars but wants to wrap up his career by releasing some of his seemingly hit songs he has composed over the years.
Papa Kado, who is still single, however, has three daughters in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, who still remembers him.
The Moyenda man as he calls himself has traversed the music wilderness for decades that has seen him through the sub region and now considers Zambia has his home.
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