The 1970s stretching into the early 1980s were the golden years for Kenyan music. There was a ‘coffee boom’ in the country, other major agricultural produce (maize, tea, beans) all did well and ‘the people’ had a feel good factor and spent money freely. Beer and ‘Nyama Choma’ (barbequed meat) flowed freely every weekend and some week days too.
Gor Mahia F.C. was the crowd’s favourite football team, and many a band composed songs in praise of them. Juma Toto and ‘The Hodi Boys’ had a hit, so too did Orchestra ‘Super Mambo’. ‘Super Mambo’ (later to be known as ‘Orchestra Nairobi Matata’ when the band leadership was taken over by John Muhina), was one of the crowd pleasers of this era and made ‘The Brilliant’ their nightclub at down town Ngara.
Delvo was the band’s founder father and he brought a strong Congolese rumba influence to their songs. Sadly, the band recorded only a few songs with the AIT Records label before Delvo’s premature death. Their biggest hit ‘Gor Mahia F.C.’ was a direct competitor to the ‘Gor Mahia’ of The Hodi Boys, but both songs were equal hits with the Gor Mahia soccer fans.
‘Miaka Kumi Ya Uhuru’, ‘Tufurahi Weekend’ and ‘Leo Nimetokela’, also made the charts. The distinctive AIT label was new on the scene, and together with the ‘Moto-Moto’ and ‘Africa’ labels soon became renowned for the very best of the Rumba sounds from Tanzania and The Congo.
‘Gor Mahia’ made the crowds chant, this total package will make the crowds dance.