Ferre Gola "Le Padre" or "Chair de Poule" is one of the leading Congolese Rumba musicians of all time.   "365 Jours X2" is one of Ferre Gola's most philosophical and poetic compositions. The song is found in the album Chair de poule (Sens interdit) released in 2007. Below are the lyrics with English translations. Enjoy..   Ebélé ya makanisi nioso na bongo moko (Lots of thoughts all on one brain) Nakoma kombanza lokola prisonnier na boloko (I've come to be engrossed in thought like a prisoner in jail ) Spectacle éza désolant mais inévitable Mubiala Mayimbi. ( The spectacle is sad but inevitable, Mubila Mayimbi ).    Na bandaki kosentir yango avant ekoma oyini nga mpona likambo seguin muadi ya bozoba effort nioso na sala mpo nga na yo tolingana seguin muadi omettre yango en cours ( I have started to feel that before you hate me because of the stupid issue, Seguin Muadi, all effort I make for us to love each other you have put them in progress. ) ...

 I graduated from the prestigious Kanga High School a long time ago but the memories of tears and laughter, joy and suffering haven't escaped me. I was just a timid boy - almost naive - when I reported to the school one February in the early 2000s, my shirt though sparkling clean was not tacked in the trouser (a capital crime in Kanga High School). Mr. Ragero, unknown to me at the time, asked me in the kindest way possible to tuck in which I did. He assigned me to King Class, and Athembo Dormitory, which I quickly learned was a terrible combination: King class because it shared a wall with the Deputy Principle's office, and Athembo dorm because it was the worst in the school, and probabaly in the whole damn country. As a new student in the school - and worse still, a fresher - I had no choice. It so happened that Kanga High School was hit by an acute bed shortage at the time of my admission. Believe it or not I shared a bed with another boy for close to a full term. The boy, th...

 There is a wide portraiture of music from Congo but my favorite is Rumba. Rumba is not just music, it is a cultural phenomenon that has shaped Congolese lifestyle and outlook for years. The influence of  Congolese music is widely felt across Africa . Rumba has distinguished itself as a genre of choice among the educated middle class across the continent. Franco Luambo Makiadi and his protege Madilu System (real name Jean De Dieu "Bialu" Makiase) have all played a significant role in the growth and evolution of African Rumba. Madilu System - whose husky (almost gruff) baritone voice stands in a stark contrast to the common  Congolese airy tenor popularized by Simaro Lutumba, Canta Nyboma, Tabu Ley and Ferre Gola - was a major engine in this growth. Madilu's talent went beyond onstage or studio delivery, he was also an astute composer. His lyrics are rich with imagery, pun and humour as you'll see from a few sampled here.         ...

Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu is a national monument of shame and embarrassment to the Lake Region. It doesn't tick any boxes of a truly international stadium. The artistic impression images of the stadium widely shared on the internet does not match - by any stretch of the imagination - the delivered project, like a chopper to a motor car wreckage. Only a complete makeover can bridge the gap, a makerover which by all indication, isn't going to happen. The stadium has no walls at all, only a cheap tin roof hoisted high on concrete beams giving it the look of an old city ruin. The stands aren’t one continuous block, instead they are a patchwork of disjointed concrete slabs under tin roofed sheds much like cattle pens in one huge factory farm. The stadium is better than nothing, but that's all it is; better than nothing. A section of Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Kisumu (coutersy: the star newspaper) To call it “international” is an insult to...

Hon Dr. William Ruto is a clever politician. He opposes the so-called Building Bridges Initiative but wouldn't come out guns-blazing to campaign against it. Unlike Raila Odinga who came out to oppose the Wako Draft and emerged victorious in 2005 referendum, Ruto doesn't want to appear to be all-out opposed to the document only terming it as "not a priority". He has refused to be drawn into the debate as to whether BBI is actually good for the country or not. And while this seems all good, others will be quick to point out that ignoring a problem doesn't solve it. Proponents of BBI will also demand from those who oppose BBI an alternative remedy to Kenya's perennial problem of election violence, tribalism and regional imbalance in development. BBI logo (source: bbi.go.ke) Ruto has his work cut out. He has to strike a balance between his populist, anti-establishment sentiments on one hand and appearing to be bitterly opposed to a document that a go...

 Here we go again. AFC Leopards lost another important match against Gor Mahia. Before the match it was Leopards doing all the talking. They spewed threats, warnings and insults and it was hard to see how they could fail to back it up on the field of play. In the end they lost the match and up in smoke went their only chance of silverware since ... (we need the help of a historian here. It has been so long!) Gor Mahia trophy cabinet is breaking under the weight of trophies and the Leopards are green with envy.  It must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Leopards. Going into the match, AFC Leopards were the better side. They play really good football, I must admit. But, as it has been the case all too often, they lost.... again. It was hard to watch and I am not even a Leopard's fan. It must have been heart-wrenching for their fans. This was their chance to finally win a trophy and beat Gor Mahia in the process. In the end they did neither. It must have been hard to take. ...