Mose Fanfan a towering figure in African music, collapsed and passed on last evening, while visiting Nairobi, on a recording tour at Ketebul music.
Papa Lolo hit maker might be dead but his music still remains in the heart of his loyal fans.
Fanfan as his fans know him is a veteran musician of the second generation of Congolese rumba. He was primarily a guitarist, but also excelled as a composer, arranger and band leader.
Born in October 1945 Mose Sengo aka Mose Fanfan debuted in music in 1966 with a band called Rickem Jazz in Kinshasa. He also had as stint with Orchestre Revolution, a formation mostly consisting of musicians who had rebeled from Franco’s OKJ in 1967.
Fanfan, the only guitarist who could pull out a Franco on the fretboard, joined OKJ in 1968 and left in 1974.
He played in the studio recording of several songs including beya, his own composition dje melasi and several others
He quit the band to join Lovy Du Zaire, and where he played all the solo guitar for the band’s recordings. He later formed Somo Somo, alongside another OKJ singer Youlou Mabiala and with the outfit, they toured Zambia.
Youlou went back to Kinshasa as Fanfan came to East Africa, via Tanzania, joining Mzee Makassy in Orchestre Makassy.
He carried along Franco’s guitar style to East Africa, and the band’s trademark guitar can be heard in the songs sisika, mosese, athumani, molema, and others.
Orchestre Makassy also featured Fanfans former colleague at OKJ, renowned trumpeter Adamo Seye Kadimoke, currently in retirement in Lubumbashi
When the band relocated to Nairobi in 1979, Remi Ongala wasn’t happy with the development and stayed behind in Tanzania where he created Orchestre Super Matilmila. Fanfan stayed behind with him.
He set the pace of guitar at the band and that’s what made the band play a unique brand of rumba, very close to odemba of Franco, featuring at least two solo guitars. Fanfan later relocated to Nairobi and revived his Orchestre Somo Somo.
In 1983 he relocated to London where he has been based todate. He has been performing, singers Rissa Rissasy Rossignol, Nzaya Nzayadio guitarists Lusambo Fiston, bassist Kib Douglas Misapi, drummer Saidi Tumba Saidi Kanda and others
He has been a frequent visitor to Nairobi, Ketebul music where he had several musical projects. His death was confirmed by Tabu Osusa of Ketebul. He has passed on a few hours to the burial of anothe music titan and his former colleague at OKJ, Simaro Lutumba.
He is among the brains that made OKJ what it was and among those who made Congolese music a juggernaut to reckon with
His musical achievements are too numerous to sum up in one song, like Papa Lolo