Kaifa

Kaifa Records was an Ethiopian record label. It released 53 records between 1973 and 1977. Ali Abdella Kaifa, better known as Ali Tango, managed the company. Singers who recorded for Kaifa included Alemayehu Eshete, Bezunesh Bekele and Mahmoud Ahmed.

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Kaifa2

Kaifa Records was an Ethiopian record label. It released 53 records between 1973 and 1977. Ali Abdella Kaifa, better known as Ali Tango, managed the company. Singers who recorded for Kaifa included Alemayehu Eshete, Bezunesh Bekele and Mahmoud Ahmed.

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Kakai Kilonzo Sound

Kakai Kilonzo's (1954-87) own label, legendary Kamba musician.

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Kalambya

The label is part of the same stable as the Matunda and Mercury labels.

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Kalamindi

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Kamaru Successors

Sub label of City SoundsPress to see what we have in stock

Kambiti Heavy Stars

Kikuyu Label

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Kamukunji

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Kanunga Brother Sounds

Kikuyu label

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Karura Brothers Sounds

Label dedicated to the Kikuyu band, led by James Mbugua.

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Kasanga

An intriguing label that appears to have had a longer history than most. Apart from the Kodedema Top Band and Elgonets singles, all the records with a KAS prefix come from the AIT master catalogue, suggesting that firm’s involvement at some stage.

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Kasongo

One of the Wamenyo stable of labels, which also included Bwana Otieko Weche, Log Dichiel, Piny to Angoni?, Weka Waka and X-Mas. The one constant across all these labels is that their records are undated.

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Kawere Biro

An AIT label that features productions by Okoth Kodondi, a leading light of Luo benga record production.

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KBS

An Andrew Crawford Productions label dedicated to releases by Kenya Blue Stars.

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Kelly Brown

A private label for the Mombasa born Abdulkadir Mohammed Ali Bux, aka Kelly Brown.

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ken-tanza

A CBS label from the early 1980s that appears to have started out by licensing Tanzanian records for release in Kenya then very quickly broadened its scope to include any Swahili pop it fancied.

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Kenya United Sounds

One of the main outlets in the 1970s for records by the influential Kikuyu bandleader and entrepreneur Joseph Kamaru and his City Sounds Band.

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Kenyatone

Nairobi label with little output.

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Kiang'ombe Mwenda Sound

Kikuyu label from Mwenda Music store in the town of Sabasaba Kenya

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Kido

A A.I.T. sublabel

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Kihingo Sounds

Kikuyu label

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Kihumbu Harmonic Sound

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Kikuyu Sounds

As the label name indicates, this was an outlet for Kikuyu singles by, with the exception of the Kilimambogo Brothers, some of the less well-known names on the local music scene. It is a sister label to Akamba Sounds.

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Kilima Mbogo Brothers

Label for the orchestra version of Kilimambogo bros.

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King Kong

An AIT label for productions by PO Kanindo that has three distinct strands. The first couple of singles are by a Luhya band who also recorded for Swara and Editions Shariff. The 700-800 series are by the main players on the Luo benga scene of the mid-1970s, artists Kanindo recorded often and on a multiplicity of labels. The 1000 series started later than the 700-800 series and features records by Kallenjin artists. Almost all of the listings for the label come from AIT’s master catalogue, but OK 1017 turned up on Ebay in March 2011 to confirm a slightly later start to the series. OK 1033 appears to feature two of the label’s bands coming together to record a song in praise of Daniel Arap Moi who became President of Kenya in 1978.

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Kirinyaga

AIT subsidiary label. Known to have bad pressings, meaning the audio will sound worse than the visual grading.

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Kiru Brothers

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Kombora

CBS subsidiary for Jobiso group. Orch Jobiso was both a breakway from Orch Simba Wanyika and later, after brothers Wilson and George Kinyonga reconciled, a flag of convenience outlet for George’s own compositions.

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Koth Kiyombi

AIT (Andrews International and Teal) label with mostly DO7 Shirati Jazz output.

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Kuja Mol

Late 1970s AIT label that features benga productions by Okoth Kodondi.

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Kundi

Nairobi-based Kundi Electronics appears to have released records throughout the 1970s. The general rule that each language was a assigned a different catalogue prefix broadly holds true with the exception of a few.

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Kung Fu

Luo label

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Kungu Chamo Piny

CBS subsidiary label.

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KWE

Quartet of singles by two Luo bands. I have found no information on Orch Oguyo and all I can say about the Yahoos Band is that both their singles were written by Sam Oketch, which suggests a link with Kendu Jazz Band.

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Kwesi

Label dedicated to Luo bands.

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Kwetu

Julius Nyerere’s socialist vision for Tanzania during his term as president from 1963-1984 meant that record labels were few and far between. Kwetu, Sindimba, TFC and Uhuru Stars are all products of the state-run Tanzania Film Company, which specialised in producing documentaries for government bodies and had its own recording studio.

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Lake Victoria

Label from Victoria Music Stores, featuring productions by Okoth Kodondi. He is best-known for his extensive work with Luo benga bands on labels such as Ka-Ber and Kodondi but he also produced other bands too.

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Lamore

Early Kenyan label started in the late 60s, pre Melodica times. Established by Pravinlal Laljibhai Daudia.

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Les Kilimambogo

Label related to Kakai Kilonzo Sound, Kilimambogo Brothers and New Mwania Sound.

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Les Volcano

A Jaca label for Charles Ray Kassembe’s Orch Les Volcano produced by AC Kochomo. Kassembe took over leadership of the band after Mbaraka Mwinshehe’s death and it also recorded for Bingwa, Mlima and Superphonics, though never with the same level of success as under Mwinshehe’s leadership. For a full listing of labels, check out the Bands Index.

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Light & Sound

The only label releasing singles in Mogadishu Somalia throughout the seventies and eighties. Run by Dahir Omar. Early pressings was done in Lebanon, but the majority of output was made in Nairobi Kenya.

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Linga

CBS imprint that appears to have specialised in releasing records by Kenya-based Congolese musicians.

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Lisano

Congo label.

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Lucie

Looks like a one off Kikuyu label

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Lucky Boys Jazz Band

A label for this band

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Lulus

Another label run by DK Mwai.

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M.N.R.

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M.S.R.

MSR clearly stands for Mamicha Sound Recordings and the whole operation appears to have been owned and run by Mike Njenga Mamicha (The Wonder Boy) as he modestly credits himself on PCM 007.

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Mach Marewa

Label featuring AC Kochomo productions

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Maendeleo Ya Sega-Sega

Looks like a label with output from the Sega Sega Luo band

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Magoma

Obscure Luo Benga label

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Makonge

Label for Lemba Lemba. Only two known releasses.

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Makwetu

Joseph Kamaru label.

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Mambo

All the rest of Mambo’s output as recorded so far is in Kipsigis. I can’t tell you anything about the bands or their music, but the existence of these records indicates a lively if little-known local music scene.

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Matata

A diverse label that emphasises on Luo music but throws a bit of everything into the mix.

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Maua

City Sounds sublabel

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Mayaka

A Nyanza Music Stores label label featuring the Victoria C Kings.

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Mbutta

Luo Label.

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Melodica

One of the most prolific record labels in Kenya, both under its own imprint and as a distributor of subsidiaries. Started early seventies, the label is still running.

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Mercury

Label operated by Mercury music store Nairobi.

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MIME

Even though the catalog number is 020 I think this label only had one release.

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Misonga

One of many Andrew Crawford prodcutions labels

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Miujiza

Rare music shop outta Nairobi

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Mkulima

Mkulima means “farmer” in Kiswahili. Nairobi-based Sapra were the producers behind several labels during the 1970s, most notably Hodi-Tone. This label was an Angola export label hence the no center pressings.

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