Catalogue       Group                                          A side/B side                                                        Language

Number

HB prefixes

HB 7-50      Isaya Mwinamo                    Julieta Uko Wapi/Napenda Jeni

HB 56          Jim Lasco                            Kuzaliwa Wawili/Mbele Huchaoa                 Swahili

(Nigerian pressing)

HB 7-66       George Mukabi                    Mtoto Singuo/George Utaenda na Nini

3/HB 68       Adero Onani                        Makarius Odhiambo/Ombuya Gi Akoth        Luo

CMS prefixes

CMS 7-10     John Mwale                         Shirikishola Africa/Kenyatta Aliteswa          Swahili

CMS 7-105   John Mwale                         Pesa Zaharibu/Bibi Aki Kuturoka                Swahili

CMS 7-118   E'Rafricain Band                  Tucheze Mirenge/Kenyatta Uwalinde           Swahili

45CMS 135  G Adolphs                           Africa Tusikilizane/Mpenzi Katerina             Swahili

                  na Tsotse na Nashil

CMS 7-85    Jim Lasco                             Vijana Kumbukeni/Mambo Ya Mungu         Swahili

CMS 7-102   Edward Nandwa                   Kazi Ya Ki Boy/Tom Mboya Baba Yetu

45CMS 135  G Adolphs                           Africa Tusikilizane/Mpenzi Katerina             Swahili

                  na Tsotse na Nashil

CMS 7-151   John Wijenje                       Mpenzi Rita/CMS Ya Sikuhizi                      Swahili

CMS 7-158   Isaya Mwinamo                    Nairobi Ni Kubwa/Rosa Umeniua

CMS 45-201 Christopher Sebadduka        Tereza/Abana Bobuwala

CMS 7-420   S.J. Ngaku Ng'ang'a             Mwendwa Wakwa/Uui Uui                          Kikuyu

CMS 550     J Abudu Kazoba                    Kupata Taabu/Kuna Bwana Wegine            Swahili

45CMS 708  John Mwale                          Shirikishola Africa/Kenyatta Aliteswa          Swahili

CMS 7-2005  W. John Ndolo                    Kipusa Wa Malembe/Safari Ya Nigeria         Swahili

CMS 7-2008  W. John Ndolo                    Sina Baba Na Mama/Safari Ya Tanzania      Swahili

CMS 2012    Kilwa Jazz Band                   Mungu Tulinde/Tungazako                         Swahili

CMS 7-2020 Kilwa Jazz Band                   Shirikisho/Chakula Milyamwe                     Swahili

CMS 7-2029 Ogola Opot                          Jumo Odera/Osanyo Nyager                      Luo

CMS 2034    Murioki & Party                    Kawanjiru Gambia/Wamuari                      Kikuyu

KKM 3

TOP prefixes

TOP 6          Justin A Sanga                    A: Ulipenda Mwenyewe                              Swahili

(Nigerian pressing)                                B: Tanganyika-Kenya-Uganda

TOP 7-10     John Mwale                          Kenyatta Aliteswa/Shirikishola Africa        Swahili

TOP 7-28    The Smyekhersons                Welcome to Africa/Taabu Ya Wizi               English

AFR prefixes

AFR 2001    Jaluo Tribal Song                  Machungua/Kenya Wacho Harambee/Nyatiti /Gusu

AFR 2003    Wakamba Women                Muthu Wa Njugu/Exotic Tribal Song/Baluhya music/Nylon

AFR 2004    Wakambas                           Exotic Lukhani/Uhuru Kenya/Old Folk/Tereza

Other prefixes

JO 7-121     Mikah Njiru and Mugo            Ndiri Ungi Nyenda/Coka Kwanyu               Kikuyu

UHU 7-63/   John Ndolo with                    Haukutoka Binguni/Shokoloko Bango        Swahili

19W            Ngambotano Boys

CH 7-118     E'Rafrican Band                   Kenyatta Uwalinde/Tucheze Mirege            Swahili

7xCAS 20     Peter Tsotsi Na Nashil          Wasi Wasi Ya Nini/Nairobi Muzuri               Swahili

Most of these singles, except CMS 7-151 from VoA, were found on Ebay or other retail sites. Capital Music Stores in Nairobi produced records from the 1950s to the 1970s, with most of these singles appearing to date from the 1960s.

Update: HB 7-50, HB 7-66 and CM 7-158 are from Doug Paterson’s collection. I particularly like the sound of Isaya Mwinamo’s Nairobi Ni Kubwa (Nairobi is Big).

JO 7-121, the only CMS single in Kikuyu I’ve encountered so far, was found by Andrew Guthrie in a Hong Kong flea market.

Richard Noblett has sent in details of CH 7-118, 45CMS 135 and 45CMS 708, which again suggest CMS had a fairly unsystematic approach to cataloguing. It is worth noting, though, that 45CMS 708 and TOP 7-10 feature the same songs with the A and B sides reversed. Could the TOP prefix have been used for reissued best-sellers?

Flemming Harrev pointed out the existence of CMS 45-201, which appeared on a French retailer’s site. I’ve included the scan above, as it is a colour variation on the more familar yellow CMS label. The scan is so low-res that I can’t read many of the label details but it appears that they have labelled this African Record rather than National Record, which makes sense as Christopher Sebadukka was a Ugandan artist.

In summer 2010 Greg Butler, a dealer in rare vinyl and shellac in Cambridge, UK, pointed out that CMS issued 78s as well as 45rpm records. Although I haven’t listed any 78s, largely due to personal workload and lack of expertise in the area, one of Greg’s 78s takes Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi as its subject, which suggests shellac was produced post-Independence in Kenya. I’d also like to thank him for contributing five 45s to this listing.

Update, September 2011: CMS 7-10 is one of a batch of five CMS singles in the US Library of Congress collection. It contains the same songs as TOP 7-10 and 45CMS 708, suggesting that the TOP prefixes were for export and that the single was probably re-released in Kenya too. You can hear it on YouTube.