Catalogue Group A side/B side Language
Number
LAM 7-003 Los Kantina Jazz Nderingo/Mwafuka Na Mila Zake Swahili
LAM 7-009 Los Kantina Jazz Cha Cha Los Kantina/Aysha Wa Ngai
LAM 7-010 The Ashantis Mary Lou/Lorna You'Ve Got Me English
LAM 7-024 Hi-Fives Mayele Ya Polo/Makila Mabe
LAM 7-034 Sam Kinuthia Mama Ngina/Mihaka Ya Kenya
LAM 7-036 A: Daniel Omolo; B: Wilson Okal Orwaka Nairobi/Paruru Yawa Luo
LAM 112A/B
LAM 7-040 Hi-Fives Lamore Studio/Eacha Ukatili
LAM 7-049 Navongo Success Shemeji Wangu/Urafiki Wa Pesa Swahili
LAM 7-054 Orch Navongo Success Salamu Zangu/Ugonjwa ni Adui Swahili
LAM 127A/B
LAM 7-088 The African Couzins Vijana Wawili/Matumbo Na Sukuma Swahili
LAM 7-098 Shirandu "B" Tangazo Kwa Vijana/Vijana Wa Shirandu Swahili
LAMORE
LAM 7-010 turned up on Ebay, LAM 7-036 and LAM 7-054 are in the British Library’s National Sound Archive and LAM 7-088 in the Voice of America collection. I know nothing about the bands except that Orch Navongo Success also recorded for Bonanza, a sister label to Lamore, as well as Equator and Polydor.
The numbers alone indicate that there are numerous other singles on the label waiting to be catalogued.
As the language description on the Ashantis single describes it as Shake English, I reckon we could date these to the late 1960s.
Update: In August 2011, Peter Toll supplied details of a further seven records on this label, including the two early singles by Los Kantina Jazz. Hi-Fives recorded for a number of labels (See Band Index for full listing) and seem to have included some of the earliest Congolese musicians to make Kenya their base.
