Band leader Magneto retires from the military
Maroon Commandos was formed on 1st October 1970, making it one of the oldest bands in the country. Having existed for the last 56 years is an outstanding achievement, considering that most musical outfits rarely survive long enough to celebrate their 10th birthdays.
The magic wand that has kept “wana Maroon,” as they are fondly referred to by their fans, is the military sponsorship, which makes the band more of an institution, bigger than any individual. The success of the band over the years, however, is directly attributable to the leaders this band has had over time, among them the immediate former leader Magneto, who “hung up his gun” in July this year, retiring from the military after 31 years of service to the military.
Before Magneto, the band had been led by the legendary Habel Kifoto for decades, as well as Tuesday Oguro and John Kombo. Magneto, also known as John Ogega, began his musical journey in 1985 in Migori, featuring for Jolly Boy Band, which was led by the legendary benga musician Prince July. July was the husband of Princess July of the “Dunia Mbaya” fame.
This band also featured Omore Mamor, Peter Mapenzi, Omolo Mwanda, Alex Seta, Agola Jossy Odende “Chips”, Okidi Wuon Nyanyuok and others. This band was so popular and performed across Nyanza and Nairobi, despite having its base in Migori. It is these forays into the city for a series of concerts that gave Lady Luck an opportunity to smile on young Magneto.
The manner in which he joined the military is almost identical to that of Kifoto and the team, and Ochieng Kabasele and his team, both of which this writer has narrated in detail in previous episodes. All were recruited into the military on the strength of their abilities as musicians.
For the first batch of Maroon Commandos pioneers, the then commandant of the Gilgil-based 7KR, Col. Wambua, aka Nyeusi, had instructed his adjutant, Capt. Muchemi, to prospect for musical talent with the aim of creating a band for the unit. Muchemi went to Bamboo Night Club, which he had frequented, and talked to the resident band, which went by the name The Strollers.
He talked to them, and they agreed to be enlisted into the military with the aim of creating a music band for the infantry battalion, which later relocated to Nairobi. The musicians were Kifoto Habel, Joel Muchiri, David Kibe, Peter Masheti, Shem Shisia and others. Ochieng Kabasele was equally recruited into the military with the aim of creating the Lanet-based Scarlet Band, while he was already an established musician with his own band, Lunna Kidi. He was enlisted in 1978. Kabasele was recruited alongside George Otieno, a fellow musician from Ziwani in Nairobi, with whom they trained in Lanet and, alongside others, created the Scarlet Band.
The other military bands in those days were the Yellow Waggoners of the Kahawa-based Transport Battalion, the Blue Waggoners of the Gilgil-based Infantry Battalion 5KR, the Green Fire of the Nanyuki-based 1KR, the O Rangers of the Eldoret-based 9KR, etc. The O Rangers of 9KR were led by Lenga, who has since retired. According to his own narration in a Facebook post, Magneto was spotted by Laban Ochuka and Festo Riziki while performing with Jolly Boys in the city. He was enticed to join the military, and he obliged after weeks of persistence. He was first auditioned by Maroon as a musician before being enlisted in the military in 1992 as a serviceman.
He excelled with Maroon and made several compositions, among them “Carol,” “Dotty & Mwana Utajuta,” “Shika Kamba,” “Betty & Maroon Express,” “Uwiano & Jopo La Anan,” “Linda Nchi,” “EAC Daima Milele” and “Corona Rhumba,” which was a sensitisation song to the public about the COVID-19 pandemic. Magneto, who took over the leadership of the band from David Kombo in 2018, passed over the baton of the band’s leadership to Juvenalis Otukia to take up a similar position at the Veterans X-Com Band, which comprises mostly musicians from Maroon and other forces bands, among them bassist Sammy Wafula, who had previously played with Utawala, Tuesday Oguro, the legendary ex-Maroon rhythmist, and others.
Johnie Magneto has also had several musical escapades outside Maroon Commandos. In 2015, he collaborated with Tanzanian sensation Aly Choki alongside his colleague Juvenalis Otukia, a project that resulted in the songs “Safari Kumbukumbu” and “Mwanangu.” Magneto had also been tasked with breathing some life into other military bands. These are the Yellow Waggoners of Kahawa and Green Rovers of Nanyuki Barracks, which are all running again after years of little or no action. Of all these military outfits, Maroon attained success over the years until it became a household name. Songs by the band played over the radio and in clubs, and the band even got an invitation to perform in Malawi during its independence fete.
Having led the band, easily one of the country’s biggest and most successful, Magneto leaves his name in the country’s hall of fame. Magneto may have retired from the army, but Maroon Commandos lives on. The band has survived the turbulent winds that bring bands down and will definitely keep going.
By: Jerome Ogola