- In 1972, Kalanda founded Them Mushrooms band in Mombasa before moving to Nairobi years later.
- He went on to record more than 15 albums mostly through Big Matata Productions.
Music ran through the veins of maestro Ted Kalanda Harrison, and now even his grandchildren carry on the legacy.
Kalanda often told friends he sang his thoughts, which is why his lyrics have a natural flow and his music will outlive him.
“If you sing about things that do not matter to people’s daily lives, you sound withdrawn and unrelatable,” the 'Jambo Bwana' hitmaker would say.
The music doyen died on September 18 after a long fight, aged 72.
In 1972, Kalanda and his brothers founded Them Mushrooms band in Mombasa before moving to Nairobi years later. He went on to record more than 15 albums mostly through Big Matata Productions.
His death plunges his family into another season of grief in short order after his younger son, Louis Mahushani Harrison, died on July 2 in Athens, Greece.
Mahushani was also a professional musician who relocated to Greece from Mombasa in 2010.
The 49-year-old was a vocalist and bass guitarist just like his father.
The musical gene went down to Kalanda's grandchildren, as his 22-year-old grandson has replaced him as saxophonist in the band after the old man’s cancer diagnosis.
Kalanda led the composition of 'Jambo Bwana, originally known as 'Kenya Hakuna Matata', in 1980. It became an international hit marketing Kenya around the world.
According to Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc, the record sold over 200,000 copies between 1982 and 1987, receiving platinum certification.
“Additional renditions followed with recordings produced in Sudan, Ethiopia, Dubai, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland."
Other Them Mashrooms hits produced in the 1980s include ‘Nyambura', 'Akumu Ber Nyar Kisumu’ and ‘Ukimwi Ni Hatari’.
Kalanda's family described his passing as a painful loss but that they were yielding to God’s will given that he had suffered immensely for long, at some point even confined to a wheelchair.
His younger brother John Katana said Kalanda’s death was the “saddest moment [for the family] but it pleases God to take him.”
Katana is the current leader of Them Mushrooms.
The band’s creativity dominated the airwaves for long and across the borders due to their agility, transforming a well-performing song into different genres that served different tastes.
For example, the band renditioned 'Jambo Bwana' into folk Taarab, benga, and reggae rhythms that captivated fans.
The song went global when the German group Boney M re-sang it, introducing Kenyan culture to international audiences.
Other songs under their belt include ‘Mombasa Tena’ and ‘Embe Dodo’.
Kalanda explained the longevity of his musical career and the band as being due to his ability to reinvent.
The band grew stronger as it allowed a mix of different generations of talent and encouraged creativity .