Maroon Commandos is a musical group from Kenya. It is a military band belonging to 7 Kenya Rifles (Kenya Army Infantry) of the Kenya Army. They are based at the Langata Barracks in Langata, Nairobi. The group performs benga, rumba and other styles of music. They perform both original and cover versions.[1] The band plays often at state functions.[2]
The group was formed in 1970 by bandleader Habel Kifoto and some other member. The next year they signed with Polydor Kenya[3] and released the hit "Emily".[4] In 1972 the band had a traffic accident, which left some of their members dead. After the accident the band was dormant for five years before releasing their album Riziki Haivutwi after 1977.[3] They also released the song "Charonyi ni Wasi", whose lyrics were written in the Taita language. "Charonyi Ni Wasi" became Maroon Commandos' first major hit.[5]
The band had a 10-year recording break which ended with the release of Shika Kamba album in 2007, released by the Sound Africa label.[2][6]
The band has had several line-up changes since its formation. Former bandleader Habel Kifoto retired from the military and was from 2009 to 2011 the chairman of Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).[7] Kifoto died on 31 July 2011 in Nairobi as he collapsed due to a suspected heart failure.[8] One of its former core members, David Kibe Left the band after he rose in the military ranks and had no more time for the band.[2] Another former member was Laban Ochuka, who also played for another army band, the Ulinzi Orchestra. Ochuka died in May 2006.[9]
ranks.[10]
^The Standard, 7 August 2009: Soldier marches back to his roots Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ abcDaily Nation, 12 February 2009: Maroon Back With Hit Album
^ abMuzikifan.com: DISCOGRAPHY OF EAST AFRICAN MUSIC Part 2: POLYGRAM (Kenya)
^Muzikifan.com: MUSIC OF KENYA & TANZANIA
^Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, Richard Trillo: World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East Rough Guides, 1999
^Sound Africa: Maroon Commandos – Shika Kamba
^Daily Nation, 9 March 2009: Fat cheques for Kenyan musicians at last
^Daily Nation, 31 July 2011: Top Kenyan musician Kifoto dies
^Daily Nation, Saturday Review, 13 May 2006: Curtain falls on Ochuka
^Daily Nation, Saturday Magazine, 30 January 2010: Maroon Commandos march to their rhythm 40 years and counting
MaroonCommandos is a musical group from Kenya. It is a military band belonging to 7 Kenya Rifles (Kenya Army Infantry) of the Kenya Army. They are based...
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Wambua. The unit relocated to its current base at Langata in 1973. The MaroonCommandos is a military band belonging to the battalion. The battalion between...
and became hits. Kabaka released the album Pesa Maradhi Ya Moyo with MaroonCommandos in 1986. Metason. "Daudi Kabaka". ArtistInfo. Retrieved 2020-05-26...
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by many military police, paramilitary, commando, and police forces and should not be confused with the maroon beret worn by airborne troops all around...
Maroons are descendants of Indigenous Americans and "Africans" in the Americas[a] and Islands of the Indian Ocean who resist being enslaved and escaped...
Rifles - Langata Barracks, Nairobi. Their colour is Maroon and their unit motto is 'MaroonCommandos' and 'Man to man I am the best' 15th Kenya Rifles....
Company due to the Jungle Commandos' increased presence in the area. The following day, on August 21, the Jungle Commandos attacked a nearby military...
known operations conducted by Garud commandos: Operation Rakh Hajin: This was an operation conducted by Garud commandos in which six militants were killed...
that have a connection with the British Commandos. These include the Australian, French and Dutch commandos. It is the norm in the armed forces of the...
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SSG commandos and three hostages were killed in the operation. As reported by ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations) [1]. Three more SSG commandos, injured...
station in Nanyuki. Nairobi. The barracks is also home to DEFSOM and the MaroonCommandos. It is currently organized into two bands, Kenya Army Band A and B...
unless the soldier is approved to wear a different distinctive beret. A maroon beret has been adopted as official headdress by the Airborne forces, a tan...
selected from the Afghan National Army Commandos, where they earned a maroon beret for completing the ANA Commando Qualification Course at Camp Morehead...
Amazonas led by Thomas Sabajo and the Jungle Commando led by Ronnie Brunswijk, whose members originated from the Maroon ethnic group, against the National Army...
special-purpose infantry units, such as the Royal Marine Commandos, found on the list of commando units, and also paratrooper units found on the list of...
local restaurants where he heard the music of groups like Les Wanyika, MaroonCommandos and Samba Mapangala. This had a significant influence on how he developed...
fall from balcony. July 31 - Habel Kifoto. musician, bandleader of MaroonCommandos, suspected heart failure September 25 - Margaret Ogola, 53, writer...
School of Commandos. First awarded to the pioneering batch of 27 NSFs from 2nd Company, 1st Commando Battalion (1 CDO BN) of the Commandos formation,...
the insignia in Arabic. The maroon berets are worn by the Army Rangers Regiment known as MAGHAWEER and by the Marine Commandos known as MAGHAWEER EL BAHR...
II, British commandos differed significantly from today's British commandos affiliated with the Royal Marines Commando and the 3 Commando Brigade. Current...
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