George Bongo

Biography

George Bongo, a prolific songwriter, performing artist and producer. Bongo is a Kenyan by birth and started singing at a tender age together with his siblings. Music has run in the family for generation and the family prides in running some of the very successful bands in history of the Kenyan music; they include Them Mushrooms (Uyoga), Pressman Bands and Tutu band amongst others. As a singing family in this generation, they formed a grouped called The Firm-ly.IN the early years of the formation of the group, acquiring real musical instruments proved a challenge and this very talented group improvised musical instruments with empty tins for drum sets, coconut brooms for guitar and all sorts of gadgets to complete a live band. Bongo’s style of music blends a fusion of music style mainly zouk, R&B, Lingala, hip hop and Afro jazz. Bongo was named after his grandfather, who was a Rabai from a Kenyan tribe along the coastal region of Mombasa called Mijikenda. Bongo, which means brains, wisdom or intelligence, is also a traditional African drum. “Music to me is like food to my soul, sweet and expressive.” Says Bongo. Our family suffered several blows in our earlier years and music has been the only bond that kept the family close together .it was the only way to express the deep inner groans we felt from the frustrations, despair and betrayal we felt. Music was beautiful because it soothed us to sleep; it filled our empty stomachs when there was no food to eat for days. “Today I believe music was a gift from heaven….” Bongo looks forward to establishing a live music studio to help upcoming talented musicians in the near future. Bongo is married to one beautiful Caroline Bongo and has two daughters Kaylene and Melody .Bongo is also a worship leader under the leadership of Rev Tom Otieno at Christ church Westland’s in Kenya. The Album “Asante” is a very smooth and soft worship CD with eight songs .A blend of Swahili and English praise songs. Asante is the first solo project: A testimony of God’s greatness in his life