By Ogova Ondego
Published January 25, 2021
Mighty Salim, a popular music artist, is dead.
His death has come exactly five years after the demise of Salim Junior, another popular entertainer from the legendary Nakuru District music family of Joseph Salim Mwangi, who passed away on January 23, 2016.
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Born Timothy Njuguna to Joseph Salim Mwangi in Subukia constituency, Mighty Salim is taken to be among the pioneers of entertainers who adapted, improvised, and entertained patrons with ‘cover’ versions of music of other artists. The practice, that caused a ruckus on the local music scene in mid and late 1990s, involved a ‘one-man guitar’ performing popular gospel, country and other secular Kikuyu remixes in entertainment joints.
Other well known pioneers of the one-man guitar phenomenon include Joe Mwenda, Sam Muthee, Kafel Maina, ‘The Retired General’ Kimana, Mike Rua, JB Maina, Mike Murimi, Salim Junior and Kinyua Wamsoni.
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As the one-man guitar craze evolved it not only gave prominence to the already popular Mugithi train dance but the one-man-guitar’ performers also started composing and recording their own original music besides continuing to perform the cover versions they were being accused of ‘pirating’, ‘spoiling’ and ‘stealing’.
The one-man guitarists often substituted obscenities for for the original lyrics, sending drunken revellers into blissful excitement. And they sang not just gospel but also any Kikuyu hit song requested.
According to the late Sammy Muraya, then a leading musician, all a person needed to become a one-man guitarists was a box guitar and a pick-up cable to connect the guitar to a disco system and the person was in business.
“While I cannot accept to perform for anything less than Sh40000 per night, these fellows readily take Sh3000 and go on to play our songs, but after making them dirty to the delight of drunks,” Muraya told us.
Saying a ‘one-man guitar’ who even called himself Muraya while playing Muraya’s songs was more popular in the Thika on the outskirts of Nairobi, than Muraya himself in pulling crowds to the club for his performance, Muraya said it was unfair for him to compose songs only for someone to spoil them while making more money than he himself.
“People no longer buy our music, preferring to go to pubs to listen ‘to the real thing’,”Muraya said.
The musician, who also hailed from Subukia, blamed patrons for having a liking for ‘dirty lyrics’ and club owners for ‘letting guitarists spoil our music to satisfy their ‘mentally-skewed’ revellers.
The one-man guitar performer became more popular than conventional music bands in Nairobi and its environs because the former not only charged less but also occupied much smaller space in entertainment joints many of which have limited space. This bred jealousy from the bands many of whose songs were being performed by the former while the latter just watched. No wonder the latter equated the former to ‘pirates’ who were harvesting other people’s crop as, it was said, they hadn’t participated in the sowing of the seed.
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It is on this premise that one may be curious to satisfy one’s curiosity by watching the videos of the late Mighty Salim’s recordings online. They include Ndwari ya Mighty Salim, Jira Dukadiga, My Sister, Mucemanio Wa Matuini, Ihoya Riakwa, Waitherero, Kana gakwa, Babie, Hamwe Na Mwathani, Aingi mamui ta Mighty Salim, and My Desire.
Mighty Salim’s death on January 24, 2021 was announced by a younger sister, Sarafina Salim, on social media.
“Timothy Njuguna ‘Mighty Salim’ was a creative and talented musician with a melodious voice that made his songs outstanding”, William Ruto, Kenya’s Deputy President, said on learning about the musician’s death. “Through his numbers and wonderful performances, Mighty Salim charmed Mugithi lovers with his guitar and lyrical mastery. We will miss his resilience and focus. Our thoughts and prayers to the family, their loved ones and Mugithi fans at this sorrowful time. Rest In Peace.”