FRED OBACHI MACHOKA; 30 YEARS IN THE GAME AND STILL KICKING.
Fred Obachi Machoka. The Blackest Man in Black Africa. Whether you remember him from the radio program Sanyo Juu Sanyo Tops or theTV show Music Time, the man evokes immense nostalgia to most Kenyans in the Diaspora. Just the mention of his name takes you back to a specific place and time in Kenya.
Machoka was in the U.S. for a brief visit and Kilimanjaro Entertainment was lucky enough to convince him to make a couple of stops to meet his fans. He was in Arlington, TX on Friday, June 6 and in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, June 7. Even with the short notice, people showed up to see the Kenyan radio icon.
In Minneapolis, Machoka kept the dance floor packed throughout the night. Few had been on their feet for that long in recent memory. He had such a diverse choice of music and whatever he played, from lingala and rumba classics to chakacha and twist, the music hit all the nostalgia nerves in the body. As one fan put it, “…Machoka hachoki.” (Machoka never tires).The man has been on radio for over thirty years and still going strong. He looks younger than most imagined and his all-so-familiar deep, reverberating voice is as intact as ever.
RADIO AND TV HISTORY
Fred Obachi Machoka appeared on the scene in the mid seventies as the presenter of the Sanyo Juu, Sanyo Tops radio program on V.O.K (now K.B.C). Before long, the program became one of the most popular in Kenya. It is on this program that Machoka coined the now very common phrases The Blackest Man in Black Africa and Choka na Machoka.Those days, he played the music of then popular artists such as Mangelepa, Super Mazembe, Simba Wanyika, Mushrooms and Lionel Ritchie. Sanyo Juu Sanyo Tops ran from 1975 to 1992, making its seventeen-year stint one of the longest running radio programs in Kenya. By the time the program was winding down, Machoka had made a name for himself and cultivated a huge following all across the country.
Machoka then started appearing on television as the host of Music Time on KTN. Music Time aired on Saturdays at 6:00pm, and for those who remember the days, it was the program you never wanted to miss. Missing it felt like missing a doctor’s appointment. Music Time was viewed as trendy and the source of the latest music and fashion. That was between 1989 and 1992 and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Tshala Mwana, Kanda Bogoman, Five Alive, Hardstone and Sam Fan Thomas filled the airwaves. Machoka hosted and interviewed all the top Kenyan and visiting artists, including the late Barry White. During the course of Music Time, Machoka traveled to over 30 countries in hot pursuit of the hottest content for his program.
After music time, Fred Obachi Machoka hosted Ugua Pole Na Lucozade. The highlight of the show involved Machoka visiting patients in hospitals and giving away bottles of Lucozade and get-well cards to patients. “This program still feels close to me because it brought smiles to people’s faces and was the most interactive,” says Machoka.
Fred Obachi Machoka then somehow kind of disappeared from the airwaves. And, just when people thought he was done, The Blackest Man in Black Africa resurfaced on Citizen Radio with Roga Roga. The popular call-in music program has put Obachi right back to where he belongs. On top. Folks call in from all over Kenya and shout roga. Machoka barks roga right back at then and plays the listener’s favorite tune. Roga Roga is currently one of the highest rated radio programs in Kenya and from all likelihood, Machoka is going nowhere anytime soon.
Kilimanjaro Entertainment has received several thank-you phone calls for hosting Machoka. We are receiving even more calls from those who missed and are wondering if Machoka can do another show. Unfortunately, he has to go back to Kenya. However, Kilimanjaro Entertainment is already planning a North American Rumba Tour with Fred Obachi Machoka for June 2009. The following have already put in a request; New Jersey, Washington, DC, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota, Delaware and Toronto, Canada.
Jojo
Minneapolis photos
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