The Mighty Cavaliers - Mapendo

Format : LP

Label : Want Some Records

Catalog # : WSR001

Genre : Africa World

The Mapendo album of the Mighty Cavaliers, up to today, has been shrouded in mystery. Why is that, you can find next to nothing about the band and the album. The only song which is maybe well known in the collectors scene is "Dunia Ina Mambo" from the first Release out of 1976. So it was more or less a surprise to get my Hands on the Original Mapendo Release in January 2023 directly from Kenya.

I've never seen such a hypnotically good cover and what do could I expect from the Record? Cleaned the Record from all the dirt and put it on the player. That has to be the first Want Some release! There is no other way. Up from the first Song till the last it is an outstanding Record. So many influences and power came out of the speakers. Great guitar work, funky, bluesy note in some songs and typically African roots. It blew my mind.

From that moment I started to work on the Album with the help of some friends. Our mission is to tell the band's story and spread the music around the world.

I hired Michiel van Oosterhout, a journalist and friend who is living in Uganda. He already wrote a book about Ugandan music and has the best connections into the east african music scene from the past. He began digging deep, made calls, wrote E-Mail etc. and at the end he wrote the true story about the "The Mighty Cavaliers" which you can find in the Gatefold.

This Album is dedicated to the musicians
Bonnie Wanda, Rashid Salim, Vuli Yeni, Juma Waweru Njuguna and Athmani ‘guitar boy’.

All tracks are under exclusive license of Want Some Records. Licensed from Daudi Kabaka/Reuben Kabaka.