An Ode to Bwana Otonglo Time Poxi

[Onyango Oloo]

216.17.145.92/uploads/2005/10/poxi.mp3

Poxi do you remember
that evening exactly two years ago
October 18th 2003
Speaking to you
on your Safaricom mobile
Trying to get those
33 songs from you
That I would bring back
to Montreal for my Dunia Show

Do you remember
how you looked forward
To performing at
Quebec's Festival Nuits d'Afrique in '04

As I write these lines
you are stiff, motionless
in a mortuary slab
That is if you are not already
covered with the red soils
of Western Kenya

You died literally over the weekend
Last Friday at St. Mary's Hospital
They say it was TB and Pneumonia
The Gossips who double
as Doctors on the Internet
Are already giving you the Ayaki Diagnosis

Who cares what robbed you from us
Who cares whether you fell down the stairs
Was run over by a car, was shot by a robber

The important thing is
that your vivacious, pugnacious
Ferocious and humorous
humongous and audacious
live and lively voice
is gone for ever, switched off for good
No more live mic checks from you
Before you do an open air free style
The important thing is that
you are gone way too soon
Like too many of Kenya's
young musical talent

Once again it is doubly sad
that once again
I have to compose again a dirge,
I have to conjure again an eulogy
for yet another up and coming
progressive and talented Kenyan musician
Who has been felled again, by death once again

With a heavy heart
I remember that it was
just the other day
On December 6, 2003
that I was composing a ditty for

K-rupt
www.trueblaq.com/artist.0.html.14.html
, a lamentation for

E-Sir,
www.wakilisha.com/content/view/20/0/
a kumbu kumbu for Atoti's groupie

Wicky Mosh...

southafrica.indymedia.org/uploads/warogiwatatu.mp3

onyangooloo.blogspot.com/2004/06/tribute-to-three-kenyan-hip-hop.html

Owadwa mosenindo Poxi Presha:

Thanks for Otonglo Time
Thanks for 7 Wandaz
Thanks for Vita Kwaliti
Thanks for Dhako Kelo Wich Kuot
Thanks for that gospel flavoured sheng rap number
Thanks for spicing up those Nairobi City Ensemble skits and intros
Thanks for making us laugh, making us think
Make us curse as we think especially of
the pirates who guarantee
That the top selling
Namelesses, Redsans, Hardstones,
Nazizis, Noninis, Kalamashakas,
Mighty King Kongs and Eric Wainainas
Sali Oyugis and Suzzana Owiyos
Mercy Myras and Ndarling Ps
Do not reap the profits
they sowed with
their lyrical and sonic skills
Thank you Mister Otonglo Time
for making us realize
What you
and your fellow Kenyan musicians
go through every day
at the hands of
sleazy and greedy
shady and skanky
producers and distributors
Thanks for giving us
another reminder
Why Daudi Kabaka
died a pauper
Why Fadhili Williams
expired penniless
Why nobody knows
where Omollo Gabby
and Juma Toto are

Of course your
in your face don't give me crap
Grab you by the throat
smack you down
pushiness
Got you in legal
and illegal trouble
time and time again
When I first met you
two years ago
you had just emerged
From a Mombasa cell
because of your
political and musical
Zealotry and gallantry
Two days ago,
a certain arrogant
Luo hating Mkabila
Rushed to Mashada
to trash you
as a criminal extortionist
Rushed to denounce you
as a crook when your body
Was not yet cold
in that frigid morgue
which you share
with others who have left dozens
pining and wailing all over the country
The coward could never
Muster the courage
Summon the nerve to face you
Have the verve
and repeat his putrid junk
He had to wait until
you were stone cold dead
For him to reveal to the world
what he felt was your sordid underbelly
We all vomited
in collective disgust
those of us
who saw his cybercallousness
This same crime fighter
is tongue tied
when it comes to denouncing
the drug dealers in the Kibaki cabinet
This same inteprid investigator
is hamstrung
when it comes to
going after the Anglo-Leasing
well connected insiders
This same sleuth still
demands proof that Mbai
was assassinated
on the orders of
state connected political godfathers
Well, let us forget
cowardly tribal minded trash talkers
Who are chortling at your death
Thinking they have another
tribal feather in their sadistic caps
For us, we end by saying:
Dhi Gi Kwee, Wuod Wegi
For us , we close by saying
Mkono wa Tanzia Msanii Mzalendo
For us we conclude by saying
Hamba Kahle Poxi Presha!

Onyango Oloo
Toronto

[/i]

[Onyango Oloo]

(I took this word for word from



The Late Poxi Presha will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Migori Town on Sunday 30th October 2005.

There will be a major funds drive at Garden Square restaurant on Saturday 22nd October 2005 at 2.00 p.m. The Funds will go towards funeral arrangements.

The Music Industry will present their donation of Kshs 60,000/- and a coffin at the Harambee.

An Education Trust Fund has been set up to raise funds for the Education of the late artist's children. The Fund will be managed by a Nairobi Law Firm.

A series of Fund Raising concerts will take place in Nairobi in Honor of the Late artiste to Raise Funds for the his children’s Education.

Poxi Presha's Children Education Fund Events Calendar

Kenya Nite – KlubHouse Baricho Road ( K2) – 26th November 2005

Featuring Code Red, SWAT Team & MOB DJs and a galaxy of Kenya Hip Hop and club artistes. Charges 300/-

Mass Event – KICC Comesa Grounds Saturday 5th November 2005

Kenyan Artistes United: DJ's, Hip Hop, Reggae artistes & DJs, Afroflava, Dancers, Acrobats, drummers etc.

Minimum Charges: 50/-

Afromixx Nite – The Carnivore - 11th November 2005

Climax of the events will be a high profile concert at Afromixx Nite at the Carnivore on 11th November 2005 featuring Kenyan artistes of Contemporary African Music genre led by


Suzzana Owiyo,

Kenge Kenge Orutu System,
Kidum & The Boda Boda Boda Others to be confirmed are

Uyoga,

Achieng Abura,

Eric Wainaina, among others.

The Procceds of all these concerts will go towards the Education Trust Fund.

The Next meeting will be at Kenya National Theatre on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 5.30 p.m.


Dan Odhiambo

[Onyango Oloo]

POXI

From: Michael Mundia Kamau - [e-mail]
Wed, Oct 19, 12:19 PM

Michael Mundia Kamau
P.O. Box 58972
00200 City Square
Nairobi
Kenya

19th October 2005



The sudden, stunning demise of leading Kenyan singer and rights activist Poxi Presha (Prechard Pouka Olang'), at the prime tender age of 34 years, is a blow to a generation reeling in oblivion and obscurity, and lacking in the will to push forward towards a worthy collective destiny.

Poxi Presha personified this idealism and the willingness to adopt change, when he ruggedly stormed onto the music scene in the 1990s with probably his two most memorable hits, Total Balaah and Oton’glo Time, brilliant cosmopolitan fusions.

Poxi Presha and his contemporaries at the time such as Hardstone and Shades O'Black, determinedly made rugged, unrefined, rebellious and informed statements of a generation that was tired of being shunted into the background and that was making it’s claim to today and tomorrow.

Youth in Kenya have forever suffered demeaning, substandard and prohibitive status. Poxi Presha and his contemporaries pioneered a rude, brash deviation from this repressive way of thinking, and it is in this aspect that they shall forever receive homage and tribute.

There’s was a statement of notation and intent, a statement that there was a new generation on the block, with worldviews, aspirations, beliefs, dreams and ambitions that needed to be recognised, if nothing more.

Pioneers are bold, fearless and courageous, and it is this that Poxi and his contemporaries shall always be remembered for.

Society is under no obligation whatsoever to adopt new theories, but prudence obligates society to recognise and adapt to changing times. Poxi’s battle is far from being won, and those of us who shared in his vision, must carry on with the struggle. Poxi’s generation is yet to transform the numerous opportunities that it grew up with and continue to have, into meaningful gain for itself and the nation at large.

This hardly gives it the right to lay claim to anything. For instance, Poxi’s last battle against music piracy was another one of his lone crusades, a d**ning statement of the unwillingness of Kenyan youth to get involved in many of the important issues of today and tomorrow.

Before we make claim to anything, we must first prove ourselves, and it is this next level that Poxi’s battle needs to be carried. Poxi and his contemporaries knocked on the door, and even entered and did some cleaning, as personified by Poxi’s last determined battle against music piracy. Those of us left behind must continue where Poxi left off. It is about reclaiming back this country, it’s dignity and ours.

One of the greatest tributes to Poxi Presha is the fact that his catch phrase of the 1990s, “Do I say”, is still in use in Kenya today. Poxi Presha helped break new barriers and set new standards, and encouraged us to think boldly, differently and artistically. He resoundingly called on us to be ourselves and make no apologies about it. This was how he helped define the 1990s and today, and how he shall best be remembered.

Rest in Peace, Olang'.


Michael Mundia Kamau

Nairobi

[Onyango Oloo]

Friday October 21, 2005 Pulse, East African Standard


Poxi Presha: The inside story

Poxi with his wife Mercy & daughter Annette


A lot has been written about Poxi Presha but much of it has been grossly exaggerated. He was never a ‘bad boy’ until the press labelled him as such. Charles Otieno eulogies the humble music rights crusader and misunderstood Musician

Last Friday afternoon, Poxi Presha, at St Mary’s Hospital in Lang’ata, one of Kenya’s pioneer rap artistes, spent his last hours. He had gone blind and was growing weaker by the hour but he could still speak to his visitors on this final day. He later lost his hearing and then, by 3pm, Poxi was no more. At that moment, the industry lost arguably it’s most vocal crusader and talent rights activist. Mercy lost a husband and Annette lost her father. And can there be a greater tragedy than outliving one’s child? His mother’s pain is evident.

"Poxi was hardworking, a son who gave all he had when I requested it from him," says Phoebe Olang’.

Outside the family realm, a dark cloud hangs over Kenya’s music industry. Poxi, also known as Prechard Pouka Olang’, was to many upcoming artistes, an entertainment ‘attorney’ ready to fight for their rights. Many of them are wondering what will become of the fledging industry without their crusader.

Ironically, it was this crusade that hastened his death. The singer had been jailed in Malindi, on charges of extortion, after he took his anti-piracy crusade to the coastal town. While incarcerated, he contracted a heavy bout of tuberculosis and had to be hospitalised. Two weeks later, he lost his battle with TB and passed away, leaving behind his young family.

Until his death, the pioneer rapper was misunderstood both by friend and foe. He was quick with his tongue and seemingly courted controversy. His stormy entry into the local music scene started with the hit single Dhako Kelo Wich Kuot.


Poxi during the Guinness Festival in Kisumu

He was at the top of his game and a media favourite until he fell out with the organisers of a Summer Jam concert in Nairobi. The organisers had allegedly used his name to promote the concert without his knowledge. When he found out, Poxi travelled from Mombasa on the concert date, to the surprise of the organisers. He demanded to be heard but they were reluctant to hand him the microphone. He decided to ignore them and jumped on stage, grabbed the microphone from the emcee and performed some of his songs.

The organisers were not pleased and reportedly sought the help of an entertainment journalist who wrote a stinging article accusing the rapper of fighting. The media then gave him the ‘Bad Boy of Kenyan Music’ tag, which was to haunt him for years to come. At the time, Poxi tried to convince the press that he was the aggrieved party but due to lack of proper PR, he was not given an ear.

Being a relentless fighter, he went back to the studio to set the record straight. He released the first ever dis track Wape Really accusing the media for getting paid to twist his story. He went further and attacked the producers and promoters. As a result he was accused of arrogance and his ‘Bad Boy’ label stuck. With his brightly coloured outfits, which might put a chameleon to shame, the hip-hop star revelled in notoriety, even sometimes, at his peril.

One such instance was back in 1998. I met Poxi when I was working as a part time public relations officer for the Operation Recovery project that was rehabilitating the survivors of the August 1998 terrorist attack. We became firm friends and the following year, he joined Hardstone, Gidigidi Majimaji, Swahili Nation, Limit X, Temple Yard and Kalamashaka to headline the ‘Pamoja 99 Memorial Concert’. That night I was co-emceeing alongside Big Ted. I introduced Poxi to the crowd, who then turned nasty. They threw hundreds of glowing candles at him.

We tried to intervene but Poxi brushed us aside. He continued performing song after song as candles landed at every corner of the stage. After the show, Poxi was jovial and told us that he continued with the show because a certain production house had incited the crowd to throw candles at him. Incidentally, the candles were being thrown from only one section of the audience. Later that year, Poxi released a rousing single, ‘Vita Kwaliti’ blasting those who orchestrated the candle-throwing incident.

The ‘Bad boy’, it seems was living up to his name. But deep inside, Poxi was a deeply religious, staunch, Seventh Day Activist. Towards the final years of his life, Poxi redirected his efforts to fight music piracy through his own organisation, Talent Works and Rights Enforcement Limited (Tawrel). He recently joked of using his creative juices to release a gospel album and was a step ahead of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) in fighting for local musicians rights. He has led a major crack-down on piracy in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu. Tawrel has raided hotels, matatus and discos to see if they have purchased genuine copies. The organisation still has many court cases pending all over the country while a few pirates have parted with money to pay affected musicians.

Ragga singer Charles Kanyi Jaguar smiled to the bank when a Poxi-led operation backed by police officers, led to the arrest of one pirate along Jogoo road. The owner paid Jaguar Sh24,000 as an out-of-court settlement. After the incident, over 168 local musicians signed with Tawrel to look into their rights. Among the leading musicians are Nonini, Jua Cali, Musaimo, Fundi Frank, Vincent Kioko, Lolova, Angela Chibalonza, Circute and Jo-el, Newton Karish and XYZee.

Most musicians agreed to pay him between 15 to 30 per cent as stipulated in the Copyright Act. Until Poxi’s death he was fighting for about Sh4 billion in unpaid royalties owed to local musicians according to a World Bank report released last year.

Musicians and industry stakeholders are meeting to give him a hero’s send off on October 30 and launch an Education Trust Fund for his daughter. A series of fund-raising concerts will take place in Nairobi in his honour. There will be a special Kenya Nite in K2 on Oct 26, a massive wananchi concert at KICC on Nov 5 and finally, a high profile Afromixx Nite at the Carnivore on Nov 9 featuring Kenyan artistes of the Afrobeat genre including Suzzana Owiyo, Uyoga, Achieng Abura, Eric Wainaina and Kenge Kenge Orutu System among others. All proceeds will go towards the Education Trust Fund.
Discography

Unlike his contemporaries, Poxi released his debut eight-track album ‘Otonglo Time’ with popular songs Mami wajua nakupenda’ (a dedication to his mother), ‘Wangui’, ‘Miss Kuharibu’, ‘Wape Really’ and ‘Dhako’ amongst others. At the turn of 2000, Poxi released a gospel single, ‘Shetani ana Nguvu’ featuring Tallia Oyando and later ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. Together with veteran singer and producer Tabu Osusa, they released the Afrobeat and benga-laced album, Kaboum Boum that contained hits such as ‘Lunch Time’, a rendition from Gabriel Omollo’s 1972 hit ‘Salsafrique’, ‘Jaluo Jeuri’ and ‘Le Boucheron’.

Sales

He sold his tapes during concerts to beat piracy at the ground level. He performed at all the major concerts earning close to Sh100,000 per concert in his hey day (between 1999 and 2000). He believed in live music and always performed with a band. He was usually backed up by Big Matata Band for international shows.

He travelled across East Africa and performed twice during the prestigious Zanzibar International Film Festival (Ziff). Poxi Presha then hooked up with Osusa under the group Nairobi City Ensemble. He performed live and was the star attraction during Kisumu centennial celebration alongside Suzzana Owiyo. Tabu believed that Poxi was the best rapper of his time with great intonation.

History

Poxi Presha loved music and was determined to be a musician at an early age. He used to sneak into the DS Club during the ASK shows. The owner, DS Njoroge, would chase away the under-age Poxi. Later, seeing the young boy’s determination to be a musician, he would let him in. He started playing with decks in the early 1990s and frequented Florida 2000 alongside K-South and Hardstone. According to deejay Easy B, he could rap and sing.

Poxi perfected his skills as a deejay with DS Njoroge before he went to Mombasa as a resident decksman at Club Salambo under 3Dimension Entertainment. After a brief stint he hooked up with producer Bruce Odhiambo who organised for him to move to Club Toyz alongside reggae deejay and singer Jah Key Marley of Jah Mbo sounds.

After a brief stint, Poxi spotted new talents in Mombasa. He is credited for stirring up the coast hip-hop circuit as he scouted and gave the microphone to rapping brothers Suzuki and Risasi currently riding high in Mombasa. He also discovered Fullstop.

He later negotiated with Bruce Odhiambo who agreed to record him. They became bosom friends until Poxi complained that Bruce was taking too long to release his music. They fell out after Poxi alleged that the producer was trying to swindle him. Bruce was reportedly asking to be paid Sh5,000 per single, which at the time was considered very high. He decided to burn his bridges with the producer and went to release his songs with Mombasa producer, Dala Hamisi. The rapper got his name during his formative years at Pumwani Secondary School.