In 1984, Congolese guitarist and songwriter Lutumba Simaro wrote Testament ya Bowule . It was beautifully sang by Malage De Lugendo of the legendary TPOK Jazz band. Even though I didn’t understand the lyrics at the time, I was always moved to tears each time the song was played. Later, I learned that Simaro’s was mourning his close friend who had died suddenly. In the song, Simaro narrates the story of a young person recovering from illness in a hospital bed. He had asked for porridge, but when the narrator returned, the young life was gone. Simaro describes the news of his sudden death that it was “like lightning,” a shock so intense that he felt betrayed by both his friend and by God. “Why did you leave me so you could die? Why didn’t you die in my presence?” he asks, capturing the raw disbelief that follows sudden loss. The song mourns the cruel inevitability of death, noting that even the greatest care and effort cannot always prevent it. “If money could buy back life,...
Stories of peace, faith and memory from Kenya and beyond