Cool James Will Be Sorely Missed

By Sebidde Kiryowa

News of the untimely death of Sweden-based Tanzanian singer/rapper “Cool James” Dandu (aka Mutoto wa Dandu) was a big blow to the young artist fraternity of East Africa. The singer, who was in his 30s, died in a car accident in Dar-Es-Salaam late in August. A wife, Devota Chuwa, and two children, Caroline JJ and Michael survive him.
To date, he is credited for picking the 20-year-old Lingala song, Sina Makosa from the dusty shelves, where 70’s Congolese outfit, Les Wanyika, left it, lacing it with contemporary hip-hop and soul beats and turning it into a massive hit not just all over East Africa, but in other parts of the world. The song climbed charts in Europe and America. The song was drawn from the 1999 African Millennium, Cool James’ ninth album.
But African music was a new area for Cool James. Although he was a well-established artist in Sweden and had recorded and sold albums since 1986, he had not thought much about making music for the African market.
Cool James’ first visit home in 1994 was the ultimate inspiration. When he went to Kenya, Koffi Olomide was in the country: “I noticed at his show that the audience had a lot more enthusiasm for Lingala.”
James decided that he wanted that kind of reaction for himself as well. The fruit was realised in African Millennium. His latest album is called Watoto Yatima.
Cool James was also a businessman who believed in combining artistry with a good business sense. But for a staunch business-minded artist, James surprisingly felt strongly for underprivileged artists. At the time of his death, he had gone to great lengths to make sure that young, talented African musicians had their turn on the shelves of the music-stores of the world. He had registered another subsidiary of his company, Dandu Entertainment, to seek out, produce and manage talented, underexposed artists.
The first project off his new initiative, Extravaganza Compilation, was almost complete when he died. One of the artists featured is Ugandan dance-hall sensation Bebe Cool.
“Producers usually fear putting their money into a new project. I am looking to take original singles by local artists and compile all these into an album. These Kenyan, Ugandan and Tanzanian artists will get paid royalties for their music,” James said in the album’s pre-release interviews.
Cool James who left Tanzania for Sweden 15 years ago started singing at an early age in church but professionally, he began in 1983 and proceeded to form the Ugandan/Kenyan group Swahili Nation of the Mpenzi fame in 1988. May his soul rest in peace.Ends