History, Biography and Story of Reggae Artist Mighty King Kong.
Mighty King Kong was a very popular and famous Reggae music artist who lived shorter life but full of impact. His songs are still a vibe to date among reggea lovers.
Who was Mighty King Kong?
He was born as Paul Otieno Munwang’u but he opted to use Paul Otieno I mbaya as his father was called Imbaya. His mother revealed that the first name was given to him after his maternal grandfather.
King Kong was born on 26th September in 1970 in Ambira village, Ugenya in Siaya county. He was a fourth born in their family. Despite being born a normal and healthy child, he suffered severe polio which made him disabled.
Mighty King Kong Education Background
King Kong was admitted at Ambira Primary school where he studied up to class five but after the death of his father, he started absconding school. He would go to school from Monday to Friday but instead of returning home on Friday, he would not return home.
The mother narrated that he would be boarding buses known as OTC that used to pass through their area from Busia and head to Kisumu. The mother would wonder where King Kong would be going every weekend only to reappear on Sunday evening. That is how he ended up leaving school.
After sometimes, the mother realized that King Kong was always heading to Kisumu to look for ways to venture into music and that is why every weekend he would not return home.
He fully relocated to Kisumu City where he became a street child. The mother would receive news that her son had turned into a street kid better known as Chokoraa. She set out to go and look for him one day but she did not see him despite spending a night in the bus stop.
History, Biography and Story of Reggae Artist Mighty King Kong.
The mother returned home but after one month, she returned to Kisumu and through the help of another woman from their village, she managed to get hold of King Kong. When they met, King Kong was taken with joy and assured her mother that he was staying well and not as a street kid.
King Kong took his mother to where he was staying and the mother was shocked to learn that King Kong was living quite well contrary to the reports she received. He was staying with some Indian family in Flamingo estate in Kisumu. He treated her well and gave her some clothes, shopping and money.
Mighty King Kong’s Journey to United States and Music Career
One day, King Kong returned home and informed his mother that he wanted to travel to the United States of America and asked her to take him to the area chief to get clearance letter. This shocked his mother who wondered how an uneducated boy like him would travel to America.
When asked what he was going to do in America, he refused to say and simply implored his mother to just take him to chief and also append her signature on the letter. After explaining to the chief, the chief was hesitant to give them the letter warning King King’s mother that Africans are suffering in the US and so she should not allow her son to go.
“Amerca isandoga jowa, ka gisedhi kuro to isandogi. Mama Maria, mihiani dakamie barua,(In America they mistreat our people, once they go there they get mistreated. Mama Maria, I can’t give a letter to this child),” the chief told King Kong’s mother.
Determined King Kong convinced the chief to give him the letter assuring him that he would be fine and that God will protect him. He alluded to his name, Paul, that the powers of the biblical Paul whom he was named after would protect him. The chief was convinced and gave out the letter.
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Another hurdle was on getting the passport where they were also interrogated on why King Kong wanted to go to the States. After hours of explanations and questions, they were given the passport and King Kong headed back to his Indian friend. At this point, he revealed to his mother that he was heading to America to learn music.
He finally traveled and took three years without the mother hearing from him. He finally came back but did not go home instead headed to Uganda where he also stayed for two years. At this time, the mother would only here people talk about his music.
How he earned the name King Kong
On his return to Africa, he came back with the name King Kong and his stage name was King Kong. This brought controversy over his origin where some said the person by that name is from Congo Zaire while others said he was a Ugandan.
The mother was shocked and started thinking her son was sold. But the other brothers to Kong Kong assured their mother that her son was alive and is doing well as they could listen to his music on radios. King Kong returned to Kenya and was staying in Nairobi, Hurlingham area.
King King’s Wife and Children
King Kong married a Kikuyu lady identified as Shiro. But King Kong disappeared from Shiro for three months making her to travel home and stay with her mother in law. One day, King Kong was going to perform in Busia and the mother decided to travel to Busia and meet him.
King Kong gave his mother ten thousand shillings and the mother went back home. Later after finishing his business in Busia, he traveled home and took his wife Shiro with him back to Nairobi.
Together with Shiro, they got two boys but were delivered prematurely. This made King Kong to part ways with Shiro and he married another lady from Manyala named Jacqueline A. Otieno with whom they got a son named Travis.
Mighty King Kong’s Death
Mighty King Kong died on 25th December in 2007. He died without even being sick which shocked his mother. It was reported that he was poisoned where a knife he used to cut an orange was laced with poison. He died during campaign trails as he was campaigning for a seat and was a serious campaigner of Raila Odinga.
Given the mood of the country resulting from the post election violence, the mother was unable to travel to Nairobi to view his body. She just waited for his body at home and he was brought home by police officers. His burial attracted massive crowd which overwhelmed the home.
Source,
https://youtu.be/3lKHanDYsuo?si=wZ6ef5cWhyiI-05G
Mighty King Kong’s Songs
He did several songs but the most popular is Ladies’ Choice and Cinderella. Others include,
- Oringo
- Violence
- Right Direction
- Afrika Mashariki
- Mo’ Rounds
- Give Mi Your Love
- Anyam
