Catalogue       Group                                                         A side/B side                                                       Language

Number

LAM 7-003     Los Kantina Jazz                             Nderingo/Mwafuka Na Mila Zake                Swahili

LAM 7-009     Los Kantina Jazz                             Cha Cha Los Kantina/Aysha Wa Ngai

LAM 7-010    The Ashantis                                   Mary Lou/Lorna You'Ve Got Me                  English

LAM 014        Juma Odundo Air Amida                 Makasembo/Rosa Atieno                            Luo

LAM 7-024     Hi-Fives                                        Mayele Ya Polo/Makila Mabe

LAM 7-034     Sam Kinuthia                                Mama Ngina/Mihaka Ya Kenya

LAM 7-036     A: Daniel Omolo; B: Wilson Okal      Orwaka Nairobi/Paruru Yawa                     Luo

LAM 112A/B

LAM 7-040     Hi-Fives                                         Lamore Studio/Eacha Ukatili

LAM 7-046     Orch Navongo Succes                     A: Khurenjetsera Mu-Baa                           Luhya

LAM 117A/B                                                        B: Aiye! Aiye! Bashianje

LAM 7-048    Orch Navongo Succes                       Abakhana Wa Lero/Asumani Wanzonona    Luhya

LAM 119A/B

LAM 7-049     Navongo Success                            Shemeji Wangu/Urafiki Wa Pesa                Swahili

LAM 7-054     Orch Navongo Success                    Salamu Zangu/Ugonjwa ni Adui                 Swahili

LAM 127A/B

LAM 7-057     Orch Navongo Succes                     Shimambo/Benina                                     Luhya

LAM 129A/B

LAM 7-081     Bernard Gitahi and His Sisters         Arata Tuine Rwimbo/Ngwirwo Ni Utuku        Kikuyu

LAM 7-088     The African Couzins                        Vijana Wawili/Matumbo Na Sukuma            Swahili

LAM 7-098     Shirandu "B"                                  Tangazo Kwa Vijana/Vijana Wa Shirandu    Swahili

LAM 7-010 turned up on Ebay, LAM 7-036 and LAM 7-054 are in the British Library’s National Sound Archive and LAM 7-088 in the Voice of America collection.

The numbers alone indicate that there are numerous other singles on the label waiting to be catalogued.

As the language description on the Ashantis single describes it as Shake English, I reckon we could date these to the late 1960s.

Update: In August 2011, Peter Toll supplied details of a further seven records on this label, including the two early singles by Los Kantina Jazz. Hi-Fives recorded for a number of labels (See Band Index for full listing) and seem to have included some of the earliest Congolese musicians to make Kenya their base.

Otherwise, Orch Navongo Success, who also recorded for Bonanza, a sister label to Lamore, as well as Equator and Polydor, are the best known of the rest of these bands.