An Extraordinary Musician that Had an Uncompromised Standard for What Qualified as Music and a Musician
It is with sadness that I received news of the passing of Zach Amunga, one of the finest pianists and musicians of our land, and according to my saxophone teacher and mentor from the UK he was the most professional instrumentalist in Kenya.
My first meeting with Zach was hostile… I had grown up a regular 90’s kid, listening to RnB and hip-hop, neo-soul, etc. and that was what I played on the saxophone when I started. I got my first experience playing jazz with Jacob Asiyo (Zach’s fellow pianist, and school alumni) at the Hotel Intercontinental when I was 19yrs old.
I walked into a jazz gig with a song list of the popular RnB songs at the time. Zach walked in, inebriated, and asked, “What are you doing with this useless saxophonist???” (I put 3 question marks so that you get the tone he asked it in, or at least how it felt to me…)
I remember telling myself that although I did not know what this jazz thing was, I would find it, learn it, and make sure that I became so good at it no one would ever use the word “useless saxophonist” to describe me ever again. Ladies and gentlemen, I grew to the saxophonist I am today trying to prove Zach wrong…
I grew and years later got to play with Zach and bassist Danger Shitakha’s ensemble.
The thing about Zach was that he had an uncompromised standard for what qualified as music and a musician, and he was very unapologetic about it. While I was offended by his sentiments towards me, I not only respected but resonated with him in that I too believe in upholding the integrity of music.
We would later meet again in Zimmerman, where this time we did not interact as musicians, but regularly shared a drink together with him and his friend endearingly referred to as Omuwami for many days. It was the first time I saw his human side, the first time I did not feel inferior to him, and we shared many laughs. But he soon after disappeared and went back to business being Zach Amunga, the no nonsense musician.
I have learned that in this life we may experience the same person, but we all experience them differently. Nobody owns any human; nobody owes any human. Life is a series of choices, some good some bad, but all building blocks that create our unique stories. In all things let us learn to cherish the time we have with each other. Celebrate the good, learn from the bad. In all things be grateful.
Rest well sir. You have finished on a suspended chord, the resolution of which we will never hear. Though you leave us with no cadence, we will have to accept it as a finished masterpiece.
Nind gi kwe (Sleep easy).
