Tanzanian Musician, Kababa Nkomba Gabby, dies in Sweden
Until his death, the highly gifted, Kababa Nkomba was playing with Dekula Band, a music ensemble based in Stockholm City, under the management of Guitarist Dekula Kahanga, popularly known as ‘Vumbi!’
Black News 
Popular Tanzanian Musician, has just died in Sweden
The veteran musician, Kababa Nkomba Gabby, has passed away in Stockholm City where he has been living for the last 40 years.
Until his death, the highly gifted, Kababa Nkomba was playing with Dekula Band, a music ensemble based in Stockholm City, under the management of Guitarist Dekula Kahanga, popularly known as ‘Vumbi!’
In fact, even the news of Kababa’s death was announced on Monday night of October 5, 2026, by Dekula Kahanga.
Dekula (Vumbi) also happens to be a Sweden-based musician but with roots in both Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“My big brother, thank you for the music,” wrote Kahanga.
“We will certainly remember you!” added Vumbi whose strings can be heard in songs like Tshandanda Ngalula and Makumbele during his time with Maquis Original Band of Tanzania.
Previously, Kababa Nkomba (Gabby Nkhomba) served with the Black Rhino Band of Sweden as well as Makaya Band also based in Sweden, before joining Dekula Band.
Gabby Kababa Nkhomba was essentially a Tanzanian singer, composer and guitarist, but he was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country he left in 1978 when it was still known as Zaire.
Kababa Nkomba moved to Tanzania from Lubumbashi DR Congo in October 1978, when he was very young, possibly in his 20s.
He was brought to Dar-es-salaam City alongside fellow musician, Matuka Mwenda (Bizoo) to form what would later become one of the most popular bands in East Africa, the Orchestra Safari Sound (OSS).
Both Kababa and Matuka were reportedly poached from a small youth music group in DRC’s Shaba Province and transported to Tanzania by the late Israel Mbombo wa Mbombo Kamunebu who was the inaugural band leader at OSS.
At Safari Sound, Kababa Nkomba served under Mbombo wa Mbomboka and later his successor, Kikumbi Mwanza Mpango (King Kiki) and eventually Freddy Ndala Kasheba until around 1985 when he left Tanzania for Europe.
Nkomba will be remembered by his popular compositions such as Marie Jose (1978) also known as ‘Mwaka wa Watoto!’ as well as the tear jerking ‘Marcele Marjorie,’ but he also lent his vocals to fire hits such as Marashi ya Pemba and Dunia Msongamano.
