As the rumba revolution heated up in Kinshasa, Zaire, many talented musicians moved on to spread the rumba gospel. Singer Samba Mapangala left Kinshasa in 1975, and went on to become one of the most beloved singers of East Africa. Barely escaping the turmoil of Idi Amin's Uganda, Samba came to Nairobi in '77 and established a successful residency at the Garden Square with his group Les Kinois. In 1980, the group broke up and Samba collaborated with Kenyan players to form Virunga, named after a volcano in Zaire. Virunga's arrangements feature two free-wheeling saxophones whose lines fatten the sound, weaving with guitar accompaniments behind superb solos by lead guitarist Rissa-Rissa. Samba's flawless tenor rises above everything to swoon and cry with the best of the Kinshasans, only now he sings in Swahili as well as Lingala. Virunga's "Malako Disco" stands as one of the biggest dance floor hits Kenya has seen. In 1984, Samba fell foul of the Kenyan government's attempts to boost local music by discouraging the Congolese sound. Refused a work permit, Samba left the country only to return in 1988, his popularity undiminished. His 1991 release Feet on Fire epitomizes Kenyan rumba, but also contains a few surprises, like an adaptation of a taarab wedding song, "Vidonge." More recently, Virunga has recorded in the United States. Other great Kenyan bands lead by Zairean expatriates include Super Mazembe and Les Mangelepa.