Prince Nico Mbarga

Prince Nico Mbarga
 Birth Name: Nicholas Mbarga

 Genre: World
 Active: '70s, '80s, '90s
 Instruments: Vocals, Guitar
Biography
The death of vocalist and guitarist Prince Nico Mbarga, following a motorcycle accident
on June 24, 1997, marked the passing of one of Africa's most influential performers.
Although he only recorded one significant hit, "Sweet Mother," in 1976, which sold
more than 13 million copies, Mbarga played an important role in the evolution of
African music. The son of a Nigerian mother and a Cameroonian father, Mbarga
embraced the musical traditions of both cultures. With his soulful vocals set to the light
melodies of his acoustic guitar, Mbarga created a unique hybrid of Ibo and Zairean
guitar playing and uplifting highlife rhythms. Mbarga's musical approach was inspired
by the five years he spent in Cameroon during the Nigerian Civil War of the late '60s.
Sharpening his instrumental skills while playing xylophone, conga, drums, and electric
guitar in school bands, he made his professional debut as a member of a hotel band, the
Melody Orchestra, in 1970. Returning to Nigeria two years later, he formed his own
group, Rocafil Jazz, to perform regularly at the Naza Hotel in the eastern Nigerian city
of Onitsa. After releasing a disappointing single in 1973, Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz had
their first success with their second single, "I No Go Marry My Papa," which became a
regional hit. The band's inability to break past their local following, however, resulted in
their recording contract being dropped by EMI. The label's decision proved ill-fortuned
when the band signed with the Onitsa label and recorded "Sweet Mother." Sung in
Pidgin English, the song became one of the top sellers in the history of Nigerian music.
In the six years that Mbarga and Recotal Jazz remained with Onitsa, 1975 to 1981, they
recorded nine albums. Temporarily relocating to England in 1982, Mbarga became
known for his flamboyant, '70s glam rock-inspired performances. While he continued to
appear with Rocafil Jazz, Mbargar also performed with London-based highlife band the
Ivory Coasters and Cameroonian vocalist Louisiana Tilda. Despite launching his own
Polydor-distributed record label, upon returning to Nigeria, Mbarga and the original
members of Rocafil Jazz separated after several Cameroon-born members were
deported. Although he later formed the New Rocafil Jazz Band, Mbarga failed to match
his early success. Leaving music, he turned his attention to managing the two hotels that
he owned, Hotel Calbar and the Sweet Mother Hotel. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Representative Albums:
Aki Special, Sweet Mother, Free Education
Prince Nico Mbarga (1 January 1950 – 24 June, 1997) was a highlife musician, born to
a Nigerian mother and a Cameroonian father in Abakakili, Nigeria.
His music was inspired by the five years he spent in Cameroon during the Nigerian
Civil War in the late 1960's. He played the xylophone, conga, drums, and electric guitar
in school bands and he made his professional debut as a member of a hotel band, the
Melody Orchestra, in 1970.
Although he only recorded one significant hit, "Sweet Mother," in 1976, which sold
more than 13 million copies (and which is recognised as one of Africa's greatest songs),
Mbarga played an important role in the evolution of African music. With his soulful
vocals set to the light melodies of his acoustic guitar, Mbarga created a unique hybrid of
Ibo and Congolese guitar playing and uplifting highlife rhythms. He formed his own
group, Rocafil Jazz, to perform regularly at the Naza Hotel in the eastern Nigerian city
of Onitsha. After releasing a disappointing single in 1973, Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz had
their first success with their second single, I No Go Marry My Papa, which became a
regional hit. The band's inability to break past their local following, however, resulted in
their recording contract being dropped by EMI. The label's decision proved ill-fortuned
when the band signed with the Onitsa label and recorded "Sweet Mother." Sung in
Pidgin English, the song became one of the top sellers in the history of Nigerian music.
In the six years that Mbarga and Recotal Jazz remained with Onitsa, 1975 to 1981, they
recorded nine albums. Temporarily relocating to England in 1982, Mbarga became
known for his flamboyant, 1970s glam rock-inspired performances. While he continued
to appear with Rocafil Jazz, Mbarga also performed with London-based highlife band
the Ivory Coasters and Cameroonian vocalist Louisiana Tilda. Despite launching his
own Polydor-distributed record label, upon returning to Nigeria, Mbarga and the
original members of Rocafil Jazz separated after several Cameroon-born members were
deported. Although he later formed the New Rocafil Jazz Band, Mbarga failed to match
his early success. Leaving music, he turned his attention to managing the two hotels that
he owned, Hotel Calbar and the Sweet Mother Hotel.
Sweet Mother is sometimes called Africa's anthem and has been voted Africa's favourite
song by BBC readers and listeners.
Sweet Mother is Africa's anthem

Sweet Mother by Prince Nico Mbarga has been voted Africa's
favourite song by BBC readers and listeners.
Chosen from a shortlist of 10, the 1976 hit celebrating motherhood

won with more than 27% of the vote.
Prince Nico Mbarga was a
The wedding song Vuli Nadlela by the wild child of South African giant of Nigeria's music scene
music, Brenda Fassie, who died earlier this year, came in second.
"We weren't surprised by the result. It's a timeless classic," said Joseph Warungu, who organised the poll.
"It's not just about the lyrics. There's something about the singing guitar that gets you," he said.
Rocafil Jazz
 Genre: World
 Active: '70s - 2000s
Biography
Led by highlife vocalist Prince Nico Mbarga, Rocafil Jazz was one of Nigeria's most
influential groups of the '70s and early '80s. Their album, Sweet Mother, featuring the
ten-minute, midtempo title track, remains one of the biggest-selling recordings in
African history. According to Nigerian literary critic Chikwenya Ogunyemi, "'Sweet
Mother'" is more widely recognized than the Nigerian national anthem. One may wish it
were the national anthem, because of its ability to draw people together. Rocafil Jazz's
blend of tribal rhythms and Western pop harmonies dominated Nigerian airwaves in the
period before the rise of juju and Fuji. The band remained faithful to their guitar-band
adaptation of West African hard-driven rhumba. Describing the group,
http://www.afroplus.com wrote that the six-piece band "swings together with sweet,
machine-like, precision." ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Highlife
For the cellular automaton see HighLife.
Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana and Sierra Leone in the 1920's and
spread to other West African countries. It is characterized by jazzy horns and multiple
guitars which lead the band. Recently, it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound
(cf. Daddy Lumba).
Saka Acquaye and His African Ensemble are featured on Nonesuch Explorer Series
album Ghana: High-Life & Other Popular Music (Voices of Africa: High-Life and
Other Popular Music 1969/2002). Other artists include:
 S. E. Rogie
 Koola Lobitos
 The African Brothers Band
 A.B. Crentsil
 George Darko
 Solomon Ilori
 Rex Lawson
 Prince Nico Mbarga
 E.T. Mensah
 Osibisa
 The Sweet Talks
 The Tempos
 Pat Thomas
 Daddy Lumba
"Again, it's the guitar in this song that drives you mad," Mr Warungu said.
Benga music
There is also Benga in the province of Nyanga, see Benga, Gabon
Benga is a musical genre of Kenyan popular music. It evolved between the late 1940s
and late 1960s, in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi. In the 1940s, the African
Broadcasting Service in Nairobi aired a steady stream of soukous, South African kwela,
Zairean finger-style guitar and various kinds of Cuban dance music. There were also
popular folk songs of Kenya's Luo and Kikuyu peoples.
The Luo of Kenya have long played an eight-string lyre called nyatiti, and guitarists
from the area sought to imitate the instrument's syncopated melodies. In benga, the
electric bass guitar is played in a style reminiscent of the nyatiti.
In 1967, the first major benga band, Shirati Jazz, was formed by Daniel Owino Misiani.
The group launched a string of hits that were East Africa's biggest songs throughout the
1970s and 1980s. Shirati Jazz's biggest rival is Victoria Jazz, formed in 1972 by
Ochieng Nelly Mengo and Collela Mazee. Despite many personnel changes, Victoria
Jazz remained popular throughout the 1970s, when the Voice of Kenya radio station
pushed an onslaught of East African pop.
Modern benga artists include Kapere Jazz Band and the rootsy Ogwang Lelo Okoth.
Bikutsi
Bikutsi is a musical genre from Cameroon. It developed from the traditional styles of
the Beti, or Ewondo, people, who live around the city of Yaounde. The word 'bikutsi'
litterally means 'beat the earth' or 'let's beat the earth' (bi- indicates a plural, -kut- means
'to beat' and -si means 'earth'.) The name indicates a dance that is accompanied by
stomping the feet on the groud.
Bikutsi is characterized by an intense 6/8 rhythm, and is played at all sorts of Beti
gatherings, including parties, funerals and weddings.
Beti gatherings fall into two major categories:
 Ekang phase: the time when imaginary, mythological and spiritual issues are
discussed
 Bikutsi phase: when real-life issues are discussed
A double sided harp with calabash amplification called the mvet is used during these
ceremonies, by Beti storytellers, who are viewed as using the mvet as an instrument of
God to educate the people. The Ekang phase is intensely musical, and usually lasts all
night. There are poetic recitations accompanied by clapping and dancing, with
interludes for improvised and sometimes obscene performances on the balafon (a type
of xylophone). These interludes signal the shift to the bikutsi phase, which is much less
strictly structured than Ekang. During bikutsi, women dance and sing along with the
balafon, and lyrics focus on real-life problems, as well as sexual fantasies. These female
choruses are an integral part of bikutsi, and their intense dancing and screams are
characteristic of the genre. Traditional bikutsi was often ironic in its content, as many
modern bikutsi songs still are.
In its modern form, bikutsi is very popular, and rivals makossa as the country's most
renowned style. Popular bikutsi first appeared in the 1940s with the recording of Anne-
Marie Nzie. Some twenty years later, the style was electrified with the addition of
keyboards and guitars. The most popular performer of this period was Messi Me
Nkonda Martin, frontman for Los Camaroes and known as "the father of modern bikutsi
music". In an effort to translate the sound and spirit of traditional bikutsi music to more
modern terms, Messi incorporated the sound of a balafon into the electric guitar by
linking together the guitar strings with lengths of cotton cord. Played in this way, the
electric guitar sounded similar to the balafon. The music itself, then, was only slightly
altered, while the image and outside perception of bikutsi music was changed
enormously. Other bands during this time, such as Les Vétérans, were also popular.
International acclaim began in 1987 with the formation of Les Têtes Brûlées by Jean
Marie Ahanda. The late guitarist of Les Têtes Brulées, Zanzibar, invented the trick of
damping the strings of his guitar with a strip of foam rubber to produce the music's
characteristic balafon-like thunk. (The balafon is a marimba-like instrument that is
widely used in African folk music.) More modern performers include Jimmy Mvondo
Mvelé and Mbarga Soukous.
Present-day bikutsi as performed by artists like K-Tino, Racine Sagath and Natascha
Bizo is sometimes regarded as controversial. It has been criticized for the perceived
sexual content of its lyrics and dancing style. In this respect bikutsi resembles mapouka
from Côte d'Ivoir, which is also considered indecent by many Africans. The main
difference is that present day bikutsi is still often performed by female artists who use it
as a means of self-expression in a traditionally male-dominated society.
Thus a singer like K-Tino, self-styled femme du peuple (woman of the people) sees
herself as having an important part to play in the emancipation and liberation of the
women of Cameroon.
Among the current crop of artists are Patou Bass and Ovasho Bens, the promoter of a
dance and philosophy called "zig zag". His first album is composed not only of
Cameroonian traditional rhythms but also West Indian rhythm (zouk) and Jamaïcan-
style reggae.
Soukous
Soukous is a musical genre that originated in the Congos during the 1930s and early
1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa. Soukous was the name of a
dance that was popular in the late 1960s, and danced to an African variant of rumba
music, although the word soukous has come to refer to the subsequent developments of
the genre. Soukous is called Congo music in English-speaking West Africa, and lingala
in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania - referring to the Lingala language of the region from
which the music originated. Soukous is also sometimes called kwassa kwassa, which is
a rhythmic dance that was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as ndombolo, a
variant of kwassa kwassa that is currently popular.
Origins
Franco Luambo & TP OK Jazz
In the late 1930s and early 1940s in the Congos, musicians developed a music uniquely
Congolese. This music was based on traditional Congolese music, West African highlife
music, as well as Cuban and other Caribbean and South American sounds - rhythms that
were not entirely foreign to Congo, having been founded to varying degrees on musical
traditions from the area. A precursor to soukous emerged in the 1940s in the cities of
Boma, Matadi, Kinshasa and Brazzaville. Most of the musicians performed in Lingala
language, but some also used Swahili, Tshiluba and Kikongo.
The big bands

By the 1950s, big bands had become the preferred format, using acoustic bass guitar,
multiple electric guitars, conga drums, maracas, scraper, flute or clarinet, saxophones,
and trumpet. Franco et le TP OK Jazz (TP OK Jazz) and Le Grand Kalle et l'African
Jazz (African Jazz) became the leading orchestras.
In the 1950s and 1960s some artists who had been groomed in the big bands of Franco
Luambo and Grand Kalle formed their own bands. Tabu Ley Rochereau and Dr Nico
Kasanda formed African Fiesta and transformed their music further by fusing elements
of Congolese folk music with soul music, as well as Caribbean and Latin beats and
instrumentation. They were joined by Papa Wemba and Sam Mangwana, and classics
like Afrika Mokili Mobimba made them one of Africa's greatest bands, rivalled only by
TP OK Jazz. Tabu Ley Rochereau and Dr Nico Kasanda are considered the pioneers of
modern soukous.
While the influence of rumba became stronger in some orchestras, including Lipua-
Lipua, Veve, TP OK Jazz and Bella Bella, younger Congolese musicians looked for
ways to reduce the rumba influence and play a faster paced soukous, inspired by rock n
roll. A band of students calling themselves Zaiko Langa Langa came together in 1969.
The high energy of their music, and the high-fashion sense of the singers and dancers,
inspired by founding vocalist Papa Wemba, made them very popular. Pepe Kalle, Grand
Kalle's protégé, created the band Empire Bakuba together with Papy Tex, and they soon
became Kinshasa's most popular youth band, equaled only by Zaiko Langa Langa.
Other greats of the Zaiko generation include Koffi Olomide, Tshala Muana and Wenge
Musica. Soukous now spread across Africa, and became an influence on virtually all the
styles of modern African popular music, including highlife, palm-wine music, taarab
and makossa.
As political conditions in the DR Congo deteriorated in the 1970s, some groups made
their way to Nairobi, Kenya. By the mid-seventies, several Congolese groups were
playing rumba music at Kenyan night clubs. The fast paced cavacha, a dance craze that
swept East and Central Africa during the seventies, was popularized through recordings
of bands such as Zaiko Langa Langa and Orchestra Shama Shama, influencing Kenyan
musicians. This fast paced rhythm, played on the snare drum or hi-hat, quickly became
a hallmark of the Congolese sound in Nairobi and is frequently used by many of the
regional bands. Several of Nairobi's renowned Swahili rumba bands formed around
Tanzanian musicians-groups like Simba Wanyika and its offshoots, Les Wanyika and
Super Wanyika Stars.
The late 1970s, Virgin records got involved in a couple of projects in Nairobi that
produced two acclaimed LPs from the Tanzanian-Congolese group, Orchestra Makassy
and the Kenya-based band, Super Mazembe. One of the tracks from this album was the
Swahili song Shauri Yako (It's Your Problem), which became a hit all over East Africa.
About this same time, the French label Afro Rythmes had just released Orchestra
Virunga's Malako LP recorded in Nairobi.
The Paris scene
Mbilia Bel
In the 1980s soukous became popular in London and Paris. A few more musicians left
Kinshasa to work around central and east Africa, before settling in either the UK or
France. The basic line-up for a Soukous band included three or four guitars, bass guitar,
drums, brass, vocals, and some of them having over 20 musicians, lyrics were often in
Lingala and occasionally in French. In the late 1980s and 1990s, Parisian studios were
used by many big stars, and the music became heavily reliant on synthesizers and other
electronic instruments. Some artists continued to record for the Congolese market, but
others abandoned the demands of the Kinshasa public and set out to pursue new
audiences. Some, like Paris-based Papa Wemba maintained two bands, Viva la Musica
for soukous, and a group including French session players for his international pop.
Kanda Bongo Man, another Paris-based artist, pioneered fast-paced, short dance tracks
suitable for play on dance floors everywhere, and popularily known as Kwassa kwassa
after the dance moves popularized by his music videos and South African mbaqanga.
This music appealed to Africans and to new audiences as well. Groups like Diblo
Dibala, Mbilia Bel, Yondo Sister, Loketo, Rigo Star, Madilu System, Soukous Stars and
veterans like Pepe Kalle and Koffi Olomide followed suit. Soon Paris became home to
talented studio musicians who recorded for the African and Caribbean markets and
filling out bands for occasional tours.
Ndombolo
Just like Kwassa Kwassa, the rhythmic dance craze that accompanied the music of
Kanda Bongo Man, Loketo and Diblo Dibala in the 1980s and early 1990s, the fast
paced soukous music now dominating dance floors in central and eastern Africa is
called soukous ndombolo, performed by Awilo Longomba, Aurlus Mabele, Koffi
Olomide and others.
The hip-swinging, booty-shaking dance to the fast pace of soukous ndombolo has come
under criticism amid charges that it is obscene. There have been attempts to ban it in
Mali, Cameroon and Kenya. After an attempt to ban it from state radio and television in
DR Congo in 2000, it became even more popular. On 11 February, 2005 ndombolo
music videos in DR Congo were censored for indecency, and video clips by Koffi
Olomide, JB M'Piana and Werrason were banned from the airwaves.[1] [2] [3]
Makossa
Makossa is a type of music which is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon. It is
similar to soukous, except it includes strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn section.
It originated from a type of Doula dance called kossa, with significant influences from
jazz, ambasse bey, Latin music, highlife and rhumba. While the makossa style began in
the 1950's, the first recordings were not seen until a decade later. Artists such as Eboa
Latin, Misse Ngoh and especially Manu Dibango popularized the style outside of
Cameroon in the later 1960s.
Makossa Artists
 Eboa Latin
 Misse Ngoh
 Manu Dibango
 Moni Bile
 Lapiro de M'Banga
 Bebe Manga
 Sam Fan Thomas
Oriental Brothers
 Genre: World
 Active: '70s - 2000s
 Major Members: Opara, Godwin Kabaka, Opara, Dan Satch, Christogonous
Ezebuiro Obinna, Hybrilious Dkwilla Alaraibe
Biography
One of the most successful bands in Nigeria during the 1970s, the Oriental Brothers
have continued to record as a variety of splintered off bands. These have included Dr.
Sir Warrior & His Oriental Brothers International, Prince Ichita & the Great Oriental
Brothers International Band, and the Oriental Brothers International. While each of
these groups had their distinct sound, they shared the original band's passion for
blending Congolese guitar picking and traditional Igbo rhythms. At a time of great
struggle due to the Biafran War, the Oriental Brothers offered a rare light of hope.
According to Nigerian magazine Kwenu, the Oriental Brothers played a very important
spiritual role in keeping many Ndiigbo sane. They were the pride of a people
traumatized by a war so vicious.
The original Oriental Brothers were formed by Godwin Kabaka Opara with his brothers
Ferdinand Dan Satch Emeka Opara, Christogonous Ezebuiro "Warrior" Obinna, and
Kabaka Opara, along with Nathaniel "Mangala" Ejiogu, Hybrilious Dkwilla' Alaraibe,
and Prince Ichita. Ejiogu died shortly before the band's success. The first split within the
group occurred in 1977 when founding members F. Dan Satch Opara and Prince Ichita
left to start their own bands under the Oriental Brothers moniker. While Opara's group
recorded six albums between 1977 and 1984, Ichita's band, featuring original Oriental
Brothers member Hybrilious "Akwilla" Alaraibe, recorded two albums before Ichita's
death in the early '80s. Akwilla went on to join Dr. Sir Warrior's group, remaining until
Warrior's death in 1999. The three Opara brothers reunited to record two albums: Anyi
Abiala Ozo in 1987 and Oriental Ge Ebi in 1996. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Rumba
Rumba
Stylistic origins: African, native and Spanish
music
Cultural origins: African slaves in Havana

and Matanzas
Typical Quinto and tumbadoras

instruments: drums and palitos
Mainstream Significant in Latin America and

popularity: Africa, rare elsewhere
Subgenres
Guaguanco, columbia, and yambú
Fusion genres
Chachacha - Salsa music
Rumba is both a family of music rhythms and a dance style that originated in Africa
and traveled via the slave trade to Cuba and the New World. The so-called rumba
rhythm, a variation of the African standard pattern or clave rhythm, is the additive
grouping of an eight pulse bar (one 4/4 measure) into 3+3+2 or, less often, 3+5 (van der
Merwe 1989, p.321). Its variants include the bossa nova rhythm. Original Cuban rumba
is highly polyrhythmic, and as such is often far more complex than the examples cited
above.
Ballroom Rumba and Rhumba

There is a ballroom dance, also called Rumba, based on Cuban Rumba and Son. Also,
still another variant of Rumba music and dance was popularized in the United States in
1930s, which was almost twice as fast, as exemplified by the popular tune, The Peanut
Vendor. This type of "Big Band Rumba" was also known as Rhumba. The latter term
still survives, with no clearly agreed upon meaning; one may find it applied to
Ballroom, Big Band, and Cuban rumbas. Rumba is also called as "woman's dance",
because it absolutely presents women's body line beautifully. Besides, the interation,
emotion and the soft rhythm between the partners make another apposite name called
"Love dance."
Gypsy Rumba
In the 1990s the French group Gypsy Kings of Spanish descent became a popular New
Flamenco group by playing Rumba Flamenca (or rumba gitana, Catalan rumba) music.
African Rumba
Rumba, like salsa and some other Caribbean and South American sounds have their
rythmic roots to varying degrees in African musical traditions, having been brought
there by African slaves. In the late 1930s and early 1940s in the Congos, musicians
developed a music known as rumba, based on West and Central African, and Caribbean
and South American rythyms.
This brand of African rumba became popular in Africa in 1950s. Some of the most
notable bands were Franco Luambo's OK Jazz and Grand Kalle's African Jazz. These
bands spawned well known rumba artists such as Sam Mangwana, Dr Nico Kasanda
and Tabu Ley Rochereau, who pioneered Soukous, the genre into which African rumba
evolved in the 1960s. Soukous is still sometimes referred to as rumba.
Cuban Rumba
Rumba arose in Havana in the 1890s. As a sexually-charged Afro-Cuban dance, rumba
was often suppressed and restricted because it was viewed as dangerous and lewd.
Later, Prohibition in the United States caused a flourishing of the relatively-tolerated

cabaret rumba, as American tourists flocked to see crude sainetes (short plays) which
featured racial stereotypes and generally, though not always, rumba.
Music of Cuba: Topics
Batá and yuka Chachachá
Changui Charanga
Conga Danzón
Descarga Guajira
Guaracha Habanera
Jazz Hip hop
Mambo Música campesina
Nueva trova Pilón
Rock Rumba
Salsa cubana Son
Son montuno Timba
History
(Timeline and Samples)
Awards Beny Moré Award

Festivals Cuba Danzon, Percuba
National anthem "La Bayamesa"
Caribbean music
Bahamas - Bermuda - Cayman Islands - Cuba -

Dominican Republic - Haiti - Jamaica - Lesser Antilles -
Puerto Rico - Turks and Caicos Islands
Perhaps because of the mainstream and middle-class dislike for rumba, danzón and
(unofficially) son montuno became seen as "the" national music for Cuba, and the
expression of Cubanismo. Rumberos reacted by mixing the two genres in the 1930s, 40s
and 50s; by the mid-40s, the genre had regained respect, especially the guaguanco style.
Rumba is sometimes confused with salsa, with which it shares origins and essential
movements.
There are several rhythms of the Rumba family, and associated styles of dance:
 Yambú (slow; the dance often involving mimicking old men and women
walking bent)
 Guaguancó (medium-fast, often flirtatious, involving pelvic thrusts by the male
dancers, the vacunao)
 Columbia (fast, aggressive and competitive, generally danced by men only,
occasionally mimicking combat or dancing with knives)
 Columbia del Monte (very fast)
All of these share the instrumentation (3 conga drums or cajones, claves, palitos and / or
guagua, lead singer and coro; optionally chekeré and cowbells), the heavy polyrhythms,
and the importance of clave.
Rumba rhythm
The rhythm which is known now as "rumba rhythm" was popular in European music
beginning in the 1500s until the later Baroque, with classical music era composers
preferring syncopations such as 3+2+3. It reappeared in the nineteenth century. (ibid,
p.272) Examples include:
Bach, The Little Music Book of Anna Magdalena Bach, Musette rumba rhythm
Reference
 van der Merwe, Peter (1989). Origins of the Popular Style: The Antecedents of
Twentieth-Century Popular Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN
0193161214.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not
have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations for: Rumba
Dansk (Danish)
n. - rumba, rumbamusik
v. intr. - danse rumba
Nederlands (Dutch)
rumba
Français (French)
n. - rumba
v. intr. - danser la rumba
Deutsch (German)
n. - Rumba
v. - Rumba tanzen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μουσ.) ρούμπα
v. - χορεύω ρούμπα
Italiano (Italian)
rumba
Português (Portuguese)
n. - rumba (f)
v. - dançar rumba
Русский (Russian)
румба
Español (Spanish)
n. - rumba
v. intr. - bailar o tocar rumba
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - rumba
v. - dansa rumba
‫العربيه‬ (Arabic)
‫(االسم) رقصه كوبيه تتم}}يز بحركاته}}ا العنيف}}ه أو رقص}}ه أمريكي}}ه مش}}ابهه له}}ا (فع}}ل) ي}}رقص رقص}}ه‬
‫الرومبا‬
‫עברית‬ (Hebrew)
n. - )‫(ריקוד‬ ‫רומבה‬
v. intr. - ‫רקד רומבה‬
Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Describing the music of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult, due to vagaries surrounding the
meanings of various terms. The country itself was formerly called Zaire and is now
sometimes referred to as Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from the Republic of the
Congo (or Congo-Brazzaville). In this article, Congo will refer specifically to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo unless otherwise noted. Outside of Africa, most any
music from the Congo is called soukous, which most accurately refers instead to a dance
popular in the late 1960s. The term rumba or rock-rumba is also used generically to
refer to Congolese music, though both words have their own difficulties and neither are
very precise nor accurately descriptive. People from the Congo have no term for their
own music per se, although they do use muziki na biso (our music) on occasion.
Since the colonial era, Kinshasa, Congo's capital, has been one of the great centers of
musical innovation, ranking alongside Nairobi, Johannesburg and Abidjan in influence.
The country, however, was carved out territories controlled by many different ethnic
groups, many of which had little in common with each other. Each maintained (and
continue to do so) their own folk music traditions, and there was little in the way of a
pan-Congolese musical identity until the 1940s.
Like much of Africa, the Congo was dominated during the World War 2 era by rumba, a
fusion of Latin and African musical styles that came from the island of Cuba. Congolese
musicians appropriated rumba and adapted its characteristics for their own instruments
and tastes. Following World War 2, record labels began appearing, including CEFA,
Ngoma, Loningisa and Opika, each issuing many 78 rpm records; Radio Congo Belge
also began broadcasting during this period. Bill Alexandre, a Belgian working for
CEFA, brought electric guitars to the Congo.
Popular early musicians include Feruzi, who is said to have popularized rumba during
the 1930s and guitarists like Zachery Elenga, Antoine Wendo and, most influentially,
Jean Bosco Mwenda. Alongside rumba, other imported genres like American swing,
French cabaret and Ghanaian highlife were also popular.
In 1953, the Congolese music scene began to differentiate itself with the formation of
African Jazz (led by Joseph Kabasele), the first full-time orchestra to record and
perform, and the debut of fifteen-year-old guitarist Francois Luambo Makiadi (aka
Franco). Both would go on to be some of the earliest Congolese music stars. African
Jazz, which included Kabasele, sometimes called the father of modern Congolese
music, as well as legendary Cameroonian saxophonist and keyboardist Manu Dibango,
has become one of the most well-known groups in Africa, largely due to 1960's
"Independence Cha-Cha-Cha", which celebrated Congo's independence and became an
anthem for Africans across the continent.
Into the 1950s, Kinshasa and Brazzaville became culturally linked, and many musicians
moved back and forth between them, most importantly including Nino Malapet and the
founder of OK Jazz, Jean Serge Essous. Recording technology had evolved to allow for
longer playing times, and the musicians focused on the seben, an instrumental
percussion break with a swift tempo that was common in rumba. Both OK Jazz and
African Jazz continued performing throughout the decade until African Jazz broke up in
the mid-1960s. Tabu Ley Rochereau and Dr. Nico then formed African Fiesta, which
incorporated new innovations from throughout Africa as well as American and British
soul, rock and country. African Fiesta, however, lasted only two years before
disintegrating, and Tabu Ley formed Orchestre Afrisa International instead, but this new
group was not able to rival OK Jazz in influence for very long.
Many of the most influential musicians of Congo's history emerged from one or more of
these big bands, including Sam Mangwana, Ndombe Opetum, Vicky Longomba, Dizzy
Madjeku and Kiamanguana Verckys. Mangwana was the most popular of these solo
performers, keeping a loyal fanbase even while switching from Vox Africa and Festival
des Marquisards to Afrisa, followed by OK Jazz and a return to Afrisa before setting up
a West African group called the African All Stars. Mose Fan Fan of OK Jazz also
proved influential, bringing Congolese rumba to East Africa, especially Kenya, after
moving there in 1974 with Somo Somo. Rumba also spread through the rest of Africa,
with Brazzaville's Pamela M'ounka and Tchico Thicaya moving to Abidjan and Ryco
Jazz taking the Congolese sound to the French Antilles. In Congo, students at Gombe
High School became entranced with American rock and funk, especially after James
Brown visited the country in 1969. Los Nickelos and Thu Zahina emerged from Gombe
High, with the former moving to Brussels and the latter, though existing only briefly,
becoming legendary for their energetic stage shows that included frenetic, funky drums
during the seben and an often psychedelic sound. This period in the late 60s is the
soukous era, though the term soukous now has a much broader meaning, and refers to
all of the subsequent developments in Congolese music as well.
Stukas and Zaiko Langa Langa were the two most influential bands to emerge from this
era, with Zaiko Langa Langa being an important starting ground for musicians like Pepe
Feli, Bozi Boziana, Evoloko Jocker and Papa Wemba. A smoother, mellower pop sound
developed in the early 1970s, led by Bella Bella, Shama Shama and Lipua Lipua, while
Kiamanguana Verckys promoted a rougher garage-like sound that launched the careers
of Pepe Kalle and Kanda Bongo Man, among others.
By the beginning of the 1990s, the Congolese popular music scene had declined
terribly. Many of the most popular musicians of the classic era had lost their edge or
died, and President Mobutu's regime continued to repress indigenous music, reinforcing
Paris' status as a center for Congolese music. Pepe Kalle, Kanda Bongo Man and Rigo
Starr were all Paris-based and were the most popular Congolese musicians. New genres
like madiaba and Tshala Mwana's mutuashi achieved some popularity. Kinshasha still
had popular musicians, however, including Bimi Ombale and Dindo Yogo. In 1993,
many of the biggest individuals and bands in Congo's history were brought together for
an event that helped to revitalize Congolese music, and also jumpstarted the careers of
popular bands like Swede Swede.
Zaiko Langa Langa

Zaiko Langa Langa concert poster
Zaiko Langa Langa has been one of the hottest and most popular bands in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since its formation in the early seventies
(when Congo was still called Zaire), through the eighties and the nineties and into the
new millennium. Such famous names as Papa Wemba, Bozi Boziana, Dindo Yogo,
Evolocko Jocker and Nyoka Longo started with Zaiko and went on to establish
successful careers. It has spun off several groups consisting of groups or factions of
former members which achieved a decent measure of success. These include Isifi
Lokole, Viva La Musica, Langa Langa Stars, Zaiko Familia Dei, Anti Choc, Choc stars,
and Zaiko Nkolo Mboka.
The band was formed in 1970 as Orchestra Zaiko. Original members included Papa
Wemba, Evolocko Lay Lay, Zamungana and Nyoka Longo. The group revolutionized
Congolese music, adopting a more up tempo beat, abandoning wind instruments and
emphasizing the snare drum and the solo guitar. They made great use of the call and
response system and introduced chants of animation, a system that is now used
extensively by most Zairean groups. Their stage shows were more frenetic and featured
a frontline of almost a dozen singers.
By 1973, the band had now established itself as one of DRC's most popular groups.
Evolocko Jocker emerged as arguably the band's most popular member, credited with
inventing the cavacha, a dance craze that swept East and Central Africa during the
seventies.
By the mid seventies, the band started to fall apart. First to leave was Papa Wemba
along with Bozi, Evolocko and Mavuela who formed Isifi Lokole which later split into
Yoka Lokole, and Viva La Musica. Lengi Lenga was recruited in a bid to plug the gap
left by Papa Wemba.
By the late seventies, despite the departure of several stalwarts, the band was at its peak.
Among its members were vocalists Nyoka Longo, Lengi Lenga, Bimi Ombale, Dindo
Yogo, Evolocko and Bozi Boziana along with Instrumentalists Meridjo, and Bapius.
Songs were now more polished, arranged and harmonious. Stage concerts were now
better choreographed.
In the late eighties, disagreements occurred among the band members, as veterans,
Meridjo, Nyoka Longo and Dindo Yogo lined up against newer band members such as
Lengi Lenga, Ilo Pablo and Bimi Ombale. This led to a spectacular split, with Nyoka's
group calling themselves Zaiko Langa Langa Nkolo Mboka, while Bimi's group called
itself Zaiko Langa Langa Familia Dei. Both groups had a decent measure of success and
commanded fanatical followings.
Aurlus Mabele
 Genre: World
 Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
 Instruments: Vocals, Percussion
Biography
Session singer who became one of the first Paris-based soukous stars, setting the
standard with several '80s LPs. He is a top session musician and tours extensively in the
West, and was one of the founders of the supergroup Loketo. ~ Steve Huey, All Music
Guide
Kanda Bongo Man

 Genre: World
 Active: '70s - 2000s
Biography
Soukous, the dance music of Zaire, was updated by Paris-based vocalist and bandleader
Konda Bongo Man. With his high tenor vocals alternating between lyrics in Lingala and
French, Bongo Man and his band, which has included influential guitarists Diblo Dibala
in the 1980s and Rigo Star in the 1990s, has sparked dancing in audiences around the
globe. The New York Times wrote, "Zairean soukous is a lilting, rippling, dance groove
that seems to smile from every register, with melody and rhythm inseparable. Kanda
Bongo Man himself sings melodies that curl through the patterns like vines on a trellis."
Option magazine took a similar view, writing, "Kanda Bongo Man sure knows how to
have fun. This is some of the most joyous music I've ever heard, heavy on both melody
and rhythm." While rooted in the soukous tradition, Bongo Man has incorporated an
eclectic range of influences. M. Doughty of alt-rock band Soul Coughing explained,
"You can infer all sorts of stuff in that loping beat and those guitars soaked in digital
delay: flamenco, surf music, the wacked-out chops of a master oud player, steel guitar
of the Hawaiian and Nashvillian varieties. The combined effect feels something like a
distillation of sunshine and spring's bloom rhythm."
The son and grandson of drummer/percussionists, Bongo Man left school to perform
with a Kinshasa band in 1973. Three years later, he performed with Orchestre Bella
Mambo, one of Zaire's most popular dance bands. Moving to Paris in search of a larger
audience in 1979, Bongo Man worked in a windowpane factory while building a solo
career. His earliest success came with his album Iyole, recorded with Orchestre Bella
Mambo and Diblo in 1981.
Performing at the WOMAD in England in 1983, he reached the audience he had hoped
to find. In 1989, Bongo Man released his first American-distributed album, Kwassa
Kwassa, which combined tracks from two French releases: "Lela Lela" and "Sai." He
continued to expand his following with Zing Zong, dedicated to Soki Vangu and Soki
Diazenza of Bella Bella, in 1991. Bongo Man's third U.S.-distributed album, Soukous in
Central Park, released in 1993, captures the excitement of his live performances. With
his 1998 album, Welcome to South Africa Mr. Kanda Bongo Man, Bongo Man
emphasized the South African influences on his music. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Discography
Soukous in Central Park

Balobi Zing Zong Non Stop Non Stop
Kwassa Kwassa
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Amour Fou
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Kanda Bongo Man
Kanda Bongo Man
Kanda Bongo Man (born 1955), from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a
prominent soukous musician. He is most famous for the structural changes he
implemented to soukous music. The previous approach was to sing several verses and
have one guitar solo at the end of the song. Kanda Bongo Man revolutionized soukous
by encouraging guitar solos after every verse and even sometimes at the beginning of
the song. His form of soukous gave birth to the kwassa kwassa dance rhythm where the
hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips.
Like many soukous and rumba musicians before him, Kanda Bongo Man also had an
entourage of musicians he played with. Many of Kanda's musicians later moved on to
start their own solo careers. Most notably was Diblo Dibala. Known as the "Machine
Gun", Diblo Dibala was a vital part of Kanda Bongo Man's lineup on several albums
including Kwasa Kwasa and Amour Fou.
Kanda Bongo Man still tours frequently in Europe and the United States. On July, 2005
he performed at the LIVE 8: Africa Calling concert in Cornwall.
M'Bilia Bel
 Genre: World
 Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
 Instrument: Vocals
Biography
Mbilia Bel's career took off in the mid-'80s when she sang alongside Tabu Ley on a
number of recordings and tours, also recording solo albums at the same time. After her
first child was born, she took some time off and decided to part company with Ley,
making one last album with him in 1987. She moved to Paris and hooked up with
guitarist Rigo Star, who composed and arranged much of her material. Most of her
lyrics revolve around themes of adult love, which has proven controversial on some
occasions. She toured the U.S., U.K., and West Africa from 1989 to 1990, drawing
enthusiastic crowds. More recently, she has taken to experimenting within the
traditional rumba/soukous framework, mixing in rap and other elements, with mixed
results. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Yalowa, Phénoméne, Bameli Soy
Similar Artists:
Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya, Kanda Bongo Man, Zaiko Langa Langa, Papa Wemba,
Orchestra Virunga, Loketo, Franco, Diblo Dibala, Choc Stars
Performed Songs By:
Franck Curier, Rigo Star
Discography

Yalowa
Belissimo Exploration Phénoméne
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M'bilia Bel
Ba Gerants Ya Mabala Paka Wewe: CD cover
M'bilia Bel is a Congolese soukous singer, known as the Queen of Congolese rhumba.
She rose to fame after being discovered by Tabu Ley Rochereau.
Born and brought up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo M'bilia Bel became
successful in the mid-1980s when she recorded and toured with Tabu Ley Rochereau,
and made her own solo albums. The birth of her first child prompted her to take a break
from performing, however, and after a last album with Ley in 1987, she moved to Paris.
There she started working with guitarist Rigo Star, and between 1989 and 1990 she
went on to tour the United States, the United Kingdom, and West Africa.
Her more recent work has involved taking her usual style (traditional rhumba and
soukous) and mixing in rap and other modern elements.
Discography
 1985: Boya Ye
 1988: Phénoméne
 1991: Bameli Soy
 1994: Ba Gerants Ya Mabala Paka Wewe
 1994: Contre Ma Volonte
 1994: Loyenghe
 1994: Beyanga
 1994: Kenya/Cadence Mudanda
 1995: Faux Pas
 1997: Yalowa
 1997: Exploration
 1997: Ironie (with Rigo Star)
 1997: Désolé
 1999: Eswi Yo Wapi
 1999: 8/10/Benedicta/8/10
 2001: Welcome
 2003: Boya Ye
 2004: Belissimo
Papa Wemba
 Birth Name: Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba
 Alternative Name: Shungu Wembadia
 Genre: World
 Active: '70s - 2000s
Biography
With his dynamic vocals and flamboyant personality, Papa Wemba (born Jules Shungu
Wembadio Pene Kikumba) played an essential role in the evolution of Central African
music. Respectfully known as "the King of Rhumba," Wemba successfully fused
African traditions with Western pop and rock influences. A co-founder of Zaiko Langa
Langa in 1970, he went on to international attention as the leader of Isife Lokole in
1974, and Viva La Musica since 1976. According to publicity materials for the
Womadelaide festival, Wemba "creates wonderfully infectious music, combining the
sophistication of a Paris nightclub with the vibe of an African open-air concert." While
www.fyiucalgary.com proclaimed that "his voice is gold and his music makes you want
to dance," www.afropop.com declared that he offered "just the right balance between
traditional African music and Western pop." Born in the Kinshasa region of what was
then the Belgian Congo and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wemba was
taught that he was descended from a long line of BaTetela warrior chieftains. His
mother, a professional mourner who sang at funeral wakes, had a profound influence on
his singing. He recalled in a late-'90s interview, "If mother was still alive, I would be
rich in words and rich in melodies. She was my first teacher and my first audience."
Wemba didn't begin singing until joining the choir of a Roman Catholic Church after
the death of his father, a chief of customs, in 1966. The experience sharpened his
abilities to sing in minor keys. Helping to form Zaiko Langa Langa in 1969, Wemba
remained with the group for four years. During that time, the group went from playing
American R&B to focusing on traditional Zairian dance music. Their hits included
several Wemba-penned tunes, such as "Pauline," "C'est la Vérité," "Chouchouna," and
"Liwa Ya Somo." Leaving Zaiko Langa Langa in 1974, Wemba formed the first bands
of his own, Isife Lokole and Yoka Lokole. Both groups used the lokole, a hollow tree
trunk played with two sticks, as a rhythmic foundation. Moving to the village of
Molokai in the center of Kinshasa's Matonge district in 1977, Wemba formed his most
successful group, Viva la Musica. Their music continued to reflect an authenticity
campaign launched by President Mobutu. Wemba appeared frequently on state-
sponsored television, talking about the influence of traditional Zairian music and the
importance of the authenticity campaign. From the beginning, Viva La Musica's
reputation was built as much on their passion for designer clothes as their music.
www.afropop.org described the band's garb as "baggy, pleated trousers, hemmed above
shiny brogues, and hair clipped close at the sides." Fans inspired by the band's style of
dress began dressing similarly and were known as "La Sape," taken from the
expression, "La Société des Ambienceus et ces Personnes D'Élégance." Viva la Musica
was extremely popular among the Congo's youth. Their first year climaxed with the
Kinshasa newspaper Elima naming the band best orchestra, Wemba best singer, and
their single, "Mère Supérieure," best song. Over the next three years, the group
continued to record hit singles, including "Moku Nyon Nyon," "Nyekesse Migue'l," and
"Cou Cou Dindon." Determined to capture a European following, Wemba and Viva La
Musica vocalist Rigo Star took a six-month sabbatical from the band in 1979 to join
Tabu Ley Rochereau's group, Afrisa International. Relocating to Paris in the early '80s,
Wemba formed a second version of Viva la Musica. While this group took a more
Westernized approach, the original band continued to perform indigenous-based music.
Wemba explained, "My original group is there for me Zairian fans who come to hear
typical African sounds but when I decided to be a singer with an international name, I
formed another group to appeal to a different public." Wemba appeared in the late-'80s
musical revue Africa Oye!, and toured as the opening act for Peter Gabriel's Secret
World tour in 1993. He received a best artist Kora award at the first All-African music
awards ceremony three years later. Wemba has continued to fuse the musical traditions
of his homeland and Western pop. His 1995 album Emotion was produced by Stephen
Hague of Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and New Order fame. ~ Craig Harris, All Music
Guide
Representative Songs:
"M'Fono Yami," "Bakwetu," "Bokulaka"
L' Esclave, Emotion, Le Voyageur
Is Also Known As:
Jules Shungu
Similar Artists:
Franco & Franco, Viva La Musica, Youssou N'Dour, Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya,
Kanda Bongo Man, M'Bilia Bel, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Orchestra Virunga, Loketo, Salif
Keita, Franco, Diblo Dibala, Choc Stars
Influences:
Zaiko Langa Langa
Followers:
Peps Persson
Performed Songs By:
Kito Dembela, Lokua Kanza, Christian Polloni, Maika Munan
Worked With:
Reddy Amisi
Discography
Bakala Dia Kuba

Molokai
Somo Trop Legend Emotion
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Papa Wemba Le Voyageur
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Wikipedia
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba was born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949 in Lubefu
(Kasai - DR Congo). He is a Congolese Soukous musician, one of Africa's most popular
musicians.
Musical history
Papa Wemba was one of the very first musicians to join the influential Soukous band,
Zaiko Langa Langa when it was created on December 24, 1969 in Kinshasa (DR.
Congo), along with such well known Congolese musicians as Nyoka Longo Jossart,
Manuaku Pepe Felly, Evoloko Lay Lay, Teddy Sukamu, Zamuangana Enock, Mavuela
Simeon and others.
In a Congolese musical world, dominated at the time by Lwambo Franco and OK Jazz,
Tabu Ley Rochereau's Afrisa, new musical groups such as Les Grands Maquisards, Le
Trio Madjesi, and younger bands such as Bella-Bella, Thu Zaina and Empire Bakuba,
the young and talented Papa Wemba, then known as Jules Presley Shungu Wembadio,
was one of the driving forces that made Zaiko Langa Langa one of the most performant
and dominant Congolese groups by 1973 with such hits as "Chouchouna" (Papa
Wemba), "Eluzam" and " Mbeya Mbeya" (Evoloko Lay Lay), "BP ya Munu" (Efonge
Gina) and "Zania" (Mavuela Somo).
In December 1974, at the top their fame and just a month after the Rumble in the Jungle
between Ali and Foreman in Kinshasa, Shungu Wembadio (Papa Wemba), along with
Evoloko Lay Lay, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana ( who joined Zaiko Langa Langa a
year earlier), left Zaiko Langa Langa to create their own musical ensemble Isifi Lokole,
ISIFI being an acronym for "Institut de Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation des
Idoles". In July 1975, Shungu Wembadio took officially the well-known artist name of
Papa Wemba, the addition "Papa" (father) for his enormous responsablities as the first
son of his family whose father and mother were deceased since the 1960's.
The "feux d'artifice" (fireworks) that was Isifi Lokole would last only one year with the
single "Amazone" (Papa Wemba) as their greatest hit. In November 1975, Papa
Wemba, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana left Evoloko Lay Lay and Isifi Lokole, and
went on to create the Yoka Lokole, also known in 1976 as "The Fania-All-Stars", along
with Mbuta Mashakado, a transfuge from Zaiko Langa Langa. The Yoka Lokole had a
little less success than the original Isifi Lokole, but managed to remain at the top the
wave with such big hits as "Matembele Bangui", "Lisuma ya Zazu" ( Papa Wemba ),
"Mavuela Sala Keba", "Bana Kin " ( Mavuela Somo ).
Like Isifi Lokole, the electrical Yoka Lokole "The Fania-All-Stars" would not last much
longer than a year with all the founding big names together. After a year of success,
some controversies over money and fame inside Yoka Lokole, complicated by a short
and infortunate Papa Wemba arrest and incarceration in Kinshasa Central prison in
December 1976 (for a suspected love affair with an influential army general's daughter),
would lead Papa Wemba, who felt diminished and neglected by others, to create his
very own group, the Viva la Musica in February 1977.
At his family home in Matonge, a neighborhood of Kinshasa, Papa Wemba built his
new group Viva la Musica around young and talented musicians such as the singers
Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza, the guitarists
Rigo Star, Syriana and Bongo Wende. And, like a fireworks, the big success will be
there from the start with such great hits as "Mere Superieure", "Mabele Mokonzi",
"Bokulaka", "Princesse ya Sinza"
At height of his success in 1977, Papa Wemba's family home which became more of a
popular and sacred place for all the young people "a la mode" was named the "Village
Molokai" and, on the same token, Papa Wemba took the name and title "Chef
Coutumier" (Chief) of the Village of Molokai, which some people explained as the one
(Papa Wemba) who came from the inner country (village) as opposed to Kinshasa City
born Mavuela and Mashakado. However, Mavuela would say years later that it was just
some little foolishness over money, ambition and fame among the very young people
that they were at the time.
From 1977 to nowadays, the life, times and success of Papa Wemba and Viva la Musica
would be pretty much the same, always at the the top of the wave with defections of
musicians every two or three years and new talents comming in. King Kester Emeneya
(1977-1982), Koffi Olomide (1978-1979), Djuna Djanana (1978-1981), Dindo Yogo
(1979-1981), Maray-Maray (1980-1984), Lidjo Kwempa (1982-2001), Reddy Amissi
(1982-2001), Stino Mubi (1983-2001) are among today's well known Congolese
musicians who have played in Viva la Musica. An old anecdote in Kinshasa alleges that
Koffi Olomide, then a college student, was so impressive in song-writing that Papa
Wemba exclaimed one day in 1977: " Ooh! l'homme idee" (Ooh! the man idea) and
Antoine Agbepa Koffi was since called Koffi 'Olomide'.
Since the wave of migrations to Europe in the 1990's, Papa Wemba has always
maintained one group in Kinshasa (called at times "Nouvelle Ecriture", "Nouvel Ecrita"
and now again "Viva la Musica") and another one in Paris ("Nouvelle Generation", "La
Cour des Grands", and now "Viva Tendance"). He has also maintained a very high
profile in the World Music with such great hits as "L'Esclave" (1986), "Le Voyageur,
Maria Valencia" (1992), "Foridoles, Dixieme Commandement" (1994), "Emotion"
(1995), "Pole Position" (1996), "Fula Ngenge" (1999), "Bakala dia Kuba" (2001),
"Somo Trop" (2003).
Papa Wemba is also known as a good African actor. In 1978, he played the leading role
in the Zairean (Congolese) film success La Vie est Belle, directed by the Belgian
director Benoit Lami and the Congolese film-maker Ngangura Mweze.
High and low times

On 18 February 2003, suspected of being involved in a network that has allegedly
smuggled hundreds of illegal immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo
(former Zaire) into Europe, Papa Wemba was arrested at his home in Paris.
Papa Wemba was eventually found guilty at some level in June 2003 and spent three
and a half months in prison, an experience which, on his release after a €30,000 bail was
posted, he declared had had a profound psychological effect on him. The singer claimed
to have undergone a spiritual conversion in jail and even recounted this episode on his
new album, "Somo trop" (released in October 2003). On the song "Numéro d'écrou",
Papa Wemba recalled the day "God" paid a visit to his cell.
He appeared again in a French court on 25 October 2004. And in November 2004, he

was sentenced by the criminal court in Bobigny, a Paris suburb, to 30 months in jail and
a $13,000 fine. But 26 months were suspended, and because he spent almost four
months in jail after his arrest in February 2003, Papa Wemba did not have to serve any
more time.
But that was just a low time, like some others, in Papa Wemba flamboyant, rocky and
creative life. And after every low moment, countless musicians defections and big
challenges in his long musical career, Jules Shungu Wembadio alias Papa Wemba has
always rebounded.
Discography
 Pauline (1970, Zaiko Langa Langa)
 L'Amoureux Decu (1972, Zaiko Langa Langa)
 Mete la Verite, Chouchouna (1973, Zaiko Langa Langa)
 Liwa ya Somo (1973-1974, Zaiko Langa Langa)
 Ainsi Va La Vie, Amazone (1975, Isifi Lokole)
 Matembele Bangi, Lisuma ya Zazu (1976, Yoka Lokole)
 Mere Superieure, Bokulaka, Mabele Mokonzi, Muana Molokai (1977)
 Princesse ya Senza, Fleur Betoko, Zonga-Zonga (1978)
 Anibo, Ata Nkale (1979)
 Levre Rose (1979, with Rochereau & Afrisa)
 Telegramme (1979, with Simaro Massiya & OK. Jazz)
 Analengo (1980), Amena (1980, duo with Pepe Kalle)
 Santa, Matebu (1980, first full album in Paris)
 Melina La Parisienne, Ufukutano (1981)
 Evenement, Rendre A Caesar (1982)
 Eliana, Bukavu Dawa (1983)
 Proclamation (1984, in Paris with Ngashie Niarchos)
 Destin ya Moto (1985)
 L'esclave, Papa Wemba – Au Japon (live) (1986)
 Papa Wemba Ekumani (1987)
 M'fono Yami (1989)
 Biloko ya Moto-Adidas Kiesse (1991)
 Le Voyageur (1992)
 Foridoles (1994)
 Emotion (1995)
 Pôle Position (1996)
 Wake-Up (1996, duo with Koffi Olomide)
 Nouvelle Ecriture (1997)
 Molokaï (1998)
 Nouvelle Ecriture dans L (1998)
 Fula Ngenge (1999)
 Muana Matebu(1999)
 A La Une (2000)
 Zea (2001)
 Bakala Dia Kuba (2001)
 Somo Trop (2003)
 Muana Molokaï (2004)
 Ba Zonkion (2005)
 Bravo l'Artiste (2006)
Orchestra Virunga
 Genre: World
 Active: '90s
Biography
Samba Mapangala left Zaire and settled in Kenya in the late '70s. He first led a soukous
band of Zairian musicians called Les Kinois (Kinshasa Boys). When they broke up, he
looked for local talent and formed Virunga, a group that takes soukous and adds
Kenya's benga beat, as well as Western rock and blues influences. ~ J. Poet, All Music
Guide
Virunga Volcano, Feet on Fire
Similar Artists:
Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya, Kanda Bongo Man, Zaiko Langa Langa, M'Bilia Bel,
Papa Wemba, Loketo, Franco, Diblo Dibala, Choc Stars
Influences:
Doctor Nico, Tabu Ley Rochereau
Discography
Loketo
 Genre: World
 Active: '80s, '90s
 Instrument: Guitar
Biography
According to the liner notes of the multi-artist compilation African Ambience: The
Ultimate African Dance Party, released in 2000, Loketo was "a sort of Zairian
supergroup of 'new generation' musicians known for a super-tight, high-energy, show
with spectacular dancing and flawless vocals". One of the most important bands in the
evolution of soukous, Loketo was formed by guitarist Diblo Dibala, shortly after he left
Kanda Bongo Man's band in 1986. With Dibala's guitar interweaving with the powerful
lead vocals of Aurlus Mabele, the keyboard playing of Ronald Rubinel and an energetic
horn section, Loketo quickly became known for its dynamic rhythms and complex
melodies. The group began to disintegrate in 1990, when Dibala and bandmates Freddy
De Majunga (rhythm guitar), Miguel Yamba (bass), and dancers Antoinette Yelessa and
Joelle Esso left to form Matchatcha. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Extra Ball, Super Soukous, Soukous Trouble
Similar Artists:
Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya, Kanda Bongo Man, Zaiko Langa Langa, M'Bilia Bel,
Papa Wemba, Orchestra Virunga, Franco, Diblo Dibala, Choc Stars
Discography
Extra Ball
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Franco
 Birth Name: L'Okanga La Ndju Pene Luambo Makiadi
 Genre: World
 Active: '50s - '80s
 Instruments: Percussion, Guitar
Biography
There's no doubt that Franco was, in every sense of the word, a big man in African
music. Sometimes weighing in at 300 pounds, he also earned his nickname as "The
Sorcerer of the Guitar," making it sing like no one before, with effortless, fluid lines.
Also an accomplished composer and vocalist, Francois Luambo Makiadi remains a
towering figure even in death, probably the greatest the Congo (later Zaire) has ever
produced, and as the leader of the long-running O.K. Jazz group, he was one of the
fathers of the modern Congolese sound. Born in the rural village of Sona Bata, his
family moved to the capital, Leopoldville, when he was still a baby. By the age of ten he
was already the master of a homemade guitar in the Belgian colony. Within a few years
he was exposed to both European music, from missionaries, and the Cuban sounds that
began to spread like wildfire on the radio. He made his recording debut at 15 as part of
the house band for the Loningisa label, where bandleader Henri Bowane dubbed him
Franco, a name that would stick with him for the rest of his life. Although he was
getting plenty of studio work he also formed a band, which debuted in 1955 at the OK
Bar, whose name he took a year later, calling the band O.K. Jazz. Within a year they
were challenging the established stars, Dr. Nico's African Jazz, as the Congo's top
group. Like many musical heroes before and since, Franco had his brushes with
authority throughout his career, and the first came in 1958 when he was jailed for a
motoring offense; he was released to waiting crowds, who hailed him back. In 1960 the
Congo gained independence, and in the ensuing unstable political climate, Franco and
O.K. Jazz, with its constantly changing personnel, headed off to Belgium to record. By
1965, with President Mobutu in power, things became better, and the band was without
doubt the top name in the country, playing the Festival of African Arts in the newly-
renamed capital, Kinshasa, the following year. Franco, as well as being a bandleader,
guitarist, singer, and writer, proved to be a more than adept businessman, forming an
empire to control his music, from the record company to spin-off bands (at one point he
had two versions of O.K. Jazz -- a European one and a Zairean one). He didn't shy away
from political issues on his songs, which resulted in his spending a few nights in jail
several times when he displeased the authorities. Throughout the '60s and '70s, Franco
and his band toured and recorded constantly, although they never managed to crack
America; a brief 1983 jaunt there didn't work out as hoped. In 1980, Franco was named
a Grand Maitre, a huge Zairean honor, and thus became firmly entrenched as part of the
ruling clique in a country that was undergoing massive economic problems. His writing
style changed dramatically, switching to patriotic praise songs and tributes to rich fans
-- a 180 degree turn from the younger man he had once been. He'd ballooned up in
weight in his more mature years as well, although on-stage and in the studio he could
still be an incandescent player and singer. By 1987, rumors were circulating that Franco
was sick, and certainly he was much slimmer. There was, perhaps, a hint in his solo
recording from that year "Attention Na SIDA" ("Beware of AIDS") -- and the disease
would kill him in 1989, sparking four days of national mourning in Zaire befitting a
musical genius and one of the country's icons for over three decades. But he left a big
legacy. Not only did he record hundreds of albums, where he and the band stretched out
their material, but in O.K. Jazz he offered a launching pad for many artists, including
Sam Mangwana, Papa Noel, ose Fan Fan, and a host more. Ultimately, though, he had
the vision to push the music forward, to have bands that could really play and develop
the rumba style, and cope with it when it speeded up into soukous during the late '70s.
And he was justifiably revered as a guitar god, even if he never became fully known in
the West. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
Franco & His All Powerful TPOK Jazz, Mucho Mas, Mario/Les On Dit
Similar Artists:
Papa Noel, Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya, Kanda Bongo Man, Nico & L'African
Fiesta Sukisa, Zaiko Langa Langa, Pepe Kalle, Doctor Nico, M'Bilia Bel, Papa Wemba,
Tabu Ley Rochereau, Orchestra Virunga, Sam Mangwana, Loketo, Diblo Dibala, Choc
Stars
Influences:
Henri Bowane
Followers:
Ricardo Lemvo, Kanda Bongo Man, Ebenezer Obey
Relationship with:
Bavon Marie Marie
Performed Songs By:
Prince Mabiala Youlou
Discography
The Very Best

Rough Guide to of the Rumba Franco & Sam
Attention Na
Franco: Africa's Most Giant of Zaire Mangwana &T.P. OK Still Alive
Sida
Legendary Guitarist Jazz 1980-1982
Buy this CD Buy th
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Diblo Dibala
 Genre: World
 Active: '60s - 2000s
Biography
A virtuosic approach to the guitar has made Diblo Dibala one of the top instrumentalists
of modern African music. Dibala's 1980s recordings with soukous vocalist Kanda
Bongo Man made him an internationally-recognized star. While his band, Loketo,
featuring vocalist Aurul Mabele, failed to match the success of his collaboration with
Bongo Man, Dibala has rebounded with a new group, Matchatcha. A native of
Kisangani, Congo (now Zaire), Dibala moved at the age of six to Kinshasha. Beginning
to play guitar, at the age of twelve, he quickly advanced on the instrument. Within three
years, he was playing well enough to almost beat Zaire's top guitarist, Franco, in a
competition. Franco was so impressed by his playing that Dibala was invited to join his
group, The TPOK Band. Dibala remained with the group for only a short period, going
on to play with Vox Africa, Orchestra Bella Mambo and Bella Bella. Leaving Zaire in
1979, Dibala temporarily settled in Brussels. Two years later, he continued on to Paris,
where he discovered a thriving soukous scene. Hooking up with Kanda Bongo Man, he
played a major role in the success of the 1981 album, Iyole. Dibala's playing on the
album soon made him a much in-demand session player. Although he assembled his
own group, Loketo, Dibala's laid-back personality clashed with the band's lead vocalist,
Aurlus Mabele. In the aftermath of Loketo's disbanding, Dibala formed a new group,
Matchatcha. Named after "a flower that produces an itch", Matchatcha featured ex-
Loketo members Freddy de Majunga on rhythm guitar, Miguel Yamba on bass and
dancers Antoinette Yelessa and Joella Esso. The band was enlarged with the addition of
drummer Komba Bello Mafwala and vocalists Fede Lawu and Otis Mbute. Matchatcha
has undergone a series of personnel changes with only Yelessa and Esso remaining
from the original band. Majunga and Lawu were replaced, in 1992, by French rhythm
guitarist J.P. Kinzaki and vocalists Dely Mpeletu and David Mondo. Yamba was
replaced, later the same year, by bass player Fellyko, who was subsequently replaced by
Djo Mali in 1994. Conga player Serge Bimangou has been added. ~ Craig Harris, All
Music Guide
Super Soukous, Iwooh, O.K. Madame
Similar Artists:
Bozi Boziana, Aurlus Mabele, Souzy Kasseya, Kanda Bongo Man, Zaiko Langa Langa,
Pepe Kalle, M'Bilia Bel, Papa Wemba, Orchestra Virunga, Loketo, Franco, Choc Stars
Influences:
Doctor Nico
Discography

Super Soukous
Iwooh
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Wikipedia
Diblo Dibala
Diblo Dibala is a Congolese soukous musician, known as "Machine Gun" for his speed
and skill on the guitar.
He has played with soukous greats like Kanda Bongo Man, Pepe Kalle, Loketo, and
Arlus Mabele.
Youssou N'Dour
 Genre: World
 Active: '70s - 2000s
 Instruments: Vocals, Drums
Biography
Some of the most exciting sounds to come out of Africa in the late '80s and 1990s have
been produced by Senegal-born vocalist Youssou N'Dour. Although rooted in the
traditional music of his homeland, N'Dour has consistently sought new means of
expression. In addition to recording as a soloist, N'Dour has collaborated with a lengthy
list of influential artists including Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Neneh Cherry, and
Branford Marsalis. According to Rolling Stone, "If any third world performer has a real
shot at the sort of universal popularity last enjoyed by Bob Marley, it's Youssou, a
singer with a voice so extraordinary that the history of Africa seems locked inside it."
A native of the impoverished Media section of Dakar, N'Dour inherited his musical
skills from his mother, a griot (oral historian) who taught him to sing as a child. A
seasoned performer before his teens, N'Dour joined the popular group, the Star Band of
Dakar at the age of 19. Within two years, he had assumed leadership of the group,
which he renamed Super E'toile De Dakar. With the band accompanying his four or five
octave vocals, N'Dour helped to pioneer mbalax, an up-tempo blend of African,
Caribbean, and pop rhythms. Performing for the first time in Europe in 1984, N'Dour
and Super E'toile De Dakar made their North American debut the following year.
N'Dour's talents soon attracted the support of top-rated musicians. In 1986, his vocals
were featured on Paul Simon's Graceland and Peter Gabriel's So. He subsequently
toured around the world as opening act for Gabriel. His greatest exposure came when he
agreed to be a co-headliner, along with Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Tracy
Chapman, on the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! tour in 1988. The same
year, he performed at the much-publicized birthday concert for South African activist
(and president) Nelson Mandela at Wembley Stadium in London.
N'Dour cemented his reputation, in 1989, when he released his first internationally
distributed album, Set, which included a tune, "Shaking the Tree," that he co-wrote with
Gabriel. Signing with Spike Lee's Columbia-distributed 40 Acres & A Mule label, in
1991, N'Dour scored a Grammy nomination with his first effort for the label, Eye's
Open. He continued to seek new outlets for his creativity including an African opera
that premiered at the Paris Opera in July 1993. Recorded in Senegal, N'Dour's album,
The Guide, released in 1994, included his hit duet with Swedish-born vocalist, Neneh
Cherry, "Seven Seconds." A steady stream of greatest hits packages, reissues, singles
and even a few full length records poured out during the late 90's and into the next
century, watching N'Dour work with artists from Etoile de Dakar to Peter Gabriel. ~
Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Discography
Nothing's in
7 Seconds: The Best Egypt Youssou Rough Guide to Vain (Coono du
of Youssou N'Dour N'Dour and Youssou N'Dour & réér) [US]
[Remastered] Buy this His Friends Etoile de Dakar
Buy this CD
CD
Birth of a
Le Grand Bal a Guide
Star Joko: The Link Immigrés/Bitim Rew
Bercy (Wommat)
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CD
Show More Albums
Immigrés
Eyes Open Set The Lion Nelson Mandela
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Show Fewer Albums
Download Youssou N'dour

Wikipedia
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour (born October 1, 1959 in Dakar) is a Senegalese singer. He helped

develop popular music in Senegal, known in the Wolof language as mbalax, a blend of
the country's traditional griot percussion and praise-singing with the Afro-Cuban
arrangements and flavors which made the return trip from the Caribbean to West Africa
in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s and have flourished in West Africa ever since.
Background
Beginning in the mid-1970s the resulting mix was modernized with a gloss of more
complex indigenous Senegalese dance rhythms, roomy and melodic guitar and
saxophone solos, chattering talking-drum soliloquies and, on occasion, Sufi-inspired
Muslim religious chant. This created a new music which was at turns nostalgic,
restrained and stately, or celebratory, explosively syncopated and indescribably funky.
Younger Senegalese musicians steeped in Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, James Brown,
and the whole range of American jazz, soul, and rock music, which Senegal's
cosmopolitan capital, Dakar, had enthusiastically absorbed, were rediscovering their
heritage and seeking out traditional performers, particularly singers and talking
drummers, to join their bands. (The griots—musicians, praise-singers and storyteller-
historians—comprise a distinct hereditary caste in Wolof society and throughout West
Africa.) As it emerged from this period of fruitful musical turbulence, mbalax would
eventually find in Youssou N'Dour the performer who has arguably had more to do with
its shaping than any other individual.
Life
He began performing at the age of 12. Within a couple of years he was performing
regularly with the Star Band, Dakar's most popular group in the early 1970s. Several
members of the Star Band joined Orchestre Baobab about that time.
In 1979, he formed his own ensemble, the Etoile de Dakar. His early work with Etoile
de Dakar was in the typical Latin style popular all over Africa during that time, but in
the 1980s he developed a unique sound when he started his current group, Super Etoile
de Dakar featuring Jimi Mbaye on guitar, bassist Habib Faye, and tama (talking drum)
player Assane Thiam.
Youssou N'Dour is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history. A

renowned singer, songwriter, and composer, Youssou's mix of traditional Senegalese
mbalax with eclectic influences ranging from Cuban samba to hip hop, jazz, and soul
has won him an international fan base of millions. In the West, Youssou has
collaborated with musicians Peter Gabriel, Sting, Neneh Cherry, Wyclef Jean, Paul
Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, Branford Marsalis, and others. In Senegal,
Youssou is a powerful cultural icon actively involved in social issues.
He is endowed with remarkable range and poise, a composer, bandleader, and producer
with a prodigious musical intelligence. The New York Times most recently described his
voice as an "arresting tenor, a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority".
N'Dour absorbs the entire Senegalese musical spectrum in his work, often filtering this
through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside Senegalese culture.
In July 1993, an African opera composed by N'Dour premiered at the Opéra Bastille. He
wrote and performed the official anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup with Axelle Red
"Le Couer des Grands".
N'Dour's major asset is that is strongly grounded in his culture. Even if he chooses to
explore elsewhere, his roots are well established. Some have gone so far as describing
him as the African Artist of the Century (Folk Roots magazine). He has toured
internationally for almost 30 years. He won his first American Grammy Award (best
contemporary world music album) for his CD Egypt in 2005.
In recent years, he has opened his own recording studio, Xippi, as well as his own
record label, Jololi.
N'Dour has associated himself with several social and political issues. In 1985, he
organized a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela. He was a featured performer in
the 1988 worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour and worked with
the United Nations and UNICEF. He also started Project Joko to open internet cafés in
Africa and to connect Senegalese communities around the world. He performed at three
of the Live 8 concerts (in Live 8 concert, London, Live 8 concert, Paris and at the Live
8 concert, Eden Project in Cornwall) on 2 July, 2005, with Dido.
Discography
 Bitim Rew (1984)
 Nelson Mandela (1986)
 Immigrés (1988)
 The Lion (1989) - considered his breakthrough album
 Set (1990)
 Eyes Open (1992)
 Guide (Wommat) (1994)
 Djamil (1996)
 Inedits 84-85 (1997)
 Special Fin D'annee Plus (1999)
 Lii (2000)
 Joko: The Link (2000)
 Rewmi (2000)
 Le Grand Bal (2000)
 St. Louis (2000)
 Le Grand Bal a Bercy (2001)
 Ba Tay (2002)
 Nothing's In Vain (2002)
 Youssou N'Dour and His Friends (2002)
 Kirikou (2004)
 Egypt (2004)
Compilations
 The Best of Youssou N'Dour (1995)

 Immigrés/Bitim Rew (1997)
 Best of the 80's (1998)
 Hey You: The Essential Collection 1988–1990 (1998)
 Birth of a Star (2001)
 Rough Guide to Youssou N'Dour & Etoile de Dakar (2002)
 7 Seconds: The Best of Youssou N'Dour (Remastered) (2004)
Singles
Chart Positions
US US US
Year Title UK European France German Album
Hot Modern Mainstream
Singles Singles Singles Singles
100 Rock Rock
"Shaking
1989 - #9 - - - - - The Lion.
the Tree"
(Single).
"7 Duet with
1994 #98 - - #3 #8 - -
Seconds" Neneh
Cherry.
Nothing's
in Vain
(Coono du
"So
reer).
2002 Many - - - - - # 15 -
(Single).
Men"
Duet with
Pascal
Obispo.
- - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -
Tabu Ley Rochereau
 Birth Name: Tabu Pascal
 Genre: World
 Active: '50s - 2000s
 Instrument: Vocals
Biography
Tabu Ley Rochereau (born Tabu Ley) is one of Africa's most influential vocalists and
one of its most prolific songwriters. Since making his professional debut, in 1954, as a
member of Joseph "Grand Kalle" Kabasele's band, African Jazz, Rochereau has written
more than two thousand songs. Together with his band, Orchestre Afrisa International,
which he formed in 1970, Rochereau has continued to play a major role in the shift from
Congolese, Cuban, and Caribbean rumba to faster-paced soukous. Describing the
musical approach of Rochereau and Orchestre Afrisa International, ired World.3: The
Global Netcast http://www.hotwired.lycos.com wrote, the group's "high-octane soukous
continues to move audiences all over the world by weaving together elements of
Zairean folk music such as the lokole (log drum), the soul and drive of R&B, Latin
syncopation, digital percussion and synthesizers, silken harmonies, and the crystalline
guitar stylings of Tabu Ley's longtime collaborator Huit-Kilos Bimwela Nseka, into a
sophisticatedly sensual, irresistibly danceable, true world music." While he received the
honorary title of "Knight" from Seenegal, Rochereau was named Officer of the National
Order by the Republic of Chad. A member of the Bayanzi people of Zaire (Democratic
Republic of the Congo), Rochereau first attracted attention when he won a singing
contest at the Kinshasa Stadium. Recruited to sing lead for Africa Jazz, he remained
with the group until 1963 when he and guitarist Dr. Nico formed their own group,
African Fiesta. Two years later, Rochereau and Dr. Nico split over artistic differences
with Rochereau forming African Fiesta National also known as African Fiesta Flash.
With Rochereau at the helm, the group became one of the most successful bands in
African history, surpassing record sales of one million copies by 1970. Papa Wemba
and Sam Mangwana were among the many influential African musicians that passed
through the group. In the mid-'70s, African Fiesta National evolved into the larger
group, Orchestre Afrisa International. Rochereau emigrated to the United States in the
early-'90s. He continues to reside in Southern California. ~ Craig Harris, All Music
Guide
Omana Wapi, Babeti Soukous, Africa Worldwide: 35th Anniversary Album
Similar Artists:
Joseph Kabasele, African Fiesta National, African Fiesta, African Jazz, Jean Bosco
Mweda, Youssou N'Dour, Fela Kuti, Nico & L'African Fiesta Sukisa, Doctor Nico,
Papa Wemba, Sam Mangwana, Franco, King Sunny Ade
A Member of the Group:
Grand Kalle & l'African Jazz

Followers:
Orchestra Virunga
Discography
Babeti
Muzina Soukous
Africa Worldwide: 35th
Tempelo Man from
Anniversary Album Buy this
Kinshasa Buy this CD
Buy this CD CD
Buy this CD
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Omana
Tabu Ley
Wapi
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Tabu Ley Rochereau

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Wikipedia
Tabu Ley Rochereau
Taby Ley Rochereau

Tabu Ley Rochereau (born 1940 Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo as
Pascal Tabu) is bandleader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa's
most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico
Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous, the music that has delighted Africans for four
decades. He internationalized his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music
with Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American rhumba.
In 1954 at the age of fourteen, Tabu Ley wrote his first song Bessama Muchacha which
he recorded with Joseph "Grand Kalle" Kabasele's band, African Jazz. After finishing
high school he joined the band as a full time musician. Tabu Ley sang the pan-African
hit Independence cha cha which was composed by Grand Kalle when Congo was
declared an independent nation in 1960, propelling him to instant fame. He remained
with African Jazz until 1963 when he and Dr Nico Kasanda formed their own group,
African Fiesta. Two years later, Tabu Ley and Dr. Nico split and Tabu Ley formed
African Fiesta National, also known as African Fiesta Flash. The group became one of
the most successful bands in African history, recording African classics like Afrika
Mokili Mobimba, and surpassing record sales of one million copies by 1970. Papa
Wemba and Sam Mangwana were among the many influential African musicians that
were part of the group.
In 1970, Tabu Ley formed Orchestre Afrisa International. Along with Franco Luambo's
TPOK Jazz, Afrisa was now one of Africa's greatest band. They recorded hits such as
Sorozo, Kaful Mayay, Aon Aon and Mose Konzo.
In the mid 1980s Tabu Ley discovered a young talented singer and dancer, M'bilia Bel,
who helped popularise his band further. M'bilia Bel became the first female soukous
singer to gain acclamation throughout Africa. Tabu Ley and M'bilia Bel later got
married and had one child together. In 1988 Tabu Ley introduced another female
vocalist known as Faya Tess, and M'bilia Bel left and continued to be successful on her
own. After M'bilia Bel's departure Afrisa's influence along with that of their rivals
TPOK Jazz continued to wane as fans gravitated toward the faster version of Soukous.
In the early 1990s he briefly settled in Southern California. He began to tailor his music
towards an International audience by including more English lyrics and by increasing
more international dance styles such as Samba. He found success with the release of
albums such as Muzina, Exil Ley, Africa worldwide and Babeti soukous.
In 1996, Tabu Ley participated in the album Gombo Salsa by the salsa music project
Africando. The song "Paquita" from that album is a remake of a number he sung in the
late 1960s with African Fiesta.
In 1985 the Government of Kenya banned all foreign music from the National Radio
service. After Tabu Ley composed the song "Twende Nairobi" ("Let's go to Nairobi"),
sung by M'bilia Bel, in praise of Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi, the ban was
promptly lifted.
When President Mobutu Sese Seko was dethroned in the late 90s, Tabu Ley returned to
Kinshasa and took up a position as a cabinet minister in the government of new
President Laurent Kabila. Following Kabila's death, Tabu Ley is still continuing in the
same capacity under new President Joseph Kabila.
Awards
 Honorary Knight of Senegal
 Officer of the National Order, the Republic of Chad

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Prince Nico Mbarga

 Birth Name: Nicholas Mbarga

Aki Special, Sweet Mother, Free Education

Sweet Mother is Africa's anthem

Chosen from a shortlist of 10, the 1976 hit celebrating motherhood

Beti gatherings fall into two major categories:

The big bands

The Paris scene

Cultural origins: African slaves in Havana

Typical Quinto and tumbadoras

Mainstream Significant in Latin America and

Guaguanco, columbia, and yambú

Chachacha - Salsa music

Ballroom Rumba and Rhumba

Later, Prohibition in the United States caused a flourishing of the relatively-tolerated

Music of Cuba: Topics

Batá and yuka Chachachá

Jazz Hip hop

Mambo Música campesina

Nueva trova Pilón

Salsa cubana Son

Son montuno Timba

Awards Beny Moré Award

National anthem "La Bayamesa"

Bahamas - Bermuda - Cayman Islands - Cuba -

Translations for: Rumba

Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zaiko Langa Langa

Kanda Bongo Man

Soukous in Central Park

Kanda Bongo Man

Kanda Bongo Man

Yalowa, Phénoméne, Bameli Soy

Performed Songs By:

Franck Curier, Rigo Star

Ba Gerants Ya Mabala Paka Wewe: CD cover

"M'Fono Yami," "Bakwetu," "Bokulaka"

L' Esclave, Emotion, Le Voyageur

Is Also Known As:

Zaiko Langa Langa

Performed Songs By:

Kito Dembela, Lokua Kanza, Christian Polloni, Maika Munan

Bakala Dia Kuba

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Papa Wemba MP3s

High and low times

He appeared again in a French court on 25 October 2004. And in November 2004, he

Virunga Volcano, Feet on Fire

Doctor Nico, Tabu Ley Rochereau

Extra Ball, Super Soukous, Soukous Trouble

Ricardo Lemvo, Kanda Bongo Man, Ebenezer Obey

Bavon Marie Marie

Performed Songs By:

Prince Mabiala Youlou

The Very Best

Super Soukous, Iwooh, O.K. Madame

Download Youssou N'dour

Youssou N'Dour (born October 1, 1959 in Dakar) is a Senegalese singer. He helped

Youssou N'Dour is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history. A

 The Best of Youssou N'Dour (1995)

Omana Wapi, Babeti Soukous, Africa Worldwide: 35th Anniversary Album

A Member of the Group:

Grand Kalle & l'African Jazz