January 23, 2025 - 09:00 AM
"Simplify it," Franco suggested persuasively."We have a long list of songs to rehearse," The late Grand Maitre Luambo had descended a floor down the Un-Deux-Trois building, from the UMUZA office to the ground floor where the band was practising, to intervene. At the time, Grand Maitre Luambo headed UMUZA, the musician's association, as such it was headquartered at his club, Un-Deux-Trois, which housed his orchestra, OK Jazz.From his offices one floor up, he had heard the band guitarists mark time, struggling to master some jazz chords that had been introduced to them by Papa Noel, who insisted that they had to master.Franco, himself being an astute guitarist who manoeuvered the......
January 23, 2025 - 05:00 AM
Although most gods are atheists in the sense that none admit they were created by anyone, at least Dr. Nico, the guitar god, boldly admitted that he was a creation of his elder brother Charles Mwamba, aka Dechaud, musically speaking.
It was Charles Mwamba who taught Nico how to arrange his fingers on the fretboard and strum an acoustic guitar, which he often carried home from their practice sessions with musicians signed at Opika, where the evolution of African Jazz began.
However, the student learned quickly and surpassed the teacher in stature. In matters of guitar, Nico wasn't just smarter than his brother; he was possibly more skillful and creative than every other guitarist to ever......
January 22, 2025 - 04:51 PM
Koffi released V12 around 1995 as he emerged as a leader in the Congolese and African music landscape. The following is a review of different aspects of V12 that will hopefully help you understand it better and perhaps appreciate it more. We will be looking at the recording, artistic aspects, quality of songs, and themes explored by the album.
Label and Recording
Koffi worked on producing the album with Sonodisc, a company with a good record track in African music production. Koffi and the team recorded V12 at Studio Plus XXX in Paris, and Koffi surrounded himself with clever sound professionals like Hilaire Kashal, aka Maika Munan, and Yves Delaunay. Quartier Latin band helped......
January 21, 2025 - 05:05 PM
NUTA Jazz Band was a cornerstone of Tanzania's dance music landscape, celebrated for its unique sound and legendary members. Among the key figures were prolific singer-composer Muhiddin Maalim Gurumo, talented guitarist Abel Balthazar, and renowned singer-composer Hassani Bitchuka. These three influential musicians would later join forces again in the iconic Mlimani Park Orchestra, performing at the Mlimani Park Bar in Mwenge, Dar es Salaam. The band's brass section was equally impressive, featuring Joseph Lusungu on trumpet and Mnenge Ramadhani on saxophone, who both played vital roles in shaping the band’s sound.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Tanzanian jazz bands like NUTA Jazz were......
January 18, 2025 - 12:00 PM
'Mongongo kitoko, tokozua yango lisusu wapi?'
This is Tabuley in his song, In Memoriam, in which he collaborated with another titan, Franco. In the song, he is extolling the greatness of Grand Kalle, wondering aloud where the music world can find such a melodious voice, now that the musician is no more.
Tabuley himself was considered one of the greatest voices of Rumba Congolaise. For him to declare that someone is as great means that person was exceptionally good.
American jazz musician Yves François, who heads a group known as Rocambu (whose name was largely inspired by the Congolese studio ensemble of the late 1950s, Rock A Mambo), also once stated that of all singers of the......
January 18, 2025 - 09:27 AM
'In the earlier days of my career, I really strived to play like Dr. Nico'
Pierre Mandjeku Lengo, also known as Dizzy Mandjeku, is an ace soloist who played with Conga 68, Orchestra Veve, Orchestra Bella Bella, Orchestra Kossa Kossa, Afrisa International, African All Stars, and OK Jazz among other bands.
'I emulated Dr Nico's style and that of Guvano, in the nascent days of my career, before eventually developing my own style.'
Dizzy narrated to Jabulani.
Also known as 'Dieu De La Guitare' or 'the god of the guitar', Nico played a monumental role in pushing the electric guitar to occupy the central position in rumba Congolaise, essentially creating a drift from the Cuban rumba,......
January 18, 2025 - 08:30 AM
Katika miaka ya 1960 na 1970, bendi za jazz za Tanzania kama NUTA Jazz mara nyingi zilihusishwa na mashirika ya serikali na ya umma, ambayo yalitoa fursa ya kupata vifaa vilivyokuwa vigumu kupatikana, kama vile vyombo vya muziki na vifaa vya sauti. Kwa mfano, NUTA Jazz ilihusishwa na Umoja wa Wafanyakazi wa Tanzania. Baadaye umoja huu ulibadilika kuwa JUWATA (Jumuiya ya Wafanyakazi Tanzania) na hatimaye kujiita OTTU (Shirikisho la Vyama vya Wafanyakazi Tanzania).
Muziki wa NUTA Jazz ulipendwa sana na watazamaji, hasa nyimbo zilizokuwa upande wa A wa albamu zao. Hata hivyo, mashabiki wengi walipendelea zaidi upande wa B, ambao ulijumuisha nyimbo za J.K.T. Kimbunga. Pia maarufu kama Kimbunga......
January 18, 2025 - 08:13 AM
Muziki ni muziki tu. Sauti nzuri, mashairi mazuri, na ala nzuri, labda kazi nzuri ya gita kutoka kwa wanamuziki wa ubunifu wa hali ya juu, saksofoni na zingine.
Muziki pia unakusudiwa kupigwa dansi, ambayo inafafanua utupu wa mantiki katika baadhi ya mashairi. Kwa kweli, baadhi ya muziki, kama Jazz, hata hayana mashairi kabisa; badala yake, ni mazungumzo ya ala za muziki kati ya ngoma na vyombo vya upepo.
Muziki unabaki kuwa hivyo hadi, mtu anapomtaja mfalme wa muziki wa Congo, Simaro Lutumba ambaye alileta kipengele cha kipekee cha rumba ya Kikonjo, na uandishi wa nyimbo zenye maudhui ya kifalsafa na ya kudadisi.
Licha ya kuwa na ala za muziki zinazochochea kama ile ya wanamuziki bora......
January 16, 2025 - 12:00 PM
THE HIDDEN VOCAL GEM
Wuta Mayi(from the water) was with TP OK JAZZ in the 1970s before leaving to join Syran Mbenza, Nyboma Mwandido, and Bopol Mansiamina to form the Four stars/4 etoiles in 1982.
Sometimes I feel they had a side band known as KASS KASS fronted by the late Jean Pappy Ramazani and the late Passi Jo, anyway the late Bopol Mansiamina used to play solo, rhythm, and bass. The guy was gifted, just like the late Nene Tchakou who used to play solo and rhythm guitar.
I learned yesterday that after independence in 1960/61 somehow the Musicians from Congo Brazzaville opted to go back home, Franco had no vocalists since he used to play the solo guitar in the background, that's......
January 15, 2025 - 06:56 PM
Intro
Hé, hé, hé
Oli, oli, oh
verse
Tumezaa na wewe watoto wanane
Sasa waniwacha
Unasema umechoka na mimi masikini
Sasa wanitupa
Niende wapi? Na nifanye nini?
Watoto wanalia huko nyumbani
Lakini hizo mambo ni za duniani
Ume weka raha mbele, wewe uni oni, Njoki
chorus
Mbona umeniacha
Umeniachia watoto
Mpaka wanalia huko nyumbani, Njoki
Mbona umenitupa
Kama na figure yako
Ndiyo kama ya chupa, Njoki wewe
verse
Mimi ndiyo mpenzi
Usitupe eti mimi sina mali
Tafadhali hao wa mapenzi, wako na pesa
Alafu hawana mapenzi
Hiyo ni kweli, Chameleone......
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