ANOTHER AFRISA BIG NAME

NDOMBE OPETUM: ANOTHER AFRISA BIG NAME

By Jerome Ogola 

Opetum, also called Pepe Ndombe, is easily one of the biggest names, in the second generation of Congolese music, the generation that also produced Grand Kalle of African Jazz and Franco of OK Jazz.

Ndombe Opetum sang with two of Congo's greatest musical outfits, OKJ and Afrisa International. He carved a niche for himself while appearing for African Fiesta National in 1968.

The Tabuley-led band, ran into loggerheads with the Mobutu administration, over its failure to appear for an end-year concert, prompting its ban, from performing for a short period.

This led to a mass exodus of musicians, among them singer Mangwana, guitarist Guvano, Bokassa, and others, who went to create Festival Des Maquisards.

When the ban was lifted, Ley had to recruit new musicians, among them singers Ndombe Opetum, Rene Kasanda, guitarists Attel Mbumba, Michelino, Lokassa Ya Mbongo, and others.

Opetum, stamped his authority in the band with his own compositions, hortense, longo, among other love ballads which he sang sentimentally with the guitar backup of the stylish Attel Mbumba, Faugus Izeidi, and Lokassa Ya Mbongo.

He also did "basi basalaka", "alici","aime", "mutambula", etc etc. He also sang in many more composed by others 

He performed with the band in the 1970 Olympia concert, which saw the band rebrand to Afrisa, on return from Paris, from the concert. Later, still, in early 1972, he teamed up with two guitar wizards, Dino Vangu on solo and Vata Mombasa on rhythm, to create Afrisa.

With this band, he composed "kenga", "antale mokitani ya hortense", mbimba bika", and participated in many more some not necessarily his own compositions.

Still in the early 70s, Afrizam rebranded to Makina Loka, with a new lineup of personnel. With this new band, he did "zongisa bolingo" etc etc.

Ndombe's fate seemed to be intertwined with that of Mangwana. After Maquisards, Mangwana joined OKJ and upon his departure, Opetum joined the band. This was in the mid-70s. He sang in numerous albums among them his own composition, "Voyage na bandundu".

This particular song remains very memorable. It was his magnum opus. It is a solo performance, meaning he sings it all alone. The song features a great guitar formation of his former Afrisa college, killer soloist Michelino with Gege Mangaya on rhythm, and the sax team led by Loway and Pedro gave out their best.

The song, narrating a literal boat journey, in the waters of the great River Congo locally known as "Ebale Ya Zaire" from Kinshasa to Bandundu, through the timber town of Nioki (mboka mabaya) is actually a figurative journey from Afrisa to OK Jazz, as he sums it up by mentioning Vicky and Brazzos who had adopted a similar path before. 

He also composed "bena", "Heritier", and featured in the band's premier lineup which also had Josky Kiambukuta, Wuta Mayi, Boyibanda, Youlou Mabiala, and others.

He would use his low baritone to create harmony with the high tenors of Boyibanda, Youlou, Josky, and others.

In the early 80s, he left OKJ to team up with Loway, who they had played with in Afrisa and later OKJ, Mngwana, and others to create a band called Tiers Monde, which didn't last long.

He made a grand comeback to OKJ after Franco's death and excelled in his own compositions "Angela" and "Tawaba", both featuring Dizzy Mandjeku on solo. He stayed with Bana OK after OKJ disbanded in 1993 and made a remarkable contribution to the band's catalog in the late 90s.

His song "Nayebi ndenge bakolela ngai" which he said in the mid-80s, which literally translates to "I know how they will mourn me" that's upon his death, was some kind of premonition, foretelling how we, his fans would mourn him after his demise.

He sang the same for Madilu, upon the latter's death, and today we will sing for him the same song, to mourn this great musician. 

Opetum, who would be 77 years old this year, was born in Bandundu in DRC. One writer, observed that despite the enormous deposits of minerals hidden in the ground Congo's leading export is music, it is worth noting that Ndombe Opetum was one of the talents that made the country's music what it was.

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