PAPA NOEL: GUITAR GENIUS, NOT A CHRISTMAS STORY

PAPA NOEL: GUITAR GENIUS, NOT A CHRISTMAS STORY.

A lie that's told repeatedly, finally wears a gown and graduates into a truth, especially if an authentic truth is coming out, from any direction of trust. 

Was the fallen giant of Congolese music, Papa Noel aka Nedule Montswet born on Christmas as oftentimes alleged?
No! Papa Noel, popularly known as Ya Nono, especially by his peers, told the Diamant Noir (Black Diamond TV) that he wasn't born on Christmas day of 1940 or of any other year.

Of course, no one knows anyone better than themselves, as such, it is very sad to conclude that Papa Noel wasn't born on Christmas. This relegation comes with a domino effect on other popular beliefs regarding this top musician. 

Supposedly, it is from the date of birth that the musician is supposed to have gotten the name Noel. So if he wasn't born on any Christmas, what's the origin of the name Noel? He gave his accurate date of birth as 29th December 1940.

The fallen giant went ahead to elucidate this aspect to the inquisitive host in the interview. He says he was the only boy among a long list of female siblings, and that's how he earned to sobriquet 'papa' which as a title, is associated with respect and even some level of adoration, in many cultures. His parents named him Antoine Nedule Montswet, the last two being family names rooted in their clan. He grew up as Antoine Nedule Montswet with his peers preferring the moniker Papa, until when a little later in life.

Antoine Nedule Montswet akan Papa learned his to play guitar under the tutelage of Daniel Lubuelo, aka De La Lune who was by mid-1950s an established musician. He was among the founding sextet at OKJ and also appeared for Le Bantous De La Capitale in their first lineup in 1959.

Nedule's first fully professional engagement as a musician was in 1965 when he backed up Leon Bukasa, a first-generation Congolese musician, on guitar. The song 'Clara Badimwene' was the magic bullet that the teenage guitar sensation needed to gain recognition and a reputation as an astute guitarist. 

So when he felt the need to get himself a stage name, the task became as easy as reading the name LEON, the name of his mentor backward, and he became NOEL. It was Leon who took him to Ngoma Studios for his very first recording. This is according to Papa Noel himself. He carried the name all his entire music journey, and since no source of authority, to debunk the myth, the falsehoods were regurgitated and even captured by sources of authority, until he made the revelations. Is his date of birth and the origin of the name the only misinformation about the musician? No. Many abound. In an attempt to enumerate his success in music, many commentators have had to list his compositions with the bands he played with. 

This is a faulty yardstick to gauge the depth of his musical abilities. His primary role as a musician was to play guitar. Although he was equally a good composer, relying on the songs he composed to showcase his capabilities will definitely give a wrong reading. He did quite well composing from his early days with Bantous all along, but to accurately capture his contribution to Congolese music we have to look beyond this and capture all his involvement in music. 

As a tribute to the fallen giant, Alastair Johnston lined up the following songs in a podcast posted on the Muzikifan page:

Vox Africa "Zaire eboya ngai (Zaire is very beautiful)" Naluki yo trop Elodie
Bana Congo "Soukous son" Cafe Noir 2007
Bana Congo "Combinacion de Soneros" 2002
Papa Noel et le duo incomparable "Haute tension" with Wuta Mayi & Carlyto Lassa
Leon Bukasa "Monique wa baba" Ngoma: the soul of Congo
Maquina Loca "Bango oyo" Ngoma: the soul of Congo
Vox Africa "Oyo zuwa (Come on)" orig: Lokole
Vox Africa "Mama na Didier" Compilation 1968 orig: Edivox
Papa Noel "Bon samaritain" Nono
Bantou Jazz "Bolingo botioli (Love is a threat)" Merveilles du passé vol 1
OK Jazz "Mobali malamu (Good morning)" Keba na matraque / Quart Siècle vol 1

This is a brief but accurate illustration of his greatness as it goes beyond his own compositions. 

To further illustrate how good he was, in the Bon Samaritan album, he played both solo and rhythm. This shows he was an all-round musician, comfortable with all guitars. He was indeed a giant of African music with immense contributions to the evolution and development of the genre. The world of music is so seriously bereaved by his demise.

By Jerome Ogola

Jabulani Radio Livestream

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