Rumba Chronicles

TABULEY'S AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONALE

October 25, 2024 - 05:44 AM TABULEY'S AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONALE TRUMPETERS Willy mbembe, Vieux Biolo, Jean trompette GUITARISTS Lokassa Ya Mbongo (rhythm) partly hidden,, the late Atel Mbumba (soloist) and my friend Mzee Faugus Izeidi on mi solo This was the same lineup that travelled for the Olympia historic concert. A typical song done by this lineup is hortense, a Ndombe Opetum composition of 1970. Remember the band rebranded to Afrisa International after the Olympia tour Jabulani Radio Livestream Next Track Track History ...

TSHITA TSHIMA aka JEAN JEAN

October 17, 2024 - 04:23 AM TSHITA TSHIMA aka JEAN JEAN By the Jerome Ogola We are still celebrating Grand Maitre, the King of African music, who died on 12th October 1989. Music is teamwork and so it is very inaccurate to credit the success of OKJ to Franco alone. For a song to come into existence, it takes the input of several players. The composer only creates a skeleton which is made perfect by the expertise of others. These others aren't necessarily musicians and they too merit some recognition. At any given time, OKJ had a galaxy of stars, from within and outside the frontiers of DRC. Dele Pedro the alto saxman is Nigerian, Musekiwa the tenor saxophonist was Zimbabwean. Mangwana the singer was born......

THE TEAM THAT BLEW OK JAZZ TO SUCCESS

October 05, 2024 - 04:48 PM THE TEAM THAT BLEW OK JAZZ TO SUCCESS In our series of understanding the brains behind the success of OKJ, as part of celebrating Franco's legacy to mark the 35th anniversary of his death, we seek to closely examine the team's wind instrument section. This was an integral part of the ensemble since its inception. For beginners, Congolese rumba is most clustered into five or six generations for the purpose of study, and this is done in chronology, with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and/ or sixth, as we have dealt with it deeply in a separate post. The sax made an entry into Congolese music during the second generation but became more prominent during the second and died......

THE GUITAR PHILOSOPHY OF CONGOLESE RUMBA

September 16, 2024 - 06:33 PM THE GUITAR PHILOSOPHY OF CONGOLESE RUMBA Every ensemble has a specific genre of music they specialize in. It is the type of music the band does that determines the guitar arrangements. Congolese rumba features a minimum of three guitars: the bass, the rhythm, and the solo. The music also features percussions and drums as part of the major ingredients, and saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, trombones, keyboards, additional guitars, and others follow in as spices. The guitars are very easy to differentiate. The bass guitar is played from a special, four-stringed (five, six, or even more in some cases, as is the case with my good friend Sammy Kasule's) instrument. The product is what comes......

Morris "Moreno" Batamba Wenda

August 26, 2024 - 11:06 AM Morris "Moreno" Batamba Wenda, best known for his deep bass voice, was born in Kisangani, Zaire, Congo, in 1955. He quit school in 1971 to join Orchestre Maquis Sasa Bata. He moved to Uganda in 1974 and joined Orchestra Bana Moja of singer Jojo Ikomo. He later moved to Nairobi and the group was renamed Bana Ngenge, the name depended on who was in charge of the group. The group broke up in 1975 and Moreno & Jojo joined Les Noirs. Sadly, Moreno died young too young, in 1993 in Nairobi at just 38 years old, just as he was on the rise to stardom, with an album riding high in the Kenyan charts and a solid fan base throughout East Africa who appreciated his sultry, silky-smooth, bass......

Biography of Longomba, "Vicky" (Longomba Besange Lokuli, Victor)

August 18, 2024 - 06:25 AM Biography of Longomba, "Vicky" (Longomba Besange Lokuli, Victor) Outstanding Congolese singer and band leader, Vicky was born in Kinshasa on December 13, 1932, and passed away in Kinshasa on March 12, 1988. Vicky began his career in 1953 at the CEFA recording studio in colonial Léopoldville (now Kinshasa). Singing tenor, often in combination with other studio singers Roger Izeidi and François Engbondu as Les Trois Caballeros, Vicky recorded songs in the emerging Congolese rumba style. Among his early recordings were "Chérie Awa" (Darling Awa) and "Congo ya Sika" (New Congo). As CEFA verged on bankruptcy in 1955, Vicky moved to the Loningisa studio. There, in 1956, he......

Biography of Quatre Etoiles (Four Stars)

August 16, 2024 - 04:22 AM Biography of Quatre Etoiles (Four Stars).Congolese rumba band, formed 1982. Bopol Mansiamina (born Kinshasa, June 27, 1949; bass, guitar), Syran M'Benza (born Kinshasa, May 31, 1950; guitar), Nyboma Mwan Dido (born Nyoki, Congo-Kinshasa, Dec. 24, 1952; vocal), Wuta Mayi (born Kinshasa, Aug. 3, 1949; vocal).The Quatre Etoiles came together in Paris in 1982 under the auspices of producer Ouattara Moumouni. Bopol and Syran had been working off and on in Paris ever since the African All Starssplit up in 1979. At their urging, former Bella Bellasinger Nyboma left Togo, where he had been working with other remnants of the All Stars, and moved to Paris at the beginning of 1982. The trio became a......

Orchestra Les Noirs

July 29, 2024 - 04:16 PM Orchestra Les Noirs was formed in Kinshasa in 1966 and released two albums in East Africa in the early 1970s. There are speculations that the band may have had two branches, one based in Congo and one on tour, as well as a possible merger with an East African band called City Five, led by Chuza Kabaselle. The band members included:Hassan Omari Kalonzi Braink Kuka Mwana Bitala Makwanzi Duki Mukaputu Kalembi N'Dala Mobangi N'Talu Nkatu Ndongo Amani Teka Seke Chuza Kabaselle Mbawo Mutella Weteto.Yassin Juma: I think some are confusing between Les Kinois and Les Noirs (The Blacks).Steve Osieyo Opines "They were in Nairobi for Saturday TV program Salamu Zenu. At the same time, they......

Rumba Chronicles

TABULEY'S AFRICAN FIESTA NATIONALE

TSHITA TSHIMA aka JEAN JEAN

THE TEAM THAT BLEW OK JAZZ TO SUCCESS

THE GUITAR PHILOSOPHY OF CONGOLESE RUMBA

Morris "Moreno" Batamba Wenda

Biography of Longomba, "Vicky" (Longomba Besange Lokuli, Victor)

Biography of Quatre Etoiles (Four Stars)

Orchestra Les Noirs

News

Jabulani Library (215)

Jabulani Swahili (8)

Rumba Chronicles (18)

Trending (0)

Programs

Rumba Fiesta by The Rumba Monk

Soukous Fever

Rhumba Overdose Show Replay

Bahari ya Zilizopendwa

Echoes of Africa Show

Jabulani African Hits

Latest podcasts

Legend Franco Luambo Makaidi

Find us on

Contact us