Ambiance Congo for Sunday October 26, 2008

This edition was broadcast during WRIR's semi-annual fundraiser.

WRIR is nonprofit community radio that depends upon public support.

The program was chosen, primarily, from requests and new music.

Here are a few album covers.

Did you miss it? Down load it here:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2orRm83TERxRTAwTVE9PQ

Here's the track list.

1) King Kester Emeneya

sebene from DORIS ILOKO (this program's theme song)

from the CD PAS DE CONTACT

Black Music

2)Malage De Lugendo

LA CIBLE

from the CD SMS

Ebherliss Record

3)Fidele Zizi

UN OUVRIER QUALIFIE feat. Master Mwana Congo*

from the LP MA MUSIQUE A MOI

AfroRythmes

4)Papa Noel

MAKOLO TAMBOLA

from the LP ZA MOKE

Rythmes Et Musique

5)Orchestre Canon Du Zaire

AZIZA MON AMOUR *

from the LP DJO MPOY / JOSKY

Africamania

6)Maray Maray

ZALOMETI

from the LP MARAY / JOSKY / ESPERANT

Production T. Mayala

7)Emma Vuiti

DOROTINA

from the LP BLACK BORSALINO 2

Ets. Kaluila

8)Titina Alcapone

ELEGANT

from the CD AFFAIRE A SUIVRE

Sound Africa

9)Werra Son & Wenge Maison Mere

RETOUR INTERDIT

from the CD TEMPS PRESENT MAYI YA SIKA VOL. 1

Duo D'Enfer

10)Celeo Scram

AMOUR CHIFFONIER

from the CD NZOTO NA NZOTO

Kiki Toure

11)Zaiko Langa Langa *

KABOBO

from the LP

TALA MOKILI ECHANGER

Prozal

12)Empire Bakuba

TRAHISON

from the LP LASSISSI PRESENTE EMPIRE BAKUBA

Sacodis

*=by request

Rochereau Vol. 1 - 8

A little while ago, I featured songs from a series of albums by the Choc Stars.
Another great series of albums was produced in the early 80s by the Disco Stock label of Abidjan. These are the eight volumes of Tabu Ley and L'Afrisa International, simply called ROCHEREAU VOL. 1 -8.
Please find a link to download songs from these albums at the bottom of this post.

The first four were recorded in 1981 in Kinshasa as co-productions of INA and Disco Stock.
Of these four, three were titled ROCHEREAU A ABIDJAN and featured compositions by Tabu Ley, Kiesse Diambu, Dino Vangu, Empompo Loway and others.

From Vol. I we start out with the very first song, a favorite of mine, called PAPY NITHO.

From Vol. II, again the first song. This one a Kiesse Diambu composition called ZUWA TE.

and from Vol. III, here's a version of Tabu Ley's O' Hambe. Another, later version of this song is on his wonderful 1985-86 album HAFFI DEO.

With Vol. 4 we see a few changes. The albums are no longer called ROCHEREAU A ABIDJAN, but the titles reference specific songs instead like PONCE PILATE and JALOUSIE MAL PLACEE.

Although we hear the guitar of Docteur Nico on earlier volumes, on Vol. 4 he is called to the forefront and pictured on the sleeve (see the post on Docteur Nico's late work and hear another song form the album here: http://ambiancecongo.blogspot.com/2008/08/docteur-nico-la-roue-qui-tourne.html )

From Vol. 4, please listen to MONUMENT.

For the song from Vol. 5, you will want to crank it up! ON A RACONTE is a song worthy of the highest volume you can give it! Yes they are indeed dancing on the sleeve there. Try to stand still for this one.

Vol. 6 is not my favorite in the series, although M. MALONGA is a very fine song.

With Vol.s 7 & 8, I can rely only on the changing availability of Congolese albums in the USA.

I do not know exactly what happened with the Disco Stock label, but my guess is that they began releasing albums on this side of the Atlantic in cooperation with Makossa Records, a label associated with the African Record Centre stores in NYC and Washington DC. Although this may or may not have had a down side, the up side was that the 80s saw a mini boom in the sales of Congolese albums and interest in African music in general in the USA.

The only copies I was able to find in the 1980s of these last two albums were on the combined label Disco Stock/Makossa. I think that these songs were simply pulled from other albums and put together as compilations. Good choices though!

Vol. 7 features M'Bilia Bel on two of the four songs.

From this one, as well as from Vol. 8, I have included a version of Tabu Ley's MPEVE YA LONGO. The first is sung by M'Bilia Bel, the second by Rochereau himself.

Which do you prefer?

Here are the songs:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2o5TXRkRkUzeUpjR0E9PQ

JB MPIANA: Back in the USA in Novemeber!

Papa Cherie will bring his band to the DC area Friday November 14.
I hope to see you there!
Want a preview? Here you may find some good pictures of the Atlanta concert last month:
http://vibesdafrique.proboards83.com/index.cgi?board=2&action=display&thread=1583

Ambiance Congo for Sunday October 12, 2008

I welcome my dear brother and friend, Fred Ambiso, back to the program for this afternoon.

Today marked the 19th anniversary of the passing of Le Grand Maitre Franco. We started off with Franco's music and music from artists who worked with him.

Later, we heard a few new tracks from Felix Wazekwa, Koffi Olomide and others. And the omnipresent "MORE"....Choc Stars, Minzoto Wella-Wella...

Did you miss it? Download it here:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2o4clVQYWJGOFEwTVE9PQ

Here is today's tracklist:

1)King Kester Emeneya

sebene from DORIS ILOKO

from the CD PAS DE CONTACT

Black Music

2)L'Orchestre Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz

MABY feat. Josky Kiambukuta *

from the CD HERITAGE DU GRAND MAITRE FRANCO

Sans Frontieres

3)Michel Boyibanda

MAYALA LELE

from the LP EBUBKA SYSTEM'S

Ets. Veve International

4)Verckys Et L'Immortel Veve

RADIO MATANGA

from the LP PARIS-DAKAR

Ets. Veve International

5)Franco & T.P. O.K. Jazz *

live track TOKOMA BA COMARADE PAMBA

6)Franco & T.P. O.K. Jazz *

ALIMATOU

from the CD FRANCO, SIMARO ET LE T.P. O.K. JAZZ 1974/1975

Sonodisc/African

7)Lutumba Simaro Massiya

KADIMA feat. Alain Mpela

from the CD VIVEMENT SIMARO MERCI L'ARTISTE

Diego Music

8)Jah Man Geko Bouro Mpela

PALPITEUR

from the CD VICE DE PROCEDURE

Duo D'Enfer

9)Feliz Wazekwa "Monstre"

WILSON MIGUEL

from the CD QUE DEMANDE LE PEUPLE?

Production Fondation Wazekwa

10)Titina Al Capone

TOURBILLION

from the CD AFFAIRE DE SUIVRE

Sound Africa

11)Koffi Olomide

FESTIVAL feat. Youssou N'Dour *

from the CD KOFFI

Diego Music

12)Minzoto Wella-Wella

EKANGA

from the LP MALEMBE KIDIBA CHANT

K-Dance Productions

13)Choc Stars

MOKOLO OTIKAKI NGAI

from the LP RETROUVAILLES A PARIS VOL.1

Rythmes Et Musique

14)J.B. M'Piana & Wenge BCBG

Y'A PAS MATCH!f

rom the CD BONNE ANNEE

Simon Music-SIPE

15)Desi Mbwese & Viva La Musica

PROCES VERBAL

from the CD PROCES VERBAL

Sonodisc

*=by request

Choc Stars: Retrouvailles A Paris

One of the greatest multiple album sets of Congolese music is, in my opinion, the incredible four LP series, CHOC STARS RETROUVAILLES A PARIS on the Rythmes et Musique label. This is a set that I return to time and time again with joy and pleasure. Astonishingly enough, this set has never made it to CD reissue. In today's era of double CDs stuffed with filler between the good songs, I am always nostalgic for this wonderful set of albums where every song is is an "A-Side".

I bought Volumes 1, 3 and 4 one day when these were new some 20 odd years ago. My favorite record store did not have Volume 2 that day and it took me until two years ago to locate a clean copy to complete the set.

Djanana and Bozi are notable on these albums for their clear and beautiful singing, Roxy and Djomali bring their guitar and bass to top form. The compositions are all complex and danceable and to this day I still find new surprises in the intricate twists of the songs, most of which were composed by Bozi Boziana. Djanana and Djomali composed the majority of the others.

The songs I include here are the title tracks of each album. The songs from V.1 and 2 are by Bozi, from V3 we have a Djomali song and from V4 we have one by Djanana.

The jacket photos are extremely cool as well.

Please download the songs here:

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/730860583/502920f78d3dd4d2143cbb6b2b47cb0f

If you like what you hear, and I am positive that you will, I hope that you'll request to hear more on Ambiance Congo.