Tuesday, October 28, 2008

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:
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

Monday, October 20, 2008

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:

Thursday, October 16, 2008

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

Monday, October 13, 2008

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:
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


Thursday, October 9, 2008

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:
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.