Lita Bembo's European albums

Singer Lita Bembo led up one of my very favorite bands, Orchestre Stukas. The Stukas made one album that I know of without Lita Bembo, BALLADE A LIBREVILLE.

In the mid 1980s, Lita Bembo made at least two solo albums in Europe on which he was backed by musicians other than the Stukas.

One of these albums, CONFLIT, was cut in Brussels and it is a pretty good record. Lita Bembo, as a singer, and his music are both very true to the music for which he was beloved in the former Zaire. The other musicians on the album are only listed as being other scandalously unnamed Zaireans from Brussels assisted by named Belgians. The keyboards on this album are replaced by a synthesizer and it is brought farther into the foreground than we would have heard keyboards with the Stukas. Played by Roland Dechamps, the synth carries some wild and wonderful riffs that I believe were intended to reflect the original Stukas sound.

Listen to this album here:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/TTZtakl1cTJwcFZMWEE9PQ

The other European album, NOUVEAU RYTHME SACCADE, is touted on the sleeved as being "La Renaissance D'Une Legende", but it is a much less successful album.

This recording is almost as weird and out of character for Lita Bembo as the oufit he sports on the sleeve. The record has it's moments and Lita Bembo still belts it out with all the enthusiasm and style we know him for, but the compositions fall somewhere between the soukous and disco genres. Judge for yourself:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/TTZtaklwbWdrUmxMWEE9PQ

Ambiance Congo for Sunday November 23, 2008

This edition, we paid special tribute to the late Pepe Kalle, marking November 29 as 10 years since his passing. We also heard a variety of other great Congolese music.

Here are some covers of the albums and CDs we heard this time around.

Did you miss the program? For the next two weeks, you may download a copy here.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/628273089/ea846146faf79a0354b2fa0bd6dcfb04

After that, find it in the Ambiance Congo Audio Archives.

Here is 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)Pepe Kalle & Orchestre Empire Bakuba Du Zaire

ZANGANO

from the LP KWASA KWASA

Leader Records

3)Empire Bakuba

NTOYA

from the CD SANGO YA MAWA

Ngoyarto

4)Orchestre Kiam *

NINA

from the LP EDITIONS VEVE 1974-75

African

5)Theo Blaise Kounkou

NADIA SOLEIL *

from the CD LES PLUS GRANDS SUCCES DE THO BLAISE VOL.2

Ets. TBK Likembe / Sonodisc

6)Tiers Monde

FAUX PROBLEMES

from the CD COOPERATION

Ngoyarto

7)Le Poete Lutumba Simaro

YUNA

from the CD SALLE D'ATTENTE

Production Gabin Tembo

8)Koffi Olomide

ETERNELLEMENT

from the CD FORCE DE FRAPPE

Sonodisc

9)J.D.T. Molopwe

MOLEKI NZELA

from the CD MOLEKI NZELA

Production DRTV

10)Dilu Dilumona & Empire Bakuba A Paris

NIZI

from the LP NIZI

K-Dance Productions

11)Bozi Boziana & L'Anti-Choc

JOEL PHOTO

from the CD BA BOKILO

Glenn Music

12)Serge Mabiala

AMOUR FIDELE

from the CD AFFECTION

Mobola Senzedi

13)Pascal Poba

INACHEVE

from the CD REFLEXION

Ets. N'Diaye

14) Pepe Kalle Et L'Orchestre Empire Bakuba Du Zaire

BITOTO *

from the LP BONANA 85

Alia Music

*=by request

More pix from JB in DC

JB MPIANA & WENGE MUSICA deliver in DC!

Here are a few snapshots. If you missed it, blame only yourself!

They will be in Dallas November 29.

JB MPIANA in DC tomorrow night!

I hope to see you there!
Thanks to Mr. Abraham Luakabuanga, people who can show that they are coming from far away, those of us who cannot buy advance tickets, may buy at the advance price at the door.

DC people, buy your advance tickets here:
1.SIMBA MUSIC 1333 Holton Lane Takoma Park, Md, 20912 301-445-1670

2.Mitchell Communication 12337-D Georgia Ave Silver Spring, Md ,20906

AMBIANCE CONGO for Sunday November 9, 2008

Welcome once again to Ambiance Congo. This program features two hours of Congolese music, aired every other week.

This edition, we heard again a combination of various styles from 2008 and from the decades before.

Here a few of the albums we sampled:

Did you miss the program? Please download a copy here and leave your

comments. I'd love to take your requests and to hear your thoughts.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/623428771/d2532deff350fd219e1fc8bfb63e51f0

Here is the tracklist for today's program.

1) King Kester Emeneya

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

from the CD PAS DE CONTACT

Black Music

2) Titina Alcapone

LE BOURGEOIS

from the CD AFFAIRE A SUIVRE

Sound Africa

3)Rento Vena & Terra Isa Mera

LIBALA

from the CD ARAFAT

Signore Production / Sonima Music

4)Kekele

YO ODECONER feat. M'Bilia Bel *

from the CD KINAVANA

Stern's Africa

5)Serge Mabiala

DEVOIR

from the CD AFFECTION

Mobola Senzedi Production

6)Malage De Lugendo

CAUCHEMAR

from the CD SMS

Ebherliss Records

7)Simaro

VACCINATION

from the CD VIVEMENT SIMARO MERCI L'ARTISTE *

Diego Music

8)Franco & Le T.P. O.K. Jazz

TAMBOU LUNTADILA

from the LP A 0 HEURE CHEZ 1-2-3

Edipop

9)Les Bantous De La Capitale

NA NDIMI KURUZE

from the LP MUSIC-PRESS PRESENTE LES BANTOUS DE LA CAPITALE

Music-Press

10)Bombenga Wewando & Groupe Vox Africa Du Zaire

NAOMBA RAZI

from the LP L' AGE D' OR

Kagi Productions

11)Zizi Nzanga

OKEYI TE MAYO

from the CD LENGELA CONGO

Production Solfege International

12)Gina Efonge & Libanko

LIBANGO MARINGA

from the CD BEST OF GINA EFONGE

Esselta

13)Cartouche

MOBEMBO

from the LP LE PROPHETE CARTOUCHE DE VICTORIA ELEISON

Disques Esperance

14)Choc Stars

SAISON SECHE *

from the CD PECHE DE LA FEMME

Bono-Music

15)Bluff Wabalonzo & Viva La Musica

GENE

from the LP FILLE UNIQUE

Production Bluff Wabalonzo

16)JB M'Piana & Wenge BCBG

excerpt from QUEL EST TON PROBLEME?

from the CD QUEL EST TON PROBLEME?

Ets. N'Diaye

*=by request

"Ya Pergaud"

Here are a couple of albums by a singer I know next to nothing about. Verckys thought enough of him to record these albums at his Studio Veve and to accompany the band on saxophone.

Who is "Ya Pergaud" Jean Sylvain Goma? The liner notes on these albums refer to the accompanying musicians as being from "le groupe vocal Anges Noirs", but that's not much help. The only Anges Noirs that I know about was a nightclub in Brussels where Congolese artists performed at about the time of Independance in 1960.

So why did Verckys invest in this band? Listen to the songs and judge for yourself. There's a lot of good music here, music you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

I find these recordings to be impressive in that they refer back to Franco's OK Jazz and yet fit right in with the times in which they were recorded. There is also a flavor contemporary with the generation Choc Stars and Zaiko Langa Langa.

Interesting albums. Please leave your comments. I'd like to know more about the band and about "Ya Pergaud" as well.

Listen to the albums here:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2orTG02Zy9kMnRFQlE9PQ

This link has been updated to include both albums.