This program has been presented on WRIR 97.3 FM, Richmond, Virginia USA since 2005.
Ambiance Congo is the only English-language radio program devoted to playing only Congolese popular music from the beginnings of recorded Congolese rumba to today. The program is broadcast live every other week, is rebroadcast on other independent stations in USA, Canada and New Zealand and is available for listening at any time via the internet.
Please browse this blog for years of playlists and pictures of album sleeves and listen to hundreds of Ambiance Congo programs courtesy of Radio4all.net.
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Today I begin with some Grand Kale, Franco and African Fiesta to give you a little bit of selective history. Featured are songs from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s by OK Jazz. The show continues with some European releases and some rare gems like the song by the rare all girl group, TAZ Bolingo.
PART A
1) King Kester Emeneya & Victoria Eleison Dream Team Dream
Band
sebene from DORIS ILOKO (this program’s theme song)
from the CD PAS DE CONTACT
Black Music
2) Joseph Kabasele & Orchestre African Jazz
PARAFIFI
from the CD LE GRAND KALE: HIS
LIFE, HIS MUSIC
Sterns
3) Franco & OK Jazz
LINGA NGAI TOLINGA
from the single
Loningisa
4) Franco & OK Jazz
MARCELINE
from the LP FRANCO ET L’OK JAZZ
EMI/Pathe
5) Les Bantous de la Capitale
MAYITE
from the CD LES BANTOUS DE LA CAPITALE (1963/1969)
Sonodisc
6) African Fiesta
MWASI ABANDAKA
from the LP MERVEILLES DU PAASE: AFRICAN FIESTA 1962-1963
African
7) Franco & TP OK Jazz
ZAINA MOPAYA 1&2
from the single
Editions Populaires
8) Orchestre Beto-Bantou
Y’ ANDELE
from the CD COMPILATION MUSIQUE CONGOLO-ZAIROISE 1970-1976
Sonodisc
9)Franco & TP OK Jazz
MBONGO
from the LP LIVE RECORDING OF THE AFRO EUROPEAN TOUR
African
PART B
10) Franco & TP OK Jazz
MEHIDA
from the CD FRANCO CHANTE "MAMOU" (TU VOIS?)
1984/1985/1986
Sonodisc
11) Fidele Zizi
MOBALI SANS AVENIR
from the LP FIDEL ZIZI
Disques Esperance
12) Dino Vangu avec son ensemble The Funky Stars
LONDA MBENGA
from the LP SPECIAL FUNKY RUMBA
Productions Mounard
13)Marcus Mvouka
KEBA NA YE
from the LP KEBA NA YE
DiscAfrique
14) Taz Bolingo
SENTIMENT T.A.Z
from the LP LA LOI Du TALION
Ets. Fano
15) Solo Sita
MARY JO
from the CD MARY JO
Cisco-Sound
Photo by Carl Hamm
Listen here!
https://www.hightail.com/download/UlRSTXRYcVh1Yk1sYzhUQw
or here:
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Ambiance+Congo
Thanks for compiling a historical anthology of Congolese music. Lovely playlist! Apurva from Pune, India.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! I started with a selective history, then got distracted by the Fund Drive stuff. That's OK.
ReplyDeleteIf you like this program, please show your support! Ypu can even use PayPal! www.wrir.org
David, many thanks for another great show - some nice rare stuff and some great Franco, of course. Highlights for me were the Taz Bolingo and Fidele Zizi tracks.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Fidele has a new album out next month? It's called Miria. Funnily enough on the cover of the new album he's striking the same pose as he was on the cover of the one you played. Maybe he's been stuck like that for 30 years?
There have been a couple of other recent releases that might interest you if you don't already know about them; Pascal Poba has a CD called "Pyramide Renversee" out and Peby Mambianga has a double-CD called "Honorabilis".
Peby Mambianga's is probably the better of the two and features both Azulino and Luciana. Though not quite up to "Zanzibar" standard it has some great songs and some really tasteful playing. Oh, and the generique rocks out big-time!
Thanks again for listening, Dave.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for the tips on new releases. I'll check them out! Can you give me a clue as to where you found them?
The Pascal Poba and Peby Mambianga CDs are at Villageafro and the Fidele Zizi release is listed as a download at Amazon.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I can't find any sound clips apart from a short excerpt from the Honorabilis generique here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sMKTi5SyGg.
He's going to have to shift a few copies to pay for that Admiral's outfit.
Hi thanks for the good work you are doing. Am from Kenya and there is an oldies song that am looking for.... don't know the singer or song but sure it is from Congo.. opening lyrics go like this.." bako eeee bako kina mama" who sang this song? please help.
ReplyDeleteHello, friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for listening. I'm sorry that I cannot help you with that. It could be one of a few hundred songs! Is it a group like Franco or Lipua Lipua or African All Stars. Or some other group like Super Mazembe? I can almost hear Sam Mangwana or Samba Mapangala in those lyrics, but I just don't know.
Sorry.
If you do have a request, please let me know. And please give me a name. Thanks.