This is one hit that almost broke up the  TPOK Jazz

Back in them days, there were two football camps in Kinshasa.

Veya was a hit by Mayaula Mayoni in Praise of Vita :

""

Sam Mangwana then sung Zala sportiff :

""

TPOK fans were split and this led to arguments within the band. Some band members who were fans one team refusing
to play the song of the other team.

Franco had to step in and cut the debate short, declaring no more songs in praise of any of the football teams
to maintain harmony in the group.

Those were the days before Premier League mania caught us in Africa

This is a very old hit from the old Days.

When we were Kids, we danced this record until the gooves wore off.

""

Anybody know his story, whether he is still aound?

This odd group was hilarious!



The same song was done by the comedian Mbuta Likasu:



Comedians occasionally came up with some gems.

Just goes to show the talent Africa has that needs to be tapped and channeled.

Orchestre Les Mangelepa had some hits that shook Nairobi in the 70's

The Group Members :
Bwamy  Wa Lumona  Simon (Le Capitaine),
Lutulu Kaniki "Macky"
Badibanga Wa Tshilumba "Kai  Kai",
Kabila  Kabanze "Evani",
Tabu Ngongo "Super  Sax",
Mukala wa Kanyinda "Coco"
Kalenga  Nzaazi "Vivi",
Twikale Wa Twikale "Petite Pierre",
Lukangila Maindusa "Moustang" ,
Mwepu Mushi "Cavalou"
Lumwanga Mayombo "Ambassadeur",
Tambwe  Lokassa William "Masumbuko Ya Dunia" and
Kazadi  Mbambu "Zadios"


This Album contained the following Hits:

1. Pambana - (Means Struggle in Swahili ) A composition by Lukangila Maindusa
 



2. Walter - This was a praise song for one of Mangelepa's biggest (donor) fan known as Walter. Composed by Bandibanga Wa Tshilumba "Kai Kai"




3. Maboko Pamba -




4. Amua

This is another nice hit, Amua (Decide) which was a  diss-track where they were asking their leader (Bwami Wa Lumona) to decide whether to stick with them or to stick with another group that he had founded called Viva Makale.
The mean solo is by Lukangila Maindusa "Moustang" while the lead guitar is by Twikale wa Twikale "Pettie Pierre"
who is also the composer. Nairobi Was on Fire in 1978!!




 

Jojo Ikomo ( sometimes written as Djo djo Ikomo) was born in Mbandaka on the 12th March, 1952 in the Republic of Zaire.


In 1970 he composed his first song "Sema Sema" accompanied by the Orchestre Tabou National and In 1973 he joined Orchestre VeVe of Kiamuangana Mateta with whom he enjoyed a lot of success, particularly with songs like "Maina" and "Kaniuka (Kanyuka)".



In 1975 Jojo Ikomo left VeVe to join Orchestre  Bana Moja. Along Jojo in the group were Thomas & Felly Ndjoku, the sons of N'Djoku Ey'Obaba, former governor of Kinshasa, and jojo's brother Alexis Ikomo. Bana means offspring and they were literally from the same family. Thomas Ndjoku was also owner of the Bana Modja label and produced many bands such as Yoka Lokole, the breakout band from which Papa Wemba and many members of Zaiko and Viva La Musica emerged.
They were called "Belgicains," because they studied abroad, when they returned they were shunned by their parents for taking to music so moved to N'Djili, Zaire on their return.

Because of family pressure they did not tour and perform but rather concentrated on recording and issuing 45s.
Felly went on to be the arranger for Lita Bembo. Thomas became a Christian minister and a gospel artist.

Jojo took the new Bana Moja to Uganda on tour, but they quickly disbanded later the same year and he took several members with him to Kenya where they regrouped as Bana Ngenge but only lasted a year before splitting again. 

Members of Bana Ngenge were :
Jojo Ikomo (Band Leader and Vocals ), Moreno Batamba ( Vocals), Fataki "Los Los" Lokassa (Vocals/guitar), Alexis Ikomo, Roxy Tshimpaka (guitar solo), Nsilu Wabansilu "Manitcho"  (bass), Lawison Somana(sax), "Ochudis" Mandala Otis Muissa (Vocals),  Nzengele Saida (guitar), Beya Maduma a.k.a. Moro Maurice ( sax).

The song "Bana ya Ngenge" tells the story of their formation.


Jojo also re-recorded his Veve hit with Bana Ngenge, this time renaming it Kayuma :



Among  Bana Ngenge's other hits are : 

Belinda


Malanda :


Etisomba:


Jojo also recorded with another group known as Bana Lisanga. This may have been just another name for his group as most of the band were the same as Bana ngenge.




Later the group broke up and his band members left to join other groups in Nairobi, and Joj continued recording songs using his Bana Moja (Modja) label and session musicians, under the name "Jojo Ikomo and his orchestre".

Kingo Mwambe :


Moseka :


The Bana Moja the label, was created to release Bana Ngenge records and continued in use long after the Bana Ngenge band. Examples are when Moreno Batamba one of Bana Ngenge's vocalists recorded his songs, he used the label and called his band Moja one (although they were mostly session musicians).
 
Maya Tu :



After the group broke up Bana Ngenge musicians joined other groups :
Nsilu wa Bansilu (Manichu) and Fataki Lokassa Joined samba Mapangala's Les Kinois, Moreno Batamba Joined Les Noirs while others joined Orchestre Shika Shika or  became session musicians in Nairobi.
 Jojo Ikomo stayed in Nairobi untl the 1980's when he left to go to Kinshasa and later joined Empire Bakuba.

Here is his song while in Empire Bakuba :

Pepe Kalle & Empire Bakuba - Simplicite (Djodjo Ikomo) 1993


Not much is heard of Jojo Ikomo nowadays, but he is one of the musicians who spiced up Nairobi and Kenya Music Life.

Ramazani "Remmy" Mtoro Ongala (1947 10 Feb – 13 December 2010) was a Tanzanian guitarist and singer.
Ongala was born in Kindu near the Tanzanian border, in what was the Belgian Congo at the time, and now is the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Remmy Ongala travelled to Dar es Salaam where he joined Orchestra Makassy in 1978, and later broke off to form
his own band Orchestre Super Matimila (named after the businessman who owned the band's instruments).

Ongala's tune are reminiscent of T.P.O.K Jazz but he sang predominatly in Swahili in a style he called 'Ubongo', the
Swahili word for brain.  He mostly sang about social topics like the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Corruption,  urbanisation and
unity and fidelity between a man and his wife. This led his fans to nick-name him Sauti ya Mynoge (voice of the poor man).

Some of his major Hits are Mariam Wangu :





Sauti Ya Mnyonge ( The Poor Man's Voice) :




Siku Ya Kufa ( The day of one's Death ) :



Karola :



Asili Ya Muziki ( The Origin of Music) :





Remmy Ongala exported his music abroad and for a period was based in Sweden, and he toured prominently in Europe.
Even as he toured, his message was still on topical issues, translating his songs to English for the European audience :





 He is regarded as one of Tanzania's greatest composers/singers.

There are some classics from Zairean Musicians that get the old bones creaking when they are played today.
The hits below managed to create Christmass cheer in Nairobi and East Africa in the 70's.

The First one in the list is by the Father of Zairean Music in East Africa.

Baba Gaston ( Ilunga Wa Ilunga) is arguably the most influential man who brought Zairean musicians to East Africa through his group Orchestre Baba National. Through him groups like Mangelepa, Bwambe Bwambe and others came to the Centre of Music in East Africa looking to make their mark.

This hit was done in the Mid 70's, I think 1975 (Apologies for the poor sound due to age )

Kakolele Viva Christmas:



Here is an incomplete but better copy :



The vocalist in this song I think is Kasongo Wa Kanema who came to East Africa through Baba National. Kasongo and the whole crew left Baba National to form Orchestre Bwambe Bwambe and after that group disintegrated he went on to join Super Mazembe.

I will try and get to do a feature of Ilunga Wa Ilunga later.


The second hit is by Samba Mapangala's Les Kinios called Furaha ya Christmas done in 1977 :



Orchestre Jobiso was not strictly a Zairean Band. It was an off-shoot of  Tanzania's Simba Wa Nyika. One of the three founders of simba Wa Nyika formed Jobiso after the fallout.



Enjoy !!

I have always wondered about these two songs, one by Josky Kiambukuta and TP OK called Baby
And the second by Zaiko Langa Langa called Dede.

The chorus in both sound very similar, but the name baby is replaced by Dede.

Any old connouisers in the house have the details to share the background?

Josky and TP OK :




And Nyoka Longo and Zaiko Langa Langa (Version 1) :



Remix done in Avis De Recherche :