I have thought that in congolese music is not hard to hear songs that are mixed with kikongo or tshiluba, but is very hard to hear it mixed to swahili, and it is hard to find a congolese swahili guy who makes music in swahili, it easier to find them away like in Kenya or Tanzania.
I don't understand why Swahili is a good language llike the other three and tanzanian and kenyan guys who sings in a mix way in Swahili and English sell a lot, so why in Congo there aren't many big bands of Swahili origin or that makes music in Swahili.
If you run down there are some music made in Swahili.





Remmy Ongala (Congolese but then moved to Tanzania)



Shilole (Tanzania)



Sauti Sol (Boybend from Kenya)

Papa Utukufu

(Congolese Singer and guitarist who makes Congolese Gopsel)

I think Innoss B fuses a bit of Swahili into some of his songs too.

Possibly because by now Cogolese music became Kinshasa dominated. Earlier there were artists in Lumumbashi singing in local languages (I guess it is Swahili), like Mwenda Jean Bosco. Apart from him I don't know anyone who sang in this language and was famous in Congo.

I think Innoss B fuses a bit of Swahili into some of his songs too.

Yes I don't know why but Congolese people don't follow him much, if you take Fally Ipupa away he is the only young guy that was in USA and in that music business industry even though for a little time.

Possibly because by now Cogolese music became Kinshasa dominated. Earlier there were artists in Lumumbashi singing in local languages (I guess it is Swahili), like Mwenda Jean Bosco. Apart from him I don't know anyone who sang in this language and was famous in Congo.

Yes Lubumbashi East and a big part of South Congo are Swahili speakers, yes it is like Swahili it is disapperead from music except for some cries by Brigade and Cap LBG, do you remember the crie Noel Ngiama ana leta mambo, the crie that introduce lelele was in Swahili, and that the only song f success I know that got a little bit of Swahili in it

Unfortunately I don't know that Wenge MM song, I am not very educated about their songs. But it is rare indeed to find swahili songs released by top Congolese bands recently. I think earlier it was more common because Katanga was a very well developed territory. Many recordings from the fifties and sixties from Congo include artist from the copperbelt singing swahili and Zambian languages. I think back then it was not that obvious that Kinshasa is the centre of modern music. But who knows, I am just guessing. What I miss is that Katangan guitar style was unique, it is a pity it has somehow lost importance.

Unfortunately I don't know that Wenge MM song, I am not very educated about their songs. But it is rare indeed to find swahili songs released by top Congolese bands recently. I think earlier it was more common because Katanga was a very well developed territory. Many recordings from the fifties and sixties from Congo include artist from the copperbelt singing swahili and Zambian languages. I think back then it was not that obvious that Kinshasa is the centre of modern music. But who knows, I am just guessing. What I miss is that Katangan guitar style was unique, it is a pity it has somehow lost importance.

How was the Katanagan guitar style? I am really curious to hear it have you got songs or videos of it? For the Swahili in songs at 8:02 "Noel Ngiama Ana letamambo, ana letamambo tusi choke"

One Congolese atalaku here in Kenya contents that it is hard to get the "feel" using swahili as opposed to lingala. He says it is just not the same.

 Here is my best swahili/seben by a Tanzanian band even the atalaku here uses swahili through and through..I dont know if this band consist of Congolese or Tanzanians or a mix.

Forgot about this one's ....they were hits in Kenya

Katangan guitar style is Mwenda Jean Bosco and others, some of them appear on this CD:

https://open.spotify.com/user/nichollsgg/playlist/7hk6aoSarKSGRw5W1HzwvL

My personal favourie is the Kachamba Brothers from Malawi who played a similar style:

Here is any essay, too, about this style:

http://aawmconference.com/abstracts/PaperPresentations/Racanelli_David_Abstract.pdf

A lot of  the then-Zairean musicians were attracted to East Africa for two reasons:
one was the Production studios of Nairobi where they could record and press their vinyl records as opposed to travelling to Kinshasa.This was a big deal in those days where the only way to sell music was by Vinyl records.
Two was that bands were the in-thing before magnetic tape recorders became cheap and common place,  enabling easy copying and recording of vinyl. The tastes of revellers also changed with the advent of Disco, killing off teh money made from live perfromances. The number of joints hosting resident bands dwindled, killing off teh demand for bands to come to East Africa.

One of the biggest influences of Lingala music in East Africa was Ilunga Wa Ilunga (Baba Gaston) who used to promote upcoming bands from Lubumbashi and bring them to East Africa by Road, perfroming in Towns and cities along the way until they reached Dar or Nairobi. There the bands always broke away from him and he would go back to recruit more. Groups like Les Mangelepa, Bwambe Bwambe, Moja One (of Moreno Batamba),  all were brought by him to East Africa. As they travelled along the way the perfected their Swahili and recruited local musicians and taught their blend of music to East African perfomers. Most chose to stay either in Kenya or Tanzania, becoming naturalised.

A generation of musisians has grown from them, like a group known as the Longomba's - sons of Lovi Longomba ( who was the son of Vicky Longomba of T.P. O.K Jazz Fame and brother to Awilo Longomba).  They Started in Kenya and have since moved to the U.S.A.

A group like Les Kinois came over, and later disintegrated in Nairobi. Their Band Leader Samba Mapangala moved to the USA. Remnants of other groups like Les Mangelepa and Super Mazembe are still in Kenya trying to revive their music careers. Theri music is now almost 60% Swahili, but the influence of Lingala is still there.

They still enjoy a niche market with the older generation of Lingala Fans in Kenya.

A number of new generation musicians have tried to blend Swahili and Lingala, modifying ndombolo to Swahili tunes but the influence of Lingala is still there.
 

One Congolese atalaku here in Kenya contents that it is hard to get the "feel" using swahili as opposed to lingala. He says it is just not the same.

 Here is my best swahili/seben by a Tanzanian band even the atalaku here uses swahili through and through..I dont know if this band consist of Congolese or Tanzanians or a mix.

You can hear a lot of Congolese music and ye your friend is right Swahili music for emerge now a days (Only in Congo, because in other African countries a lot of people listen to very successful Swahili songs) needs to do sonmething on her own like yes with guitar and everything but with his own style

On this song I have not very informations it was on the PES soundtrack and I found out it was a Swahili one but very few informations are on this do you have any clue of the origin of the song?

More of Swahili with Brigade songs before he entered Wenge  MMM what I have noticed is that Fally Ipupa used some of Brigade cries in Droit Chemin
at 2:46

Katangan guitar style is Mwenda Jean Bosco and others, some of them appear on this CD:

https://open.spotify.com/user/nichollsgg/playlist/7hk6aoSarKSGRw5W1HzwvL

My personal favourie is the Kachamba Brothers from Malawi who played a similar style:

Very nice, really nice I think that was a Congolese guy who did a very famous song with this guitar stlye of play but I forgot his name my dad uses to play a lot that song and he remind the style of Kachamba Brothers