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Kékélé
Kekele was a band formed in 2000, composed of leading veteran African musicians, mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They played Congolese rumba in a revival style harkening back to the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, using acoustic guitars. Kekele seems to be dormant or defunct, having not released a recording since 2006 nor performed since (apparently) 2010. Origins The African-record producer Ibrahim Sylla formed Kekele in 2000 to record its first album, ''Rumba Congo''. According to one report, the band was originally intended as a “one-off” effort, only meant to exist for that one album. The word ''kekele'' in the Lingala language means a type of fibrous vine, sometimes woven together to make rope. One writer speculated that this is a metaphor for the musicians who comprise the band. The band's inspiring spirit was a dissatisfaction with the direction Congolese popular music had recently taken, and a desire to return to its roots. As Kekele guitarist Syran Mbenza s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syran Mbenza
Syran Mbenza (or M’Benza) (b. May 31, 1950) is a guitarist, originally from the Congo, who has lived in Paris since about 1981. He has recorded and performed prolifically over five decades, including as a solo artist; as one of the four members of the popular soukous "supergroup" Les Quatre Étoiles; as a founding member of the acoustic, Congolese rumba revival band Kékélé; in other bands; and in support of numerous artists. He has been described as one of the greatest guitar players of Africa. Career/History Early years: Congo/Zaire (1950 to early 1970s) Mingiedi "Syran" Mbenza was born on May 31, 1950, in a family of six, in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), in what was then the Belgian Congo (and was later the Republic of the Congo, then Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Mbenza began to play guitar at about age 11. He grew up hearing the music of Franco, and taught himself to play guitar in Franco's style. He played in a number of local bands, and le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nyboma
Nyboma Mwan'dido (or Muan'dido), often simply Nyboma (b. 1952), a prominent Congolese soukous tenor vocalist, has been over a fifty-year span a leading member of several outstanding bands, including Orchestre Lipua Lipua, Orchestre Kamale, Les Quatre Étoiles, and Kékélé, in addition to performing and recording as a solo artist. He is widely recognized as one of the best singers in Congolese music. Biography 1952-1970: Early years and first bands: Baby National and Negro Succès Nyboma was born on 24 December 1952 in Nioki, a river town 200 km northeast of the capital of what at the time was the Belgian Congo, later the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), Republic of the Congo and Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He learned to sing as a child in Nioki, in the church choir. He sang in the school chorus when his family moved to Kinshasa while he was still in primary school. Early bands that Nyboma joined were l'Orchestre Baby National and Orchestre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wuta Mayi
Gaspard Wuta Mayi, commonly known as Wuta Mayi, is a Congolese rumba and soukous vocalist and composer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). From 1974 to 1982, he was a member of the band TPOK Jazz, led by Franco (François Luambo Makiadi), which dominated the Congolese music scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Since leaving TPOK Jazz he has recorded and performed as a solo artist, in addition to being one of the four members of the "supergroup" Les Quatre Etoiles (The Four Stars), and subsequently a member of Kékélé. Background Wuta Mayi was born on 9 August 1949 at Leopold General Hospital in then Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, the capital of, and largest city in, what was then the Belgian Congo, was later (among other names) Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This singer has been known by a variety of names; one source notes that "Gaspard Wuta Mayi is also known as Gaspard Wuta, Paschal Gaspard Mayi, Wuta Mayandi Yundula and Blai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papa Noel Nedule
Papa Noel Nedule is a soukous recording artist and guitarist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He was born as Antoine Nedule Monswet on December 25, 1940. Because of his Christmas birthdate, he became known as "Papa Noel," and he is often referred to under that name (without "Nedule"). He was once a member of the soukous band TPOK Jazz, led by François Luambo Makiadi, which dominated the Congolese music scene from the 1950s through the 1980s. He was an original member and leader of the band Kékélé when it was founded in 2000, although illness prevented him from joining the band in some of its later recording sessions and tours. Discography * ''Cafe Noir'' (2007) ;Contributing artist * ''The Rough Guide to Congo Gold'' (2008, World Music Network) See also * Josky Kiambukuta * Simaro Lutumba * Youlou Mabiala * Sam Mangwana * Wuta Mayi * Ndombe Opetum * Mose Se Sengo Mose Se Sengo ("Fan Fan") (16 October 1945 – 3 May 2019) was a guitarist, compose ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guillermo Portabales
Guillermo Portabales (born ''José Guillermo Quesada Castillo''; 6 April 1911 – 25 October 1970) was a Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist who popularized the '' guajira'' style of Cuban music from the 1930s through the 1960s. His languid, melancholy, intensely lyrical ''guajiras'' and his elegant, stylish singing made him popular throughout Latin America, where he is still revered. Discussion of basic data His father was José Quesada y Perez from Casteiro Oreste Spain and his mother was Marcela Estefania Castillo y Rodriguez from Vueltas Cuba. His birthplace was Rodas in the old province of Santa Clara (Las Villas). In what is now the Province of Cienfuegos. He grew up in Cienfuegos. His father died when he was about 8 years old, his mother then remarried a man whose last name was Portabales (the director of the Hospital in Cienfuegos), thus where his "stage name" came from. Portabales was married to a woman named Araminta and had a son Named Guillermo. Portabales had a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tempo Latino
Tempo Latino is a festival of salsa music and Latin music in Vic-Fezensac, France (at the end of July). Artists invited 2008 *24/7 : **/ Ska Cubanowebsite: SkaCubano.com **/ Roy Paci & Aretuska *25/7: **Yerba Buena ** Latin Giants of Jazzwebsite: LatinGiants.com : *26/7 : **/ Los Patriarcas de la Rumbabr>website: PatriarcasDeLaRumba.com ** La 33 *27/07 : ** Dave Valentin's Tropics Heat ** Larry Harlow and Latin Legends of Fania 2007 *26/07 : ** Kékélé (Republic of Congo) ** Los Van Van (Yerba Buena canceled) *27/07 : ** Maraca. Guests : Candido Fabre & Tiburon ** Israel Lopez '' Cachao'' ( Cuba/ Miami) *28/07 : ** Son Reinas (Japan) ** Yomo Toro ( Puerto Rico) *29/07 : ** Africando ( Senegal, ...) ** Willie Colón ( Spanish Harlem) *30/07 : ** Manu Chao 2006 *27/07 : 21 h 00 ** Free Hole Negro ( Cuba) ** Sergent Garcia (France - Cuba) *28/07 : 21 h 30 Special Porto Rico ** Son Boricua with Jose Mangual Jr & Jimmy Sabaterbr>(photos)** Cheo Felician ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rigo Star
Rigobert Bamundele, best known as Rigo Star, is an appreciated soukous guitarist and composer from DR Congo, now based in Paris. He has played with several major soukous and world music acts, including Papa Wemba's Viva La Musica, Bozi Boziana's Anti-Choc, Kanda Bongo Man, Koffi Olomide, Kelele, Kékélé, and Paul Simon and Fally Ipupa in his 2009 album. His name is mostly associated with Congolese female singer M'bilia Bel, with whom he collaborated almost exclusively throughout the 1990s. He has also released a few solo works, including the 1998 album ''Attention!'' with Sam Mangwana on vocals. Partial discography Solo * ''Got the Feeling'' (1997) * ''Attention!'' (1998) * ''Ne refuse pas'' (1985) With M'bilia Bel * ''Phénomène'' (1988) * ''Ironie'' (1993) With Koffi Olomide * ''Aia ai ai la bombe eclate'' With Bozi Boziana's Anti-Choc * ''Coupe Monte''< ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Democratic Republic Of The Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered to the northwest by the Republic of the Congo, to the north by the Central African Republic, to the northeast by South Sudan, to the east by Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, and by Tanzania (across Lake Tanganyika), to the south and southeast by Zambia, to the southwest by Angola, and to the west by the South Atlantic Ocean and the Cabinda exclave of Angola. By area, it is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 108 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the nation's economic center. Centered on the Congo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mbilia Bel
M'bilia Bel (born January 10, 1959) is a rumba and world music singer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She is known as the "Queen of Congolese and African Rumba". She rose to fame after first being discovered by Sam Manguana and later by Tabu Ley Rochereau who helped her gain confidence, master her powerful soprano voice, and achieve acclaim as one of the best Congolese female singers. Biography M'bilia Bel became successful in the early 1980s when she joined Tabu Ley Rochereau's band (Afrisa International). They made several albums together. In the mid-1980s, the birth of their first child prompted her to take a break from performing for a year; however, after her last album with Tabu Ley in 1988, she moved to Paris. There she started working with guitarist Rigo Star Bamundele and, between 1989 and 1990, toured the United States, Europe, and West Africa. Musical career At the age of seventeen, Mbilia Bel began her performing career, singing as a backup singer for Ab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madilu System
Jean de Dieu Makiese (28 May 1952 – 11 August 2007), popularly known as Madilu System, was a Congolese rumba singer and songwriter, born in what was then Léopoldville, Belgian Congo. He was once a member of the seminal band OK Jazz, TPOK Jazz which dominated the Congolese scene from 1960s through 1980s. Music career Beginning as a teenager in 1969, Madilu sang with a series of bands: "Orchestre Symba", "Orchestre Bamboula", headed by Papa Noel Nedule, Papa Noel, "Festival des Maquisards", led by Sam Mangwana, and Fiesta Popular. In 1973, under the new name Bialu thanks to President Mobutu's Authenticité (Zaire), "authenticité" campaign, he formed the band Bakuba Mayopi which had a hit in 1976 with the song "Pamba-Pamba," after which he left to form a new group called Orchestre Pamba-Pamba. However, it was not until Madilu teamed up with Franco Luambo Makiadi, Franco, joining his TPOK Jazz in April 1980, that he became a Zaire, Congolese and International star. He was descri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Africando
Africando is a musical project formed in 1992 to unite New York-based salsa musicians with Senegalese vocalists. Musicians from other African countries were later included under the name Africando All Stars. Salsa has been a hugely popular style in Central and West Africa since the 1940s-1950s, and the goal of Africando was to merge salsa rhythms from both sides of the Atlantic, mainly based on the African salsa tradition. Africando was initiated by producer Ibrahim Sylla from Côte d'Ivoire and Malian arranger Boncana Maiga of Fania All Stars. Some of the musicians initially involved were: Ronnie Baro (of Orquesta Broadway), Pape Seck (ex member of Star Band), Nicholas Menheim (associate of Youssou N'Dour), and Medoune Diallo (formerly with Orchestre Baobab). The first two albums were a big success in Africa and in the World Music scene. Singer Pape Seck died in 1995, and was replaced by Gnonnas Pedro from Benin (who died August 2005) and Ronnie Baró of Orquestra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |