CONGOLESE BANDS IN EAST AFRICA
| The 1970s through mid-80s was the era of Congolese expatriate bands in Nairobi: groups like Boma Liwanza of Shango Lola, Les Kinois of Samba Mapangala, Super Mazembe of Longwa Didos, and Les Mangelepa of Bwammy wa Lumwona (who had come East with Baba Gaston and Baba National). Those from North-East Congo came to Kampala, Uganda; those from Shaba in the South came to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, but sooner or later they headed to Nairobi for the recording studios there. In 1985 the Kenyan government under Daniel Arap Moi cracked down on expatriate bands and groups like Les Mangelepa were forced to leave or disband. |
There are many popular recordings of Congolese rhumba, sung in Lingala, like the album les Noirs by Bana Moja / Bana Ngenge , which opens in English with a salute to Kenyan fans and a “Viva Mobutu” and “Viva Kenyatta.” This would make them one of the first Congolese bands to hit Kenya, probably in the mid-70s.
Photo Credit: Suzie poses for a photograph.
Posted on February 17th, 2010
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