Editor's Choice

MAMAM AFRICA: MIRIAM MAKEBA LEGACY LIVES ON

November 23, 2024 - 06:05 PM Same date 92 years ago, in Prospect Township, near Johannesburg, South Africa, a South African-born singer who became known as Mama Afrika, Miriam Makeba was born. (died November 10, 2008, Castel Volturno, near Naples, Italy). She is one of the world’s most prominent Black African performers in the 20th century. The daughter of a Swazi mother and a Xhosa father, Makeba grew up in Sophiatown, a segregated Black township outside of Johannesburg, and began singing in a school choir at an early age. She became a professional vocalist in 1954, performing primarily in southern Africa. By the late 1950s, her singing and recording had made her well-known in South Africa, and......

KAKAI: THE BENGA PROTEGE WHO OUTSHONE THE MASTERS

November 05, 2024 - 09:40 AM KAKAI: THE BENGA PROTEGE WHO OUTSHONE THE MASTERS The Benga earthquake happened in the mid-1950s. Its epicenter was Nyanza, then known as Kavirondo at the 'tie dero' (beside a granary) on the shores of Lake Victoria. A choice of a 'tie dero' happened intentionally to keep children and at times women, off the lyrics that would occasionally veer off to what would pass as explicit. With the arrival of European explorers, a convergence of civilization occurred and the same beat began discarding the old nyatiti and replacing it with contemporary Spanish acoustic, and with the advent of recording technology, the shockwaves began reverberating beyond its Nyanza birthplace. The......

CONGOLESE RUMBA

November 04, 2024 - 08:10 AM THE GENRE IS CONGOLESE RUMBA It is not every day that you encounter a footballer who can’t tell the difference between volleyball and football, but in the world of entertainment and specifically music, writers, broadcasters, commentators, and even musicians seem to get a little mixed up when it comes to identifying the genre of that Congolese popular beat, the one that was popularized by Franco. The broader genre of the music is rumba. This beat has its origin in the Caribbean Island of Cuba, the Latin American country that ended up with significant populations of blacks as a result of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that saw Africans traded as slaves to provide labor in the......

THE INDOMITABLE MANGWANA

October 26, 2024 - 03:36 AM THE INDOMITABLE MANGWANA. The year is 1963. Tabuley and Mangwana share the leadership of the newly created African Fiesta, an offshoot of the popular African Jazz of Grand Kalle. Tabuley had scouted for a fresh talent, a new singing sensation by the name Mangwana. The young man was only 17 years old. Tabuley invited Nico to come to see the newfound. A wonderful singer he was, as they discovered from the brief audition. The biggest challenge was that he was still a minor and a student in a secondary school. With word doing rounds that the band has a new singing bird, Club Petit Bois was jammed that Saturday, but trouble was lurking. Mangwana's father had sent cops to arrest......

FRANCO'S LAST ALBUM

August 13, 2024 - 01:52 PM Franco's Last Album: This was the last album that Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi (FRANCO) recorded a few months before his demise. SonoDisc (producer)CD 6981 Franco / Sam Mangwana et le T.P. O.K. Jazz: "Les Rumeurs "- Inedits 1988 - 1989 01 Les rumeurs (Baiser ya juda) [1988/89] (T) 12:19 Franco & T.P. OK Jazz 02 Laissez-nous tranquilles [1988/89] (T) 12:30 Franco & T.P. OK Jazz 03 Batela makila na ngai [1988/89] (T) 8:15 Franco & T.P. OK Jazz 04 Fabrice akende sango [1988/89] (T) 12:15 Franco & T.P. OK Jazz 05 Mbanda akana ngai [1988/89] (T) 7:04 Franco & T.P. OK JazzThe songs were later released in 1994 under Sono disc. Next......

SOUKOUS STARS

June 22, 2024 - 09:35 AM Soukous Stars was formed on 5th May 1989 in Paris by Session musicians. The founding members are: (1) Dennis Kasia aka Lokassa ya Mbongo as the leader and rthymist. He was the eldest among them. (2) Shungu Omba aka Ngouma Lokito, on Bass. (3) Germain Ndala aka Dally Kimoko, Lead guitarist. (4) Zitteny Niel, tenor vocalist. (5) Francois Ballou Canta, vocalist. (6) Henry Lukombo Nzambi aka Shimita, vocalist and dancer. (7) Mavoungou, conga, and percussions. (8) Richacha, Drums. (9) Nènè Mandosa 'Tchakou', Solo guitar. (10) Denise Kusala aka Yondo Sister, vocalist and performer. (11) Thierry Gallion, The Keyboard. It's Dally Kimoko, who came up with the group's......

YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA

March 13, 2024 - 04:20 AM Today we dig into the rich history behind a song that served as an African anthem for ages.We travel down to the Southern Africa.Title: MotherlandArtist/Vocalist: Yvonne Chaka ChakaWriter/Composer: Chicco, Attie Van Wyk & Yvonne Chaka ChakaRelease: (1995)The song “Motherland” by Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a powerful anthem known in most households that served as an African anthem in the mid 90's. It is widely remembered as an anthem that speaks about the deep connection and love that one feels for their homeland. It was composed to address the struggles and challenges faced by Africans in their homeland. It also speaks of celebrating their roots and emphasizing the need for unity......