A dozen men and women on a raised podium, all clothed in dazzling white suits, with the stage lights complementing the spectacle by giving it a charming finish, create an immediate impression of what to expect from the band. If elegance were the sole parameter to gauge a band's greatness, no band in Nairobi would match Afro Sounds Band, headed by Elvis Lola.
On a typical Saturday evening at Club Paradiso, along Jogoo Road, Elvis and his team converge to give their fans a taste of Congolese rumba. It is only when the solo guitarist strums the first chord that one's attention shifts from the sapeur-like elegance to their core business, music. Just like many typical Congolese bands, among the songs performed is a cocktail of old classics by other bands for a nostalgic stroll back into the past, and new releases, some by themselves and others by different bands, specifically to bring energy and showmanship, expertly delivered by the three female dancers.
The Nairobi-based Afro Sounds isn’t just any ordinary band. It has links to the legendary OK Jazz of Franco, courtesy of its founder, Elvis Lola, who is the son of the late Lola Checain, a singer with Franco. "We have to keep the fire of rumba music burning," Lola told Jabulani Radio, while insisting that what their fathers began wasn’t about to end. Lola, a star guitarist with impeccable expertise, is the third-born son of Lola Checain, one of the pillars of Franco’s band. Checain, who was a singer and composer, joined the band in September 1967 and remained until he passed away in 1992, three years after Franco.
He is the brain behind the band’s popular hits like Baning Tokola, Lolaka, Nganda Macampagne, etc. He isn’t the sole musician in the lineage. Lola’s eldest brother, Frank Lassan aka Fariala Wa Niembo, excelled on the acoustic guitar and made a name for himself as one of the biggest names in the first generation of Congolese musicians.
He recorded with Ngoma. Lola’s other brother, Johnny Bokasa, was a star rhythm guitarist with African Fiesta National of Tabu Ley. He is among the musicians who quit when Tabu Ley was banned from any music engagements in the country in December 1967.
With others like Guvano, they created Festival des Maquisards. Among Elvis’s siblings are three other musicians in the family. The three are JB Lola, who is based in Mombasa, Kenya, playing drums for Ambro Musica; Bob Lola, a vocalist based in Paris; and Pitshou, who plays keyboard, composes, and sings, based in Kinshasa. This brings the number of musicians in the lineage to six, almost a complete band, considering they have a soloist (Elvis), a rhythm guitarist (Bokasa), a drummer (JB), a vocalist (Bob), another guitarist/singer (Frank Lassan), and singer/composer Lola Checain.
Elvis traces his journey in music back to the early 1997s, when he trained as a guitarist with a neighborhood band in Kinshasa. He learned the trade fast and became a noteworthy guitar player, attracting scouts from established bands. That’s how he landed in Ben Nyamabo’s Choc Stars. The youngster impressed quickly — a feat many consider daunting, considering that Kinshasa is saturated with talent.
It was his eminence on guitar that landed him at Wenge Musica, another star-studded lineup. This was in the band’s nascent days, before JB Mpiana and Werrason went their separate ways. The band had a large pool of guitarists, with Elvis among them. A few years later, Elvis and his brother joined Eden Musica, a band managed by Gabby, a Nairobi-based Congolese promoter. Elvis was the band’s soloist, while JB was the drummer. Elvis also doubled as a singer.
They traveled with the band to Nairobi and performed numerous shows both in Nairobi and Mombasa. It was in Nairobi that Defao Matumona had camped with his band, Big Stars. The band’s soloist had quit, a development that crippled the outfit, forcing Defao to swiftly seek a replacement. No soloist in Nairobi fit Defao’s expectations, except Lola. He became the man on the solo guitar in the recordings of at least two albums by Defao. The band also toured intensively in the region with Lola at the helm of the solo guitar. In the late 2000s, Lola created Afro Musica, which remains one of the most sought-after Congolese bands in Nairobi to date. The band boasts the services of rhythm guitarist Dionic, bassist Jeanist, and drummer Martos, among others.
The band has performed at various venues in the city and currently dominates at Nairobi Club and Paradiso Club, both in Nairobi. Elvis Lola also told Jabulani that this year, the band has organized a major Lola anniversary event that will be held both in Nairobi and Kinshasa. The event is expected to be graced by several top names in Congolese music, including his former peers at OK Jazz.
He may not have attained the successes of his father or uncles, but Elvis is steadfastly rising to that level.
By Jerome Ogola
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