IS VICKY LONGOMBA CONGOLESE RUMBA GREATEST VOICE?  

January 24, 2025 - 05:00 AM

When enumerating the families in Congolese music, the Longombas occupy a prime position among the most prominent, in the league of the Isenge siblings and the sons of Lola along with his siblings.

The Longombas comprise OKJ and African Jazz singer Vicky Longomba, Viva La Musica and Loketo drummer Albert Willam Longomba aka Awilo, Super Mazembe singer Lovy Longomba, and the Longomba siblings of the Nairobi who did contemporary hip hop.

Vicky Longomba is the patriarch of this music lineage. Born on 13th December 1932, Vicky is the fourth musician in the hierarchical ranking of the Brussels sextet, after Grand Kalle, Dr Nico, Dechaud Mwamba, and Roger Izeidi.

Vicky was a wonderful singer with a great soothing tenor and a talented composer. Among the group that created OKJ in 1956, he was the only non-Loningisa musician. Working as a typist in Leopoldville, he developed a passion for music and created a habit of whiling away time at Opika studios, which hosted the evolution of African Jazz.

However, on 6th June 1956, when the group signed under the Loningisa label, by then known as Bana Loningisa, went for a gig at the OK Bar, a movement that culminated in the creation of OK Bar, he joined them, thus becoming an undisputed founder member of OK Jazz.

On 29th December 1956, barely a year after the birth of OKJ, three musicians led by Jean Serge Essous exited Loningisa and by extension OKJ for Esengo, but Vicky stayed put. However, he couldn't resist the allure of travelling with African Jazz to Brussels for the Round Table Conference, when he was approved by Grand Kalle, in 1959.

Alongside Armando Mwango Brazzos, the duo defection from OKJ created a vacuum at OKJ that was filled by singers Jean Kwamy Munsi, Mulamba Mpanya, and MujosTshamalla Piccollo. The duo's sojourn at African Jazz didn't last long enough and by the mid-1960s after the Brussels fete, the musicians found themselves band-less, after a stint off the radar of Leopoldville entertainment, they created a new band called Negro Success.

As documented by Alastair Johnston in his Muziki fan blog, the creation of Negro Success which happened in 1960 was the brainchild of Vicky Longomba, Armando Mwango Brazzos, saxmam Andre Menga, Dihunga Djeskin, and Leon Bombolo. Leon had been an OKJ soloist in 1958 when Franco had been incarcerated for a traffic offense.

The new kid on the block performed at a venue owned by Vicky and this is the reason the band faced an imminent death upon the departure of Vicky, and if it weren't for Franco who donated equipment to the band, for the sake of his brother Bavon, it would've collapsed for good.

Vicky and Brazzos had found their way back to OKJ and it was upon the return that Brazzos who played both rhythm and contrabass had to settle as a bassist, now that Simaro had been brought by Jean Jean aka  Tshita Tshima, to take over the band's rhythmist position.

Vicky was to establish his position as the band's greatest vocalist and composer of that time. Apart from Franco and Simaro, Vicky is the person who contributed most to the band's discography in terms of compositions. His voice also came to be identified as the face of OKJ, for example, while elucidating the five schools of rumba, Dizzy Mandjeku, one of the topmost Congolese musicians, explained to Jabulani that the OKJ school of rumba was actually built and identified by Franco's guitar and Vicky's voice. It is worth noting that in the nascent days of the existence of OK Jazz, the band's chief d'orchestra was saxman Jean Serge Essous, but upon his departure, Franco co-shared the leadership with Vicky, but when he made a return after quitting, he now served as an ordinary member.

Vicky Longomba quit OK Jazz in 1972 to create his own Lovy Du Zaire alongside his own record label, Vicklog. With the new outfit, they continued Vicky's tradition of recording great songs. This band also had seasoned members like soloist Mose Fanfan, Syran Mbenza, bassist Celi Bitshou, and Lukoki Diatho, among others. Vicky died in Kinshasa on March 12th, 1988. It was at his burial that rumors began circulating that Grand Maitre, who was in attendance and appeared emaciated, was sickly.

It is worth noting that other sources state that Lovy Longomba of Super Mazembe was a stepson to Vicky and wasn't his biological father. When Jabulani wrote to Awillo seeking clarification on the matter, the renowned drummer didn't respond, a development that lends some specks of credibility to the story. What else could explain his indifference to the topic?

By JEROME OGOLA


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See also

WASIFU WA M'PONGO LOVE

WASIFU WA M'PONGO LOVE

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