HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMBOUR D'AFRIQUE!

Today Tambour d'Afrique turns a year old. Tune in and help us celebrate. www.radiotriomphe.com With the new year will come a new look and a better outlook. Thank you for your continued support. PEACE

Sandra Lina...

I've been listening to this song a lot lately.
Here is Zaiko Langa Langa singing Sandra Lina live. The live footage always
makes it that much more enjoyable.
footage courtesy of youtube.com user 'likinga'. thank you.

EMISSION 12.22.07

A week before Tambour d'Afrique's 1 year anniversary Guy talks about his reason behind supporting Congolese Rumba and spreading the beauty of it. The first hour he plays songs that were chosen by me and then pays tribute to Tabu Ley Rocheraeu. Next week will be a special Anniversary episode and also a New Years Celebration. All those celebrating Christmas, Merry Christmas and Tune in this saturday. PEACE

EMISSION 12.22.07 (Telechargement/Download)

Hang Tight, Changes Ahead...

Tambour d'Afrique will be getting another face lift soon. I'm in the process of speaking to someone about redesigning the site for me. I want the look of the site to match the calibur and overall enthusiasm of the show Tambour d'Afrique. I want to bring more commentary in coming months. Tambour d'Afrique will soon be a year old and in celebration of that the site should reflect this achievement of certain longevity. In the meantime continue to enjoy the show on Saturday nights from 10pm - 12am Eastern Standard Time (NY) @ www.radiotriomphe.com and log on here to download a copy of the show.

The journey has just begun. Tambour d'Afrique will continue to expand and we thank the fans for allowing us to do that and joining us for the ride.

Peace...

Emission 12.15.07

Emission 12.15.07 (Telechargement/Download)



Redesign coming soon...Stay tuned.

Some Videos...

Felix Wazekwa - Ah Ngai (song featured on last weeks show)



Koffi Olomide - Effrakata


Fally Ipupa - Bakanja

Emission 12.01.07: World Aids Day Special

EMISSION 12.01.07: World Aids Day

On last night's show Guy played a selection of songs that I put together and some bonus tracks from old tapes. He and Pierre Mbala also discussed World Aids Day which was yesterday. To read more about World Aids Day go here:
http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/

Later on I will be posting videos. In the meantime listen to the show.

PEACE :)

A Few Random Selections..

FRANCO & OK JAZZ - KUNA OKEYI OBONGISA








ORCHESTRE LIPUA LIPUA - KAMALE







ORCHESTRE ETUMBA NA NGWAKA - MOKANO

Sunday Nite Videos...

EMISSION 11.10.07 (TELECHARGEMENT/DOWNLOAD)


EMISSION 11.18.07 (TELECHARGEMENT/DOWNLOAD)

ENJOY THESE VIDEOS...

Madilu System - Le Tenant Du Titre


Nyboma - Double Double (Live)


Papa Wemba Presents Felix Wazekwa Live au Zenith

...the dancing at the end of this one is priceless! :)


PEACE...

Emission 11.24.07 et Plus...

Last night Guy was supposed to interview Tresor Manuaku. For some reason or another he was unable to reach him and the interview did not take place. But Guy did talk about Tresor's music and played a few of his selections, towards the end of the show. The interview has been postponed for next week so stay tuned for that. I will be linking up the shows from 11.18.07 and 11.10.07 later today along with some videos...In the meant time enjoy last night's show.


EMISSION 11.24.07 (Telechargement/Download)

Tambour d'Afrique Tonight: SPECIAL INTERVIEW W/TRESOR MANUAKU!

Well the past couple of weeks have been a bit hectic. Last week I was hospitalized with an illness (Colitis) and so I've been recovering from that. As a result the show from November 10th and the Show from last weekend were never posted. I will be posting them shortly. Nov 10th was a continuation of the special on AIDS. Last weeks show was just a regular show.

Tonight is special. Guy will be interviewing Pepe Felly's son, Tresor Manuaku who is making a lotta noise in Europe with his latest album DESTIN and his two singles Mwasi Kitoko & Je Suis Francais. Tune in tonight @ 10 pm (est) on www.radiotriomphe.com

Peace...

Emission 11.03.07 - SPECIAL: Attention Na Sida

EMISSION 11.03.07 - SPECIAL: ATTENTION NA SIDA


Last week Guy had a special based around a new FALSE study (read: propaganda) concerning Haiti and the AIDS virus. The study claims that AIDS made its way from Africa, to Haiti and from Haiti to the United States as early as 1969. There is much outrage among the Haitian community surrounding this study and the U.S.'s constant negativity towards Haiti and Africa in general. The media has been (for centuries even) a key tool in painting a negative picture of Africans (this includes Haitians and other groups of Black people). In the Early 1990s Guy and my older sister, who I think was maybe 11 at the time, marched for this exact cause. Haitians were being blamed (as they are again) for the spread of AIDS.

On last weeks show Pierre Kadima Mbala returned to his spot as commentator from Denver to discuss with Guy what this means in the grand scheme for Africans across the world. They discuss AIDS as the man-made disease that it is and how it has been used over the years to control populations.

Tonight at 10pm (NY time) Guy will bring a new Tambour d'Afrique filled with music but will also continue the discussion of AIDS as it concerns Haitians and also Africans overall.

PEACE...

Peace To All Fans Of Tambour d'Afrique...

Sorry (AGAIN!) for the huge gaps between entries. I'm kind of having a commentary drought. I haven't been listening to Congolese music that much lately as I've been recording my own music and trying to concentrate on that. Anyhow I have the show from October 20th here:
EMISSION 10.20.07


I will definitely try to be more consistent with the updates.

This past saturday I was in Queens celebrating my good friend's 25th birthday (shout out to Metanoya and the Web/Brewer family!) and so I was not home to record the show (10/27). Next week there will be a brand new show. Stay tuned and listen live @ Radiotriomhe.com 10pm-12am (est, ny time) I will bring you an Mp3 of the show as usual.

PEACE...

Stay Tuned...

Update coming later today...

Sunday Nite Videos & Emission 10.13.07

If you missed it and/or you just want to hear it over and over again, here is last night's show.
Emission 10.13.07



Last week Guy introduced us all to a musician and vocalist by the name of Mimitah. Mimitah Bofondo is 25 years old and resides in London, England. She sings, composes songs and also plays bass guitar. She recently released the single Tata Muasi, which Guy played on last weeks show. I found out about Mimitah through Myspace and once I heard her music I told my dad he HAD to play her song! She definitely puts a fresh spin on the music. Her voice is a rare one in today's musical climate. She's the only female Congolese artist I know of that is as young as she is and it gives me great pride that she is so talented and she takes the composition of music seriously. She carries the torch for the Congolese Women musicians and artists in what is now the 5th Generation of 'Modern' Congolese music, in my humble opinion. I can see her being a musical force internationally. We all here at Tambour d'Afrique wish her all the best.

Here are some video clips of her. The first is a short documentary and the second is the Tata Muasi (Remix).






Here is a clip of Zaiko Langa Langa as headed by Nyoka Longa Jossart in a recent concert. Even to this day Zaiko Langa Langa never fails to entertain with the dance moves. Enjoy.



PEACE...

10.06.07 Zaiko Langa Langa Special

On this passed week Guy did a small tribute to his favorite band, Zaiko Langa Langa. For no particular reason really he played all Zaiko songs and then showcased 4 songs from 4 different Myspace frieds. Enjoy







EMISSION 10.06.07 (TELECHARGEMENT)



Bakwetu (Theme Song)

Nadi

Ando 1&2

Elo 1&2

Ma

Mbeya Mbeya

Consulation

Chouchouna

C'est La Verite

Tata Muasi - Mimitah www.myspace.com/mimitah

Chaleur Africaine - Mpassi www.myspace.com/mpassi

Baye - Monique Seka www.myspace.com/moniqueseka

Kumbe Time - Kiki Mbassi www.myspace.com/kikimbassi

Zaiko Wawa (Closing theme)

More Myspace Friends...

Over the weeks Guy has introduced some musicians that he has encountered on Myspace.com. Here are their myspcae pages...


First up is Dzany Mpiana. Guy played his song Meme Ngai Na Likolo. He doesn't have much information on his page but this young man is obviously influenced by Soul and R&B. He flawlessly mixes lingala in with the genre and it really works. Listen to more of his songs @ www.myspace.com/dzanympiana


The next artist up is Samba Mapangala. Samba Mapangala is a former member of the group Les Kinois. They sang the song 'Mwana Mboka' that Guy has played on the show in the past. Les Kinois was a Congolese band based out of Nairobi, Kenya. In the early 80s Les Kinois transformed into L'Orchestre Virunga with Samba Mapangala as the leader of the band. Mr. Mapangala is now stationed in the Maryland area. He tours the United States and Canada. Guy played his song Nyama Choma. I also featured the video for this song on a past blog entry. Samba Mapangala gracefully blends old sounds with the new. Check out more of his songs @ www.myspace.com/sambamapangala

Last week Guy brought to our attention two other artists who I will be profiling tomorrow. Until then enjoy these two myspace pages and listen to re-runs of Tambour d'Afrique. Thanks and good night. Peace...

Emission 09.29.07*

EMISSION 09.29.07



*Fixed.

Sunday Nite Videos

A few weeks ago Guy played this song by Zaiko Langa Langa called MOKILI ECHANGER.
He had asked if anyone knew the name of the lead singer. I didn't show the video then because I didn't want to give away the answer. But anyway it's been awhile and no one answered the question (at least I don't think so). The lead singer on Mokili Echanger is Dindo Yogo. The version of Mokili Echanger that Guy played on the radio was different from the one I linked for download. That audio I linked comes straight from this video courtesy of Youtube & Youtube user likinga. As usual Zaiko gives a smashing performance. I always love their dancing. Enjoy.




Now months ago I had linked the video to Papa Wemba serenading songstress Mpongo Love live on television. Papa Wemba had a crush on her and invited her to his show when he returned from Paris to deliver a big show in his home country. That clip that I showed you was only a snippet of the song Papa Wemba sang. This clip is courtesy of Youtuber jeannotsmart and this is the complete performance of the song he sang for Mpongo Love.



This next video is by JB Mpiana & Wenge Musica...KIPE YA YO from his March release of the same title. This is song is a real hit I love it. Enjoy.



Enjoy the videos and have a nice evening. Peace...

Getting Up To Date & Catching Up...

PEACE

The past few weeks have been a little bit hectic beginning with the passing of my Great Uncle Luco. I owe the Tambour d'Afrique audience an apology for being a bit slack with the updates again. I will be making an effort to update more consistently.

Today I will link you to last night's show and the show from 09.15.07.


Emission 22.09.07 (Telechargement)



Emission 15.09.07 (Telechargement)

PEACE...

Dedication

A Ma Tante Fifi, Regine, Luc Jr., Marjorie et Les Petits Enfants...

Tonton Luco, un pere, un oncle, un frere, un parrain, un ami que l'on aime beaucoup. Du Cap Haitien, Haiti a Malverne, NY (USA) Nous versons tous des larmes, bientot on n'en aura plus.
Meme si nous devons tous un jour faire le meme chemin, pourquoi toi aujourd'hui?
Ami, pour qui nous verson ces larmes, pourquoi es tu parti? Pourquoi si vite?
Si tu recontres Grand Za, Grande Cora, Manna, Pafred, Majo, Maitre Ra, Jeanine, Charlotte, Myriam, Danielle, George.... dites leur
que jusqu'au bout on a tenu avec toi.
Ami, ce n'est qu'un aurevoir......


Tabu Ley - Kashama Nkoy (Telechargement)

Show 08.18.07 demais....

PEACE.

Another Great Loss.....

Very early yesterday morning the Angrand Family lost a great man when Guy's uncle, my great uncle Luc Angrand succumbed to cancer. Guy still managed to do a wonderful show last night and made a special dedication and tribute to him. Later on I will have a link to the show. Please stay tuned for that. Peace...

R.I.P. Tonton Luco you will truly be missed...

LABOR DAY

Yesterday was Labor Day in the United States. On last Saturday's show Guy explained why the observance of Labor Day is held in September. Everywhere else in the world Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st.

History of Labor Day (Wikipedia)

He also discussed the song Mwana Mboka by Les Kinois. Funny story behind this song One day when Guy was setting up his Myspace he tells me his nickname is Mwana Mboka. I thought that was so interesting. A day or so prior to that I had found a Les Kinois song of the same name. Loosely translated it means 'child of Africa'. Guy talks about being very proud to be Haitian. And that despite his being wholly absorbed into Ngungwa culture to the point where he says he was accused of lying when he told people he was Haitian, he never stopped being Haitian. Listening to the lyrics to Mwana Mboka I was able to understand exactly why my father's childhood friends gave him the nickname Mwana Mboka. Even as Haitian as he is, he is very much African.

For me growing up both Congolese and Haitian in America has been an effortless juggling act for me. I have to credit Guy for that. Seeing him go effortlessly from Kreyol to Lingala (two languages where attitude is just as important in getting your point across as grammar) subconsciously showed me people from different parts of the world are not as different as we would like to believe. We may speak differently, eat different things, etc but at the end of the day as soon as everyone is speaking the same language you realize you were saying the same things all along. As Black people I feel there are great opportunities to be had by uniting with different cultures other than our own. I feel that we will find that among us our cultures are not so drastically different. If you are around another cultures long enough you can adapt to them and appreciate the differences as well as similarities.

Speaking of which tying in with Labor Day is a celebration (which actually has nothing to do with Labor Day) which has the Caribbean representing their cultures/nations while appreciating all the others present. Every year people representing every corner of the Caribbean gather on Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway to celebrate the West Indian Day Parade. Several different cultures which stem from one source: Africa. In Brooklyn yesterday (In Brooklyn everyday lol) there were various expressions of Africa on display. Children of the Africans who were enslaved and scattered across the West Indies, who despite slavery created their own cultures. Though they are different there is a very strong similarity across the board that is undeniably the stamp of Africa.

Only some Children of (enslaved) Africans are fortunate to go back. Guy aka Mwana Mboka was one of them. This week I will continue with his story as he told it on last weeks broadcast.

I will leave you all with the song Zouke Zouke by Pepe Kalle. To me it is a perfect blend of Zouk and Soukous and ties in with the subject of Africans appreciating each other's culture.

Mwana Mboka Continued...

Three weeks ago on Tambour d'Afrique, Guy gave the listeners a deeper look into his background to help us get a better understanding of his connection with the Congo and Congolese music. On last night's show he continued with his story...

New Show Tonight @ 10pm....

Its been a whole week since the last entry. I've been kinda busy with work and recording and completely lost track of the blog. Last week the Madilu System Memorial Special re-aired because Guy was on vacation. Tonight he will be bringing us all a brand new show. I just got home from visiting with some friends so I have no idea what he has planned for today. I usually have an idea if I'm home since he compiles his track list here in the house. So basically today I will be tuning in with fresh ears with the rest of you all. As a true fan of the show (Not just because the host is my dad haha) not knowing what is going to be played adds an extra element of excitement for me. I'm positive that we will be blessed with good music and I look forward to hearing what Guy has in store.

I still need to introduce you all to some artists that were played in the past few weeks from Guy's myspace friends list. Keep an eye out for that.

REMEMBER: Tune into RadioTriomphe.Com @ 10pm NY time (Eastern Standard) to hear a brand new episode.

Before the show begins take the time to listen to this selection, Lisumu by Zaiko Langa Langa. Written by my late great uncle Matima Mpiosso (R.I.P.) Peace and have
a wonderful weekend.

TAMBOUR D'AFRIQUE TONIGHT

Tune in at 10 pm Ny time.

Replay of last week's show. Enjoy...


PEACE :)

MADILU SYSTEM TRIBUTE SHOW

EMISSION 08.18.07 MADILU SYSTEM

MADILU SYSTEM...R.I.P.

MADILU SYSTEM 1950 - 2007

Madilu System est décédé ce samedi à Kinshasa (Merci a Digitalcongo.net)

Ce soir Guy rendra hommage à Madilu System sur l'emission Tambour d'Afrique.
Ecoute a 22 hueres l'heure a NY.

Emission 08.11.07


Last week Saturday Guy announced that the world had lost a great musician. He is known to the African music world as Madilu System. His voice to me is very familiar yet I didn't know him by name until he passed away. He appears on a few of my favorite Congolese songs that I've discovered in recent years such as "Magali" and "Mario" along side Franco. He is also featured in some of the OK Jazz videos I have linked in the past. Learn more about Madilu System and his life and times here: A Congelese Legendary Singer Madilu is no more (Thank you Afropop.org)

Tonight Guy will be paying special tribute to Madilu System at the beginning of the show.

Here are some videos to remember him by. He was a great vocal talent. He will be missed...

Live In Holland


Mamou (With Franco et TP OK Jazz)



Fifi Alonge


PEACE...

Please Excuse...

Please excuse the lack of updates this week. I'm having some computer issues. Last weeks show was great and I will definitely have it to you all shortly. I will also bring you more of Guy's myspace friends later on. Until then please enjoy this Verkys & Veve song that I've been addicted to as of late. It's called Vivita.



PEACE...

MORE MYSPACE FRIENDS...& TAMBOUR D'AFRIQUE TONIGHT

One last weeks broadcast Guy also played a selection each from M'Passi and Strelly Mikobi. MPassi is a female vocalist who was once part of the wildly popular French Congolese rap group BISSO NA BISSO. She has been singing all her life and has been influenced by the likes of Mbilia Bel and even Michael Jackson. Guy played one of her new songs Mama.



Strelly Mikobi is a male vocalist from Kasai, Congo-Kin. He has been singing since a child and has been following his dream since. In '97 he played along side Pepe Kalle and in 2000 participating in Nyoka Longo's group Zaiko Langa Langa. He has worked several other musical projects and is now ready to embark on a solo career. Guy played his soon to be released single Tshiamala.




Visit their myspace pages for more information on them and music:

www.myspace.com/mpassi

http://www.myspace.com/strelly1

Tambour d'Afrique will be airing tonight at its usual time of 10pm NY-USA TIME.
Tambour d'Afrique joue a 10 heures (NY-USA) ce soir sur le Radio Triomphe.

TRESOR MANUAKU

In a continued effort to introduce more modern sounds to the Tambour d'Afrique format Guy decided to play some music from a few of his Myspace Friends. We discovered that there are so many artists on Myspace making wonderful Congolese and African music, it is only right that we help spread their great music through the radio show and this blog.



First up is Tresor Manuaku. You may recognize the name. Tresor is infact Pepe Felly Manuaku's son. He is a sensation in France and is gaining much popularity in Europe. He is a dynamic performer who not only raps and sings but dances with much passion. His music is a mix of Hip Hop, R&B and traditional Congolese music. He has a new album by the name of Destin which features the song Mwasi Kitoko, that Guy played on the previous broadcast. You can listen to more clips of his music on his myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/13ormanuaku

He was recently featured on French news. Thank you to Youtuber, gmanuaks for the clip:



PEACE...

Sunday Nite Videos...& Tambour d'Afrique 08.04.07

Last night's show Guy brought you many old songs but also many exclusive songs by artists who have befriended him on Myspace.com. Stay tuned during the week I will be giving commentary on the show. For now download and listen to last night's show and watch these videos...

Emission 08.04.07 (Telechargement)


::EBELE YA ZAIRE::
Franco et TP OK Jazz (Djo Mpoyi Kaninda sings lead)



::NYAMA CHOMA::
Samba Mapangala



::ORGSY::
Fally Ipupa

Mokili Echanger

Last week Guy played the song Mokili Echanger by Zaiko Langa Langa. The lead singer on this song has a very distinct voice, he was once in Viva La Musica and made a switch to Zaiko Langa Langa and eventually Langa Langa Stars. Unfortunately he passed away August 23, 2000 of unspecified causes. He is known as "La Voix Cassée" (The Broken Voice). If you know who this singer is, email Guy at guyangrand1@hotmail.com or call in the show at show time Saturday 10pm - 12am @ Radio Triomphe. The phone number to the radio station is 718-469-7277. Remember you must call during show time in order to get through. Thank you to all the listeners around the WORLD who listen and tune into the blog. Always feel free to reach host Guy Angrand at his email or www.myspace.com/guyangrand

--

Le semaine passe Guy a joué la chanson Mokili Echanger par Zaiko Langa Langa. Le chanteur principal sur cette chanson a une voix très distincte, il était passé par Viva La Musica avant d'aller à Zaiko Langa Langa et eventuellement Langa Langa Stars. Malheureusement il est decédé le 23 Aout 2000 d'une cause non spécifiée. Il est connu en tant que "La Voix Cassée". Si vous connaissez ce chanteur, envoyez un email Guy à guyangrand1@hotmail.com ou appellez pendant l'emission le Samedi entre 22 heures et minuit. Le numéro de téléphone est (1) 718-469-7277. Rappelez-vous que vous devez appeler pendant l'emission afin d'obtenir Guy. Merci à tous les auditeurs du MONDE ENTIER qui écoutent et qui lisent le blog. Soyez toujours libre de joindre Guy Angrand sur son email ou à www.myspace.com/guyangrand.

***THANK YOU AFROBONGO FOR THE TRANSLATION :)

Ecoute "Mokili Echanger" et Telecharge cette chansons:

Sunday Nite Videos...& Last Nite's Show

Sorry so late with it. Here is a link to last night's show which was really great. There were no random sounds in the recording (lol) and the show recorded perfectly.


Emission 07-28-07



Here are two great videos I found on You Tube.
Both songs played on the 07/21/07 show...

First up is MASSU sung by Jolie Detta for Franco & TP OK Jazz. Jolie Detta was the only woman to ever sing lead for Franco. In this clip she is backed up by Yondo Sister's twin sister Yondo Nyota. Both Detta and Nyota have since passed away...R.I.P. I love the song. From my limited understanding of Lingala it sounds like she is singing about her bestfriend. Its a really nice song and the dancing is great. Thank you to youtuber papanzinga for the clip...



This next clip is one of the legendary band Zaiko Langa Langa in 1975. From Left to Right the singers present in this clip are Lengi Lenga, Mashakado, Nyoka Longo and Likinga. Pepe Manuaku is on lead guitar and Ilo Pablo on the drums. If I am not mistaken Uncle Bapusse is on Bass in this clip. I LOOOOVE this song so much and the performance is spectacular. The dancing is great. I think I might have even posted this video before but it's great enough to post twice. I love it that much lol. In this clip they sing BELI MASHAKADO. Thank you to youtuber likinga (I often wonder if he is of any relation to likinga himself. I've asked through youtube but got no response...) Enjoy the clips...



PEACE...

Tambour d'Afrique

Go to Radio Triomphe @ 10pm (NY) and click on the link next to the microphone to tune in.

Tambour d'Afrique joue ce soir de 10pm à 12am (est-ny). Cliquez le lien par Radio Triomphe pour écouter à l'heure.


www.radiotriomphe.com

New

Here's that mix I promised...ENJOY

tracklist:

01 felix wazekwa - tu me manques
02 jb mpiana - mohammed kaniansy
03 wenge musica - jessy chouchou de london
04 bozi boziana - ole ole
05 liputa - fally ipupa

Download Here

Last Week's Show, Technology vs. Ms Bazu

Being able to stream a radio show on the internet is a really great feature of our time. Through the internet Tambour d'Afrique is able to reach people all over the world, not only through Radio Triomphe but also this blog and being able to rebroadcast the show over and over.We are able to reach way more people than if we depended soley on the actual radio frequency 101.9 SCA FM, which only reaches people in the tri-state area (New York-Connecticut-New Jersey). The downside to internet streaming however is that it can be unpredictable.

Last night as I recorded the show, through a program which records streaming audio, the stream just stopped at a certain point; just as Guy was getting into the newer congolese music. By the time I got it to work again the show was going off.

Unfortunately Guy did not make an audio cassette copy as he does on occasion. What I will do is make available the first half which recorded with no problem and then make a mix of the songs that Guy played for the second half. That mix will be available tomorrow.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience but sometimes these things happen. As great as technology can be it definitely is not perfect. I still owe you all a few other shows that I've been meaning to convert from audio cassette to mp3. Next week I will definitely have those for you. Thank you for continuing to tune into the show and to those who spread the word about Tambour d'Afrique, special thanks. We appreciate it.

Tambour d'Afrique 07/21/07


PEACE

Tambour d'Afrique Tonight...

Brand new episode of Tambour d'Afrique Tonight, 10pm to 12am @ www.radiotriomphe.com

Tonight's playlist was made by ME, ms bazu! Haha That' right. Guy was out and about today so I took it upon myself to create tonight's playlist so that he wouldn't be late for the show. You can expect to hear songs from Grand Zaiko, Les Kinois, Mpongo Love, Felix Wazekwa, Koffi Olomide and many more! Tune in...

PEACE

A Few Moments in History...

On the last show Guy spoke about the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo as a nation and how it came about. Before the advent of colonialism, there stood a Kingdom at the mouth of the Nzadi River. The Kongo Kingdom . European interest in the area started as early as the 1400s when the Portuguese sent their 'explorers' and since then the Congo has had a long history of dealings with European nations at times joining forces with them; at other times fighting them off.



(courtesy of www.fistfulofeuros.net)


In the late 1870s explorer Henry Morton Stanley rediscovered the Congo River Basin. He is invited to join the International Africa Society which was a group which sought to research and civilize the people of Africa. Over time the groups imperialist goals began to surface. By the 1880s unbeknownst to the people of the Kongo Kingdom there was a plan devised to secretly form a Congo State (without the consent of the natives). As the Belgians looked to form the Congo State, the French claimed Brazzaville and the Portuguese claimed other portions of the Kingdom. This was the catalyst for what is commonly known today as The Scramble For Africa. It was labeled a scramble because at this time several European nations literally scrambling sending their 'explorers' and troops to different parts of Africa with hopes to secure land with no regard for the boundaries already set by the native people. The conference set out to avoid conflict between the European nations which sought to colonize Africa. The boundaries that fence in the nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo we know today, are the same boundaries that were set at the Berlin Conference. At this conference not a single African was present as the different nations of Europe grabbed pieces of the Great continent cutting up already existing empires at will.



(courtesy of wikipedia)

In order to procure these pieces of land there was a great deal of deception that had to take place as well as bloodshed and war. A condition of the treaty which was signed at the Berlin Conference was that European nations had to have agreements with the Chiefs of the different areas they wished to possess. They also HAD to exploit the land (as that was the whole point of possessing it) or else another colonial power could come and take it from them. The Berlin Conference was essentially a business deal of which Africans had no real say. The freedom to own and trade was taken from the majority of Africans because of this conference.

The steps towards this conference had already been in the works for centuries as evidenced by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Portugal's early occupation of the Congo, etc. Africans did not take these actions sitting down but their attempts to retain freedom were too little to late. The imperialists had been planning their offense for much longer than Africans came with their defense the brutal force with which the imperialists struck was too much for the unsuspecting people whose weaknesses as people were being used against them. As they brutalized Africa they also trained their people back home who never encountered Black people, to think less of them for various ridiculous reasons. They even twisted bible passages to back up their theories. One needn't look any further than Tarzan to understand their view of the lowly cannibal savage in need of civilization that was the African. This was their vision of the African and therefore any atrocity committed against them was excused.

Imperialism is a dirty industry which still exists today under different more politically correct terms such as Globalization. Imperialism has wreaked havoc on whole empires, nations and cultures for resources, such as oil, diamonds, rubber, labor, etc. and has been the cause of many many wars. In several parts of Africa there are wars that are mere continuations of independence struggles and conflicts over resources that were supposed to have ended decades ago. Imperialists still own many of the industries in these nations that control and instigate conflict in order to continue their exploitation of the people and land. This hand of imperialism still has a strong hold on most of the nations of Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an area that is deeply effected by these imperialist powers to this day.

As I write this blog entry I am listening to the masterpiece 'Mabele' by Franco & TP OK Jazz. The song talks about the troubles of the World (Mabele means the Earth, World in Lingala). The singer towards the end of the song says something that stood out to me, one because it's one of the few lines I understand in the song and two because of what the line actually says:

Mindele asala mandoki akoboma batu
kasi akoboma verite, mindele akoki te...

Which loosely translated means:

"The white man does evil and kills people
but can they kill the truth? The white man can't."

That line in my opinion, speaks to the importance of history and understanding our conditions, how we got caught in them and the key to removing ourselves from them (the truth). The truth is the world is suffering because of colonialism and imperialism (the only thing 'neo' (new) about imperialism today are the methods used to implement it; the idea is centuries old). There have been attempts to hide the truth but ut can not be taken away from us once we've attained it and we all know the saying, "The Truth Shall Set You Free."

PEACE...




***Historical information courtesy of Wikipedia. Click the various links for more indepth articles. All other words are Ms Bazu's opinion of said historical information and a reflection of lessons learned as a student of Guy and also Howard University***

6 Months of Tambour d'Afrique...

6 mois de Tambour d'Afrique...

Tambour d'Afrique has been on the air for approximately 6 months now. For the past 6 months I have been recording the show so that they can be heard over and over by you, the fans. Some episodes haven't made it to recording (a few are on audio cassette waiting to be converted. I promise to get them to you as soon as I can) and there were a few Saturdays where episodes were rebroadcast. But here you can download every Tambour d'Afrique that is available to share with others, and play in your cars and iPods. There reached a certain point where I lost count of which show was which so try not to pay any attention to the show numbers. I began to label them by date after a while...

LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE: 07/14/07



SHOW #1 VERY FIRST EPISODE

SHOW 3

SHOW 5 pt1

SHOW 5 pt 2

SHOW 6

SHOW 8: EXCLUSIVE PEPE FELLY MANUAKU INTERVIEW!!

SHOW 9

SHOW 11

SHOW 14

04/21/07

05/05/07

07/07/07



fireworks display photo courtesy of Egidia Van Buren

Tambour d'Afrique Tonight...

Tonight a brand new and exciting episode of Tambour d'Afrique will be airing @ Radio Triomphe tonight @ 10 pm eastern standard time. Tomorrow I will be upping not just tonight's show for download, but many of the past episodes that can be heard in the Imeem player. Stay tuned for that. Have a good night and don't forget to tune into Tambour d'Afrique. Until then enjoy this song by Youlou Mabiala & his band Kamikaze Loningisa called Judoka. I've been listening to this all day. I just love it. I put it in a mix that I posted up not too long ago but it deserves it's own place...Enjoy




Peace...

PAPA WEMBA

Whenever you tune into Tambour d'Afrique the first thing you hear is the energetic sounds of one of the most legendary artists in the world and in Congolese music, Papa Wemba (the song being Bakwetu). Papa Wemba is an icon and a legend. With some artists that I have profiled on this website information on them has been very limited but because of Papa Wemba's celebrity I was able to find several articles on his life that do him more justice than any entry I could muster. He has a rich long history the begins in his youth when he would accompany his mother, a funeral singer, to work. Here he learned the ins and outs of vocalizations, notes and melodies. Papa Wemba's place in history is solidified as he continues to create African music that is admired the world over. Today we salute Papa Wemba.

The site "Nostalgie Ya Mboka" asks that no one take any information from their site so I will instead link you to them. It is a very well constructed and in depth site and I am happy to share it with you all. PAPA WEMBA'S BIOGRAPHY




Toutes les fois que vous ecoutez Tambour d'Afrique la première chose que vous entendez c'est les bruits énergiques d'un des artistes les plus légendaires de la musique congolaise et du monde, Papa Wemba (la chanson Bakwetu). Papa Wemba est une icône et une légende. Les quelques artistes dont j'ai fourni le profil sur cette site, l'information a été très limité mais en raison de la célébrité de Papa Wemba, j'ai trouve plusieurs articles sur sa vie qui lui font plus de justice que n'importe quelle resume que je pourrais mettre sur papier ou alors l'ecran. Papa Wemba a une histoire riche qui commence dans sa jeunesse lorsqu'il accompagnerait sa mère, une chanteuse pour les funerailles. C'est ainsi qu'il a appris tous les aspects desvocalizations, des notes et des mélodies. La place de Papa Wemba dans l'histoire est solidifié pendant qu'il continue à créer la musique africaine qui est admirée partout dans le monde. Aujourd'hui nous saluons Papa Wemba.

Pour les gens qui parlent français ils peuvent trouver le même article sur
son site officiel: PAPA WEMBA BIOGRAPHIE

Enjoy these videos and songs in celebration of Papa Wemba and his contribution to Ya Miziki Ya Congo...
Appréciez ces videos et chansons de Papa Wemba et de sa contribution à "
Miziki Ya Congo...


**more videos of Papa Wemba can be found @ Youtube.com. Search his name.**
**plus de videos Papa Wemba peuvent être @ Youtube.com trouvés. Recherchez son nom**

Ekoti


Recours


Foridoles


Bakwetu


Thank you Papa Wemba.

PEACE...

TSHALA MUANA

Very few Congolese artists have made it from Le Belle Epoche to the present day Congolese music scene with their fan base still intact while also picking up new fans along the way. Many have passed away, while others simply lost their popularity over the years as the music of the Congo continued to go through changes. Tshala Muana is one such artist who has stood the test of time. Not only has Tshala Muana wowed audiences for years with her music she has been a advocate for political and social change in the Congo and has even had to flea the country because of her views and political work.

She was born Elizabeth Tshala Muana on March 13, 1958, in the Kasai section of the Congo the 2nd of 10 children. As a child she was very much into dance and the music of her native Kasai. Once she completed secondary school her love for music and dance grew and she dreamed of bringing the unique sounds of Kananga (her native village) called MUTUASHI to other parts of the Congo and eventually the world.

In 1976, she leaves Kananga for Kinshasa with the hopes of fulfilling her musical dreams. Allured by the voice and sound of Mpongo Love she soon joins Tcheke Tcheke Love (Mpongo's band) as a dancer in 1977. In that same year Muana decides to try her hand at singing. She releases two 45's which unfortunately bring her no success. She soon joins the group Minzoto Wela Wela and continues to struggle to make herself known as a vocalist.



In 1980 she decides to broaden her scope and embarks on a West African tour starting in Brazzaville and travels to Nigeria, Togo, and Ivory Coast. Success in Abidjan (the capitol of the Ivory Coast) being one of the musical centers of Africa enabled Tshala Muana to finally realize her success once she won that area over with her 45 single "Amina" which she recorded in Paris in 1982.

In 1984 she settles in Paris where she would eventually record 19 albums. She makes more world tours and almost everywhere she goes she wins awards and trophies for exceptional music. In 1987 she plays in the motion picture film "Falato".



In 1991 she was decreed by the Chiefs of the greater Kasai area as an Ambassador of Kasai Culture. In 1997 she returns to the Congo from Paris indefinitely. As an artist she has continuously fought for political soviernty and the territorial integrity of the Congo (Kinshasa). She created one of the greatest movements for women called REFECO (Regroupement des Femmes Congolaises: The Regrouping of Congolese Women) which continues to this day.

In the year 2000 she is appointed a Congolese national and takes a temporary break from her music. After 3 years at the urging of her manager she rejoins the music scene and creates a group called Dynasty Mutuashi and releases her 20th album "Dinanga Vuet Dire Amour" (Dinanga Means Love). The album is an insanely huge success in The Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout Africa. In 2002 she releases MALU (Problem) and continues to gain recognition for her music. In 2003 she wins the KORA award for Best Female Artist. MALU goes on to sell close to 600, 000 copies not counting the numerous bootlegs that were surely sold. Her latest album MAMU a double disc and dvd was released in 2006 bringing her discography to 22 albums. This release has also been met with rave reviews and continues Tshala's reign as the Queen of Mutuashi.

(This article was loosely translated from french from her official website. http://tshalamuana.ifrance.com/)

Pour lire cet article en français allez à son site Web officiel: http://tshalamuana.ifrance.com/

We at Tambour d'Afrique admire not only her music but her dedication to her native land and people. She is an artist of great caliber and a person with a purpose. I will leave you with examples of her great music and a video from her most recent release.


Kizoungo Zoungo


Dezo Dezo


Banda Yango


Femme Congolaise



Tutu (ft. Papa Wemba)


Mbombo


Enjoy, PEACE...

Evolution...

On last week's show Guy decided to diversify his playlist, mixing older Congolese rumba styles with the more new and fresh. In the past most of the selections played were from the '60s/'70s/'80s era which is many times affectionately called 'Le Belle Epoque' ("The Beautiful Era) of Congolese Rumba. In order to grab a wider audience he thought it best to start playing congolese music from the '90s and 2000s. Soon there will be a segment of the show dedicated exclusively to the newer music where new favorites like Werrason, Koffi Olomide, JB MPiana, Fally Ipupa etc will be played. We at Tambour d'Afrique are excited with the way the show continues to evolve and grow.

To all the fans everywhere you are definitely appreciated and you are always in mind with every move the show makes. Thank you very much for your continued dedication and support.


To commemorate the new changes I will leave you with one of my favorite Fally Ipupa songs. Fally Ipupa (picture to the right) is a 29 year old Kinshasa born and raised vocalist and composer. Once a singer for Koffi Olomide's Quatier Latin, he released his solo debut "Droit Chemin" in 2006 to rave reviews. His style is a mixture of traditional Congolese Rumba, Ndombolo and a heavy R&B influence which along with his incredible voice and charming good looks have given him great cross over appeal in the european market. He has even sold out shows in the U.S. and Canada.

Here is his song 'Mabele'. Mabele means 'the Earth' in Lingala. From my limited command of the language I think he is singing to God, the Ancestors, the Earth and giving thanks and praise. Through much of the song he names people. My assumption is that he is naming people in his life that have helped him and who have been important to his life. My translations of Lingala are always rough so if you speak Lingala...PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG! I promise I will not be offended (haha). I will make the necessary corrections.



Also Tambour d'Afrique fans can now reach host Guy Angrand on MYSPACE!

His page address is www.myspace.com/guyangrand

Feel free to drop him a line.

PEACE...

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sur l'exposition de la semaine dernière le type a décidé de diversifier son playlist, mélangeant des modèles congolais plus anciens de rumba au plus nouveau et frais. Dans le passé la plupart des choix joués avaient lieu 'de l'ère 60s/'70s/'80s qui est beaucoup de fois 'Le Belle Epoque affectueusement appelé '(The Beautiful Era) de Rumba congolais. Afin de saisir une assistance plus large il l'a pensée mieux pour commencer à jouer la musique congolese des '90s et du 2000s. Bientôt il y aura un segment de l'exposition consacrée exclusivement à la musique plus nouvelle où les nouveaux favoris aiment Werrason, Koffi Olomide, JB MPiana, Fally Ipupa etc.. seront joués. Nous au Tambour d'Afrique sommes excités avec la manière que l'exposition continue à évoluer et se développer.

À tous les fans partout vous êtes certainement apprécié et vous êtes toujours à l'esprit avec chaque démarche que l'exposition entreprend. Merci infiniment de votre attachement continu et le soutenez.

Pour commémorer les nouveaux changements je vous laisserai avec une de mes chansons préférées de Fally Ipupa. Fally Ipupa (image vers la droite) est des 29 ans vocalist de vieux Kinshasa et compositeur soutenus et augmentés. Une fois un chanteur pour le latin de Quatier de Koffi Olomide, il a libéré son début solo "droit Chemin" en 2006 aux revues d'éloge. Son modèle est un mélange de Rumba congolais traditionnel, Ndombolo et une influence lourde de R&B qu'avec son voix incroyable et de bons regards charmants ont donnés lui à grand appel d'excédent de croix sur le marché européen. Il s'est même vendu hors des expositions aux ETATS-UNIS et au Canada.

Voici sa chanson 'Mabele '. Mabele signifie 'la terre 'dans Lingala. De mes connaissances limitées en langue je pense qu'il chante à Dieu, les ancêtres, la terre et donne des mercis et l'éloge. Par une grande partie de la chanson il appelle des personnes. Ma prétention est qu'il appelle les personnes dans sa vie qui l'ont aidé et qui ont été importantes pour sa vie. Mes traductions de Lingala sont toujours rugueuses ainsi si vous parlez Lingala... svp ME CORRIGEZ SI j'ai TORT ! Je promets que je ne serai pas offensé (haha). Je ferai les corrections nécessaires.

En outre les fans de d'Afrique de Tambour peuvent maintenant atteindre le type Angrand de centre serveur sur MYSPACE !

Sa adresse de page est www.myspace.com/guyangrand Sensation librement pour le laisser tomber une ligne. PAIX...

**Pardonnez-moi pour toutes les erreurs grammaticales. J'emploie Babelfish.altavista.com pour traduire.**

FINALLY...

A brand new episode for you to listen and enjoy over and over again.
Last night's episode recorded with no problems. You may find a few random sound effects in there (sorry about that). But other than that everything is perfect. Here is the show:


DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy...

Tambour d'Afrique Tonight...

New Episode of Tambour d'Afrique airing right NOW.

go to Radio Triomphe @ www.radiotriomphe.com to tune in...

SUNDAY NITE VIDEOS...

A FEW VIDEOS TO PASS YOUR SUNDAY NITE...

MBILIA BEL - BOYA YE




OCHESTRE BELLA BELLA - PETIT ZIZINA



PEPE KALLE & MBILIA BEL - NALEMBI


Enjoy...PEACE

INDEPENDENCE..chacha...

(Left, the Congolese flag at the time of independence. Right, the Congolese flag today)

47 years ago, today the country now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo gained their independence from colonial power, Belgium. On that day newly elected President, Patrice Lumumba, gave this speech...

Patrice Lumumba
The First Prime Minister of the Congo (Zaire)
On June 30, 1960, Independence Day

Men and women of the Congo,

Victorious fighters for independence, today victorious, I greet you in the name of the Congolese Government. All of you, my friends, who have fought tirelessly at our sides, I ask you to make this June 30, 1960, an illustrious date that you will keep indelibly engraved in your hearts, a date of significance of which you will teach to your children, so that they will make known to their sons and to their grandchildren the glorious history of our fight for liberty.

Read the whole speech here:
Lumumba Speech Congolese Independence, June 30, 1960

Although the (D.R. of) Congo has been through much turmoil since its independence it is important that we reflect on this day because it represents a struggle of a people which continues to this day. A struggle for peace. A struggle for the future of Congolese children. A struggle for a war/conflict free environment where the people may flourish without the worry of violent outbursts. In the midst of this constant struggle we remember that we come from a people who fought for what they believed in and continue to fight. One day the D.R. of Congo will be truly free. Until then we use this day as one of reflecting on Freedom and what it truly means to be Independent. Enjoy this day and celebrate. Peace...

______________________________________________________________________

Il y a 47 ans, aujourd'hui le pays maintenant connu sous le nom de la République démocratique du Congo gagnait leur indépendance de puissance coloniale, la Belgique. Sur ce président nouvellement élu de jour, Patrice Lumumba, a donné ce discours...

Patrice Lumumba
le premier premier ministre du Congo (Zaïre) juin 30, 1960, jour d'indépendance


Hommes et femmes du Congo,
Les combattants victorieux pour l'indépendance, aujourd'hui victorieux, je vous salue au nom du gouvernement congolais. Tout le vous, mes amis, qui ont combattu inlassablement sur nos côtés, je vous demande de faire ce juin 30, 1960, une date illustre que vous maintiendrez indélébile gravée dans vos coeurs, une date dont d'importance vous enseignerez à vos enfants, de sorte qu'ils fassent connaître à leurs fils et à leurs petits-enfants l'histoire glorieuse de notre combat pour la liberté.

Lisez le discours entier ici:
L'Indépendance Congolaise De la Parole De Lumumba, Juin 30, 1960

Bien que (D.R.) le Congo ait été par beaucoup d'agitation puisque son indépendance il est importante que nous réfléchissions ce jour parce qu'il représente une lutte d'un peuple qui continue à ce jour. Une lutte pour la paix. Une lutte pour le futur des enfants congolais. Une lutte pour un war/conflict libèrent l'environnement où le peuple peut s'épanouir sans souci des accès violents. Au milieu de cette lutte constante nous nous rappelons que nous venons d'un peuple qui a combattu pour ce qu'ils ont cru en et continuent pour combattre. Pendant un jour le D.R. du Congo sera vraiment libre. Jusque-là nous employons ce jour en tant qu'un de réfléchir sur la liberté et ce qui il signifie vraiment pour être indépendant. Appréciez ce jour et célébrez. Paix...



***Désolé pour toutes erreurs grammaticales. J'ai employé bablefish.altavista.com pour des traductions d'anglais-français.***

NEW EPISODE OF TAMBOUR D'AFRIQUE TONIGHT @ 10PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME TO 12AM MIDNIGHT. GO TO WWW.RADIOTRIOMPHE.COM to tune in.

New Look...Again

Yesterday as I was trying to make changes to the webpage I somehow ruined the format of the html. I am pretty much illiterate in html and so I had no idea how to fix what I messed up so I had to start from scratch. The site I got the template from is no longer up so I couldn't repost it. I hope this one isn't too hard on the eyes. I like the format but the background color isn't what I wish it were. Anyway over time the site's look will probably be changing a few times until I find something really nice again. Still working on getting last weeks show to you. Stay tuned. For now I will leave you with some songs I recently acquired...


This first song is by Dindo Yogo, singer of Zaiko Langa Langa fame. Its from his solo release "Chante Piscos" which was released in 1990.
DL:Sharufa












This next song is from the Bimi Ombale led Zaiko Langa Langa project, "Sentiment Bimi" which was released in 1988. DL: Moloki













This last selection is from the band Los Nickelos de Zato, Zizi & Jo Rino. From a compilation of their songs of the late '60s. DL: Bolingo Ya Telephone (Telephone Love)

Enjoy the songs and new scenery...PEACE