I've been struggling with technical difficulties as far as recording the show and also with streaming the show. The music sharing site, imusictweet.com, has suddenly lowered the amount of megabytes one can upload so I can't stream from there anymore. To make up for it I have made a 'video' of the show so that fans can still listen to the show while logged onto the internet. I hope you enjoy this next episode. I also invite you all to listen to Tambour d'Afrique every Saturday night from 10pm to 12am (NY EST) live at www.RadioTriomphe.com
I love this clip. According to innosita Papa Wemba had a huge crush on Mpongo Love and invited her onto this show and serenades her with a song. I'm still trying to decipher the words. But he says something to the effect of if you don't want me I'll drink poison and kill myself on one part. The song is nice and Mpongo's reaction is cute.
This is the opening from what I think is the same show from the first clip. I'm not sure *what* show this is exactly but it is Congo-Kin television. I have no clue what the song is called either (I'm checking to see if I may have it but I'm not sure. The clip doesn't have the song title) but the bottom line is this performance is really nice. When the soukous breaks its like a whole new song. I love it. I need to find this song. Until then I'll just enjoy the video.
Here is a full version of SAMBA SAMBA by Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomide. I put it on one of the mixes I posted this week. I love it. Enjoy. Samba Samba... Peace...
Franco & TP OK Jazz clips seem to popping up like crazy on Youtube.com over the past few weeks. Just today I saw maybe 7 clips I hadn't seen before and I check for new clips pretty regularly. Thanks again to the people I mentioned before who continuously bring us these timeless footage.
On last night's broadcast Guy played a very special song. Kinsiona by Franco. This song is another one of Franco's very personal songs (Attentiona Na Sida and Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo being two others). April 30th I blogged about Franco's brother, Bavon Marie Marie who was killed in a car crash. This song Kinsiona was written for Bavon Marie Marie. It is sung in Kikongo. Though it is full of grief and sorrow it is a beautiful song. In this clip (brought to us by youtube.com user rahndi) Franco sings Kinsiona for a crowd in Holland (1987).
This next clip is the reason why I love You Tube. It's a clip of a Congolese songstress by the name of Vonga Aye. According to the comments left by some of the You Tube users, Vonga Aye was discovered by Empompo Deyess and just like his earlier discovery, Mpongo Love, she is physically challenged. What struck me most though is that she also shares a similar captivating quality to her predecessor in both vocal performance and presence. Thanks to You Tuber, Innosita, I am able to bring you this clip:
She was dubbed "La voix la plus limpide du Zaire" (The most limpid voice of Zaire). limpid \LIM-pid\, adjective:
1. Characterized by clearness or transparency; clear; as, "a limpid stream."
2. Calm; untroubled; serene.
3. Clear in style; easily understandable.
This word perfectly describes the vocal stylings of Mpongo Love.
Aimee Fransoise Mpongo Lanu was born in 1956 in Boma, when Zaire was still The Belgian Congo. It seems only natural that The Voice of the Bas-Zaire woman be born at the mouth of the Congo River. Poetic in a way. At four years old she was given a penicillin shot for polio. An allergic reaction rendered her paralyzed. About two years later she regained use of her legs (although they were deformed) and she started school at Notre Dame de Boma where she joined the chorus.
As a teenager she worked at a Mazda Dealership. While working there through her friend she met saxophonist for Rochereau Tabu Ley, Deyes Empompo. Together Empompo and Mpongo form the band Tscheke Tscheke Love. Empompo recruits musicians to compose songs for Mpongo. At 19 she takes on the name Mpongo Love, taking 'Love' from the english for her french name 'Aimee'. 1976 she has an instant hit with "Pas Possible Maty". She performs at her first concert that year openning for Zaiko Langa Langa at the Cine Palladium. Her clear yet nasal voice, acute with emotion and precise intonation added to the subject matter of her songs gained her much deserved popularity. She began writing her own songs. Songs such as Ndaya, which promoted the idea of polygamy, caused a scandal but was a success among the Kinois public particularly with woman. She wrote several other songs, Monama Elima, Ka Pwe Pwe, Marketing International, Etc showing her dedication to her craft.
She gains even more popularity and success after her first tour which included shows in Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville and West Africa. She performed at Festac '77, an African Arts Festival in Ikeja, Nigera. She joins L'Ochestre National Du Zaire which the Minister of Cultural affairs of The Republic of Zaire created.
In that year the hate also came. A song released by fellow Diva du Zaire and popular vocalist, Abeti Masikini released the song "Bilanda landa" (roughly translated: follow follow). The public's false interpretation of the lyrics causes a beef between the two songstresses. They took the lyrics to mean Masikini was saying in spite of the success that Love has garnered she's just an imitator, follower. (Musical beefs transend, predate, and aren't limited to, Hip Hop. Just an observation :))
Mpongo came back with the song "Koba" in which she says "Okeyi kotuna nganga soki ozalaka na lisuma, lisuma te, motema na yo mbindo" ("You went to ask the soothsayer if you were cursed. you're not cursed, you have a bad heart"). This song, naturally, angered Masikini. Their rivalry continued strong until senior Kalonji Ngoy of Television National made them reconcile on the televised music show "Chronique".
In 1980 she leaves Empompo to manage her own career. Tcheke Tcheke Love is musically guided by Merry, former musical director of the army's orchestra "Orfaz". Love, writes and produces music under her new label "Love Music". She takes her act to Ivory Coast where she performs concerts at The Poliomyelitis Center. This brings her recognition throughout Africa.
Her international success comes when she releases the album "L'Afrique Dans Avec Mpongo Love" (Africa Dances With Mpongo Love). She had hits with titles "Vivre Avec Toi" "Yoko" and "Rebe". She modernized her sound on the album "Partarger" with synthesizers and percussions and her subject matter more hopelessly romantic. Though she continues to create songs that tell other stories such as "Femme Commerciante" which talks about the bravery of women, "Fetiche Mpongo" as song for her mother. Towards the late '80s she settled in Gabon, Africa.
She had suffered a long time before she settled in Gabon, of cerebral meningitis. She relocated back to Zaire. After spending weeks in the University of Kinshasa Hospital she passed away January 15, 1990. Then ended the life of a woman who made a huge mark on the male dominated industry and culture of Congolese Music, who made incredible music despite her bouts with illness and had a great business mind that allowed her to succeed in what she did. Her heart wrenching voice only to be heard on record (cd or mp3...).
Mpongo Love is a legend.
Since my father played "Monama Elima" on the show this past saturday I haven't been able to stop listening to it. I feel like this song is perfection. Everything is right with it and nothings wrong lol. I just wish I knew EXACTLY what she was saying. I can kinda get the gist but it would be good to know it all. I'm learning though.
but anyway here is an mp3 of Monama Elima in all of it's glory. This song to me is what makes Mpongo Love so great. Enjoy:
***For this entry I pretty much translated the following pages:
http://www.lepotentiel.com/afficher_article.php?id_edition=&id_article=21123
http://www.lehall.com/galerie/journeefemme/032_love.htm
(My intent is not to plagerize but have this information reach more people)***
