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Home , Afro rock, Bongo flava, Sega (genre), TPOK Jazz

www.sternsmusic.com STCD3067-68 URGENT DANCING!

“We’ll offer work to three of them. That third And, apart from the last-minute addition to the drummer’s been listening to the records, and the frontline of the legendary Congolese vocalist last two singers know the lyrics well.” Tchico Tchicaya, who happens to be in Dar at the time, that‘s how the shows are performed over It’s mid-August 1993, and I’m sitting in a deserted the next few weeks. club in with Congolese star Kanda Bongo Man and Kanda’s longtime guitarist I’m the resident DJ for a series of Kanda Bongo and arranger, Nene Tchakou. The mid-afternoon Man gigs in Dar, mainly at two clubs, one an sun slants across the beer glasses on the tables, old-school ‘hooch ‘n’ hookers’ joint, the other still unwashed from the night before. state-of-the-art modern beachside. The latter is to be opened by the Prime Minister and his wife, both “Why don’t you bring a full band from Paris when keen music-lovers. I’ve come with four boxes of you tour East ?” I ask Kanda. records (1993, so all vinyl), two of which overshoot “There’s no point,” he replies. “These East African airport, travel on to Johannesburg, and musicians and singers are probably the best on return to on a flight two days later, unharmed the continent. They know what’s expected, the and undiminished. Luckily, the returnees include singers and drummers especially, so we just hire my batch of classic Congolese-style rumba, the and rehearse when we get here. I only need Nene music loved and revered by the older generation to come; he MDs the shows.” of East Africans, called zilizopendwa in Kenya

and zilipendwa in , both terms loosely Maquis Du translated as ‘golden oldies’.

2 3 Kanda’s words will be familiar to all musicians America via a network of visiting sailors and The feverish musical activity in clubs, hotels, ‘girls’ night out’ genre whose popularity lives on who have recorded or toured in . That smuggling routes. private functions and recording studios in in the work of today’s pop stars such as Diamond afternoon in rehearsal, we hear maybe eight or Nairobi, Dar, Mombasa, Arusha, Kisumu, Mwanza, Platnumz and Nasema Nawe. From has There was a strong and skilled recording industry nine singers, and every one of them is either very Tanga and elsewhere became a magnet to the grown beni music, an all-purpose Africanised in Nairobi in the early ‘60s, with many local good or outstanding. It’s one of the reasons why Congolese big bands, whose limited domestic taarab for street parades and wedding parties, as entrepreneurs and investment from multinational the mighty Congolese orchestras – TPOK , work opportunities were a constant source of well as Sidi Sufi music, the recently reinvented recording labels. This was made all the more Afrisa, Johnny Bokelo and so many others – frustration. It also attracted combos from Afro-Indian trance music of Gujarat. All are easily vibrant with Kenyan independence and the particularly enjoy touring in Kenya and Tanzania. , whose influence in the early ‘60s heard today in Zanzibar. consequent inward flow of resources and talent Things are well-organised, almost everyone could be found in Zambia, Rhodesia, Botswana, from all over sub-Saharan Africa. And let’s not even get started on one Farrokh understands his job description, gigs start on time, Malawi and Kenya, especially in the guitar work Bulsara, a Zanzibar-born Parsi Indian, whose the audiences are appreciative of and familiar East Africa had a unique and exciting mixture of of people like Peter Tsotsi, a Nairobi-based South controversial legacy is still felt in the region. with the music, and they dance serebuka (literally artistic collaboration in the ‘60s and ‘70s. There African ‘dry’ guitarist whose playing founded (He was better known by Westerners, and much ‘blissful expressive dance’) using graceful moves, was an urban studio elite, a group of musicians the Kenyan ‘twist’ craze, along with local twist better loved, as Freddie Mercury.) mtindo, that seem to fit everything from ‘50s from various ethnic backgrounds performing in originator John Mwale. Kenyan guitar-twist and Cuban-influenced rumba ‘non-tribalised’ Swahili and recruited by English So, back to Dar, 1993. The club’s full, the Prime With its large professional and middle-class to modern R&B. record producers. Then there was a separate group Minister and his wife and entourage have arrived, Asian, Arabic and Indian population, East Africa’s of outstanding Luhya musicians also performing and I’ve been spinning my favourite Lingala and Almost a quarter-century later, even the youth, coastal and island regions provided yet another in Swahili but professing allegiance to the Indian- Swahili rumbas for nearly an hour, but no-one’s obsessed with the individualistic style of hip-hop destination for ‘beach party’ music consumers, owned River Boat group of record labels. And dancing. Then the honoured guests take to the and R&B-based (Tanzania), including – before Idi Amin expulsions started to finally there were the more vernacular-based floor as a couple, and immediately everyone’s up and kapuka (Kenya), still respect and sample the bite – weekend safari parties from . musicians who were spearheading the nascent and dancing too. Relief. It was simply an issue of classic zilipendwa bands in preference to the more benga and Kamba Stratocaster/percussion Much has been written of Zanzibar’s taarab traditional deference, and serebuka has finally ethnically-based Luo benga and Kamba guitar workouts. Put that all together and you had a music, its blend of , violins and deigned to bless our zilipendwa party. bands, whose ten-minute 140 BPM workouts are perfect storm of international and parochial voices providing the perfect fusion of Bollywood bizarrely but serendipitously, supremely popular musical genius, with the focus on the 45-rpm filmscore with African rhythmic sensibility, and with the picós de champeta (Colombian carnival vinyl format. of the erotic 6/8 chakacha music of the Mombasa sound-systems) on the other side of the Atlantic, coastal region, a sort of traditional East African the old vinyl having initially reached South

4 5 Uganda would be included in any compilation commodious than benga, not only to languages but of today’s East , but in the also to various stylistic influences, both local and East African ‘70s and early ‘80s (the era of these performances) imported. Kampala’s version of zilipendwa – semadongo Starting in the early ‘60s, Congolese bands flooded Musiki Wa Dansi (‘master of many big musics’) – was, with the East Africa. Those from northeast Congo headed honourable exception of The Afrigo Band, still Classics for Kampala, from the southern Shaba region to in its infancy. Dar, and all to Nairobi to record. They brought 1972 - 1982 There is no taarab as such here – that would need with them Cuban influences along with the latest at least two CDs’ worth by itself – but there is and Brazzaville dance crazes: kavacha, Sterns has been fortunate in securing music with that distinctive Indian Ocean flavour. kwasa kwasa and so on. Like Kanda Bongo Man access to one of the most valuable Slim Ali, usually an Anglophone performer, twenty years later, they recruited Swahili vocalists and extensive mastertape libraries of teams up with a taarab group for a distinctive and instrumentalists, and rapidly learnt Swahili classic East African popular music. chakacha shuffle. The same 6/8 Mombasa tempo themselves, their sets comprising songs in the Much of the material has never seen is imaginatively exploited by the criminally under- region’s main languages and several dialects. the light of day since first issued more recorded (one LP, a handful of 45s) Sunburst – or, Sterns customers will be familiar with the than four decades ago, and many of perhaps, taking into account the several different outstanding compilation Sister Pili + 2, featuring the selections command three-figure mastertape spellings – Sunbust Band. The Zairean, the prolific singer Batamba Wendo Morris, aka auction prices in their original 7-inch Zambian and Tanzanian players in this afro-rock Moreno, who had been a lead vocalist with Safari 45-rpm format. For this compilation ensemble called their sound kitoto and epitomized Sound, Virunga, Les Noirs and several other bands. I have made no attempt to segregate how pointless it is to compartmentalise ‘70s East In 1980 he co-founded L’Orchestre Moja One in Kenyan and Tanzanian artists; African music. Tanzanians play in Kenyan bands, Nairobi, where “Dunia Ni Duara” was recorded, Kenyans in Tanzanian, and Congolese But the main thrust of the music is benga and later to become a Colombian champeta sound- and other Central and Southern zilipendwa, the dominant mainstream sounds of system classic, ‘covered up’ as “La Gallinita”. Sides African musicians in both. the era. Benga can be full-throttle (The Kauma A and B of the original 45 have here been deftly Boys, Peter Owino Rachar’s Golden Kings), but interwoven into a ten-minute blast more suited it can also have poise and grace (Victoria Jazz, to modern ears. Piqueros and champeteros, time Sega Band). Zilipendwa is generally more to update your playlists!

6 7 Stax soul singers – Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Three legendary East African bands make of Latinate, Hawaiian-influenced guitarrumba Arthur Conley and the rest – were of course multiple appearances. After running The Safari and cha cha cha followed by several tempo- DJ John Armstrong massively popular all over Africa, with Kenya Trippers successfully for many years, singer- changing sebenes. Their sought-after singles There are three connecting strains in John Armstrong’s and Tanzania being no exception, and Maquis songwriter Marijani Rajabu formed the mighty regularly fetch serious money on eBay from Latin professional life; the law (now retired), writing and De Zaire’s horn arranger pays ample tribute to Orchestre Dar es Salaam International. Rajabu has music fans looking for something different. If music. the Memphis sound in “Denise”. been called ‘the Bob Dylan of zilipendwa’, and there you get the chance, check out Super Mambo Jazz After spells DJ-ing in London at the Hampstead are few Tanzanians of a certain age who don’t 69’s sole RCA Victor LP, which includes another Congolese-naturalised guitarist and bandleader Country Club, the Beat Route and WAG clubs, in 1984 know the lyrics to at least several of his hundreds Colombian champeta hit, “Maria Ayebi” (retitled Johnny Bokelo (born João Botelho in Luanda) John began a 10-year residency at the Bass Clef – the of compositions – short stories of love, jealousy, “El Mambotazo”). remains one of the great untold stories of African jazz, Afro and latin club that almost single-handedly poverty, tragedy and the misuses of power and music, a modernizer and arranger on par with This is just the tip of the iceberg. I started off with kicked off an ‘alternative’ London club boom. This led authority. The band on the four songs here is on to further UK residencies, together with festival and Manu Dibango and Fela Kuti and an astonishingly more than 1000 tracks, shuffled and reshuffled to top form, “Rufaa Ya Kiko” starting as a ‘weekend club appearances around the world. prolific recording artist under a bewildering a shortlist of around 60, reducing to 27 for this first shuffle’, resolving at around 3’14” into a relentless array of aliases, including L’Orchestre Congo volume by means of little more than a blindfold, In the late 90s John was honorary music director at mambo, with “Rudi Nyumbani” following a similar International. The opening bars of “Nakupenda a drawing-pin and instinct. There are at least Brazilian Contemporary Arts, presenting Brazilian trajectory. “Rafiki Sina” shows the band on a cultural events of all kinds in the UK, and also music Sana” suggest a double-speed Benin-style , another 27 more tracks earmarked for a possible gentle savannah-style ballad, the only one in this editor of Latin London, the first fully-dedicated but repeated listening yields an altogether Volume 2, and it’s my hope that the many excellent compilation. Anglophone Latin culture magazine in London. He has different Mandingue-funk flavour, especially in and knowledgeable old-school Afro DJs worldwide compiled more than 200 albums and was consultant the guitars, which suggest Ousmane Kouyaté The 2004 funeral of Patrick Balisidya, founder will now start to add a little more zilipendwa to for BBC World Service in the set-up and music or Djelimady Tounkara. and, for four decades, the driving force of Afro 70, their usual afrobeat, , soukous and programming of Afrique FM. halted the traffic in downtown Dar for an entire playlists. Orchestre Special Liwanza delivers “Vicky”, Currently, John is involved in the founding, morning. The band’s two tracks here show nearly 10 minutes of driving, Prince Youlou-style Tucheze! construction and development of The Institute Of exceptional versatility, from soul-funk to rumba Congo-mambo, featuring leader and vocalist Light, a multi-media ‘analog hub’ in a disused railway without a flicker. Jimmy Moninambo and guitarist Tabu Frantal arch in the heart of London Fields. Now open, you can, in August 2016, nibble coxinhas and sip caipirinhas plus a sharp horn section. Liwanza once backed Though the various Super Mambo groups suffered while watching the Rio Olympics on a giant outdoor Ivorian salsero Laba Sosseh on a Sacodis recording a bewildering number of name changes over the projector-wall. It’s a life ... session in Abidjan, so they were clearly flexible years, their basic personnel remained roughly musicians. consistent throughout. Their speciality was a sort

8 9 5 Maquis Du Zaire 10 Sunburst Band 5 L’Orch. Dar International 10 L’Orch. Dar International Denise Matatizo Nyumbani Chama Kimoja Hatari Kubwa (M.M. Adios) (James Mpungo) (J. Mlenga) (Marijani Rajab) Tape: MZ 14 B (03/10/75) Tape: MOTO 108 B (22/11/73) CD2 Tape: DAR INT TAPE 5 B Tape: MOTO 1040 B (28/11/80) CD1 Language: Lingala Language: Kiswahili (no date) Language: Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili 6 Victoria Jazz Band 11 Urafiki Jazz Band 11 Afro 70 1 L’Orch. Dar International Anyanga Nauli Ya Uda 1 Sunburst Band 6 Vijana Jazz Band Cha Umheja Rufaa Ya Kiko (John Otonde / Dr. Collela) (Juma Mrisho) Enzi Za Utumwani Kosa La Wazazi (Patrick Balisidya) (Marijani Rajab) Tape: SGA/M 25 A (07/02/74) Tape: AFR 62 A (07/03/75) (James Mpungo) (Vijana Jazz) Tape: Afro 70 tape 1 (04/10/74) Tape: HTLP 02 (no date) Language: Dholuo Language: Kiswahili Tape: MOTO 108 A (22/11/73) Tape: TNT 3 A (no date) Language: Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili 7 Orchestre 12 L’Orchestre Grand Piza 12 L’Orch. Dar International 2 Afro 70 Internationale Oboti Kolisa 2 Sega Sega Band 7 Orchestre Special Liwanza Rafiki Sina Pt 1 Hasara Ya Moto Nakupenda Sana (Mbomayou) John Ochieng Vicky Pts 1 & 2 (Abel) (Patrick Balisidya) (Johnny Bokelo Essenge) Tape: EB 3 B (25/10/76) (Joseph Otieno) (Tshimba Monimambo) Tape: DAR INT TAPE 5 (no date) Tape: MOTO 46 (25/07/72) Tape: NANA 1 B (07/02/74) Language: Lingala Tape: KUJA 11 A (29/10/77) Tape: EB 1 A/B (25/01/75) Language: Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili Language: Lingala Language: Dholuo Language: Lingala 13 Hafusa Abasi & Slim Ali and 13 Orchestre Super Jambo 3 Kauma Boys Band 8 L’Orch. Dar International the Kikulacho Yahoos Band 3 L’Orchestre Super Mambo 8 Super Mambo Jazz Yenga Pts 1 & 2 Rose Atieno Rudi Nyumbani Sina Raha Kurukia Ukuta Band “69” (Africanova Anthony) (Samson Ochieng) (Marijani Rajab) (Hafusa Abasi) (Juma Mwina) Jeanne Mulongo Tape: MZ 105 A/B (1977) Tape: KER 09 B (21/06/77) Recorded: 28/11/80 Tape: AFR 1024 A (1978) Tape: Super Mambo Tape 1 (Bella Delvo) Language: Lingala Language: Dholuo Tape: MOTO 1040 A (28/11/80) Language: Kiswahili (23/03/77) Tape: AFR 1 A (08/12/72) Language: Kiswahili Language: Lingala / Kiswahili Language: Lingala / Kiswahili 4 Super Mambo Jazz 14 L’Orch. Moja One Band “69” 9 The Golden Kings Band Dunia Ni Duara Pts 1 & 2 4 Earthquake Jazz Band 9 Juwata Jazz Band Nasalaki Nini Taabu Ya Awendo (Moreno Batamba) Blasio Onyango Mpenzi Zalina (Bella Delvo) (Peter Owino Rachar) Tape: AIT/MOJA 1 A/B (Silvester Odhiambo) (Msondo / Mabera) Tape: AFR 14 B (10/02/73) Tape: OYR 21 A (14/12/77) (30/09/82) Tape: NOK 107 B (15/01/75) Tape: HTLP02 A (1978) Language: Lingala / Kiswahili Language: Kiswahili / Dholuo Language: Kiswahili Language: Dholuo Language: Kiswahili

All songs published by EIT Music Pub. All tracks licensed courtesy of A.I. Records (Kenya) Ltd. This compilation ℗ 2016 Sterns Africa © 2016 Sterns Music Design by Luck. Our special thanks to Doug Paterson for the ‘East African’ airline ticket and much more.