Verckys et le Vévé - Mfum'bwa Bankoko Baboyi 1969-71

01. mfumbwa 1
02. mfumbwa 2
03. bolingo ya bomwana
04. marie sango
05. pasi ya bolingo
06. balabaka ye mbongo mingi
07. marcello tozongana
08. pesa ngai bolingo
09. bea
10. est-ce que nakobala
11. nakokoka ata botongi
12. ah! ngai matinda
13. bankoko baboyi
14. nakomitunaka

'Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta is one of the most influential figures in the history of Congolese [Zaïrean] musique. As a saxophonist, composer and bandleader he was able to rival both Franco and Rochereau. He developed his own honking, gutbucket style of sax playing which characterised some of the most exciting tunes of the 1960s & 70s.

Verckys was a great showman who liked to play up to the crowd. He really let fly during the sebenes occupying a musical space which had previously been the preserve of solo guitarists only, but his arrangements also featured very fluid & bright, psychedelic guitar playing as well. After generating some raucous excitement as a member of OK Jazz he founded Orchestre Vévé in 1969. He has been credited with creating the cavacha beat that led on to soukous. In effect, Verckys’ unique studio sound, his unerring ear for talent and unquenchable enthusiasm turned him into the godfather of modern Congolese musique.

another instance of imaginative cover art threatening to outshine the musique. psych! still, i am most elated this compilation existed at one point so we might now listen to the thang & be stoked on summer. i keep thinking i'm going to switch it up & post musique from other regions, but for some reason nothing sounds as good in the summer as sweet rumba congolaise. shout out to 博林戈

VA ~ Slows Classiques de la musique Congolaise Vol 2 [African/ Sonodisc]

01. Lettre a Mr le Directeur General ~ Luambo Makiadi Franco & Tabu Ley Rochereau
02. Pauline ~ Docteur Nico/ Orchestre African Fiesta
03. Conseil d'Ami ~ Vicky Lomgomba
04. Luzolo ~ Franklin Boukaka
05. Tozonga Na Nganga Wana ~ Franco & TP OK Jazz
06. Sabina el Kwamy ~ Franco & TP OK Jazz
07. Niongo Na Yo Nakofuta ~ Franco, Kwamy, Vicky & TP OK Jazz
08. Adieu Freetown ~ Nico
09. Bholen Mwana Ya Mama Helena ~ Bholen
10. G G Yoka ~ Simaro Lutumba
11. Nella Negrita ~ Tabu Ley Rochereau
12. Bokilo Bwakela Mwasi Ngoi ~ Franco, Vicky, Edo & TP OK Jazz
13. Sala Omona Pasi Ya Mbongo ~ Mujos
14. Aura Moreno ~ Tabu Ley Rochereau
15. Lola ~ Franco & Kamy FOUND!!!!!!!!! HEAR



this one's the real winner of the pair in me estimation. the first trak is like 15 minutes long & i only realized this monents ago when transcribing the artist names. owlwaze thought that song & the rest of this comp was too short because it's that fuggin good. perfect musique for doing virtually anything, except maybe fighting, holding onto resentment or allowing hate to live in your heart. so perfect in fact, i share it despite not having included 'Lola' by Kwamy & Franco in the download. it slipped my net when initially posting this stellar collection but THE ELUSIVE LOLA MAY NOW BE FOUND LINKED WHEREVER IT SAYS LOLA, even in the trachlist itself. unsurprisingly, it is not a Kinks cover ;D have a glorious, soukous soaked evening. vol 1

VA - Slows Classiques de la musique Congolaise Vol 1 [African/ Sonodisc]

Slows Classiques: De La Musique Congolaise, Vol 1
African/ Sonodisc CD 36597

01. Bolingo Suka Te ~ Grand Kalle
02. Kenge Okeyi Elaka Te ~ Franco
03. Omoni Resultat ~ Franco
04. Rideau Ya Ndako ~ Mujos
05. Motema Ya Fa Fa ~ Franco
06. Ata Ozali ~ Boukaka Franklin
07. Lolita ~ Tabu Ley Rochereau
08. Mabanzo Makeyi Mosika ~ Kwamy
09. Regina-Regina ~ Simaro & TP OK Jazz
10. Celina ~ Tabu Ley Rochereau
11. Yokela Ngai Mawa ~ Zizi/ Los Nickelos
12. Missolina ~ Mangwana Sam
13. Mosika Okeyi Zonga Noki ~ Franco & TP OK Jazz
14. Yeba Nameki Komeka ~ Vicky & TP OK Jazz
15. Liwa Ya Wech ~ Franco



congolese guitar sorcerers & afrique rumba chansons unfurl slow burnin soukous at once heady & languid, with seemingly effortless nonchalance. perfect for a sweet summer nap on the veranda or drifting on a sea of forgotten teardrops. vol 2

VA ~ African Pearls: Pont Sur Le Congo [Syllart]

1
01. Kiam - Kamiki
02. Dewayon - Niama Ya Zamba
03. Grands Maquisards -J aria
04. Franco & TP Ok Jazz - Koue koue! Ebony Aboyi Ngaï
05. Dewayon - Tangana
06. Verckyss - Mwana Mburu
07. Lipua Lipua - Losa
08. Trio Madjesi - Photo Ya Majesi
09. Soki Vangu - Zamba
10. Cepakos - Kouka Badian'teseke
11. Soki Vangu - Menga

2
01. Empire Bakuba - Kanu
02. Bavon Marie Marie - Ya Limbisa Bijou
03. Bella Bella - Sola
04. Franklin Boukaka - Nakoko
05. Franco & TP Ok Jazz - Régina
06. Cepakos - Kawiya
07. Tabu Ley - Dialogue
08. Negro Band - Mokili Ekoni Ngana
09. Verckyss - Ya Nini
10. Docteur Nico - Canchita
11. Soki Vangu - Pambi Doni
12. sinza kotoko - Maloukoula
13. Zaiko Langa Langa - Vie Ya Mosolo

'Pont Sur Le Congo surveys the music from two Central African nations that sit on either side of the Congo River; one is currently know as the Democratic Republic of Congo [previously known as the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and Congo-Kinshasa] and the other is the much smaller Republic of Congo [aka Congo-Brazzaville). The 1960s and ’70s, the era covered by this set, were a great time for these two countries, both of which have been laid low by military conflict and kleptocratic goverment. Their colonial masters (Belgium and France) had relinquished control, their economies were growing, and the growing urban populations had growing access to modern pleasures like electricity and Western pop music. Which isn’t to say that sounds from outside Africa were new; this neck of the world had already been plugged into international trade routes for 400 years, and Cuban music, in particular, had held sway for decades.

The proliferation of resources and the assertion of a common Congolese identity spurred an efflorescence of home-grown music characterized by ringing, repetitive lead guitars, punchy horn punctuation, easy-swaying poly-rhythmic grooves, and Cuban-influenced vocal melodies known variously as rumba, soukous, and African jazz. The Caribbean elements are especially noteworthy because singers like Franco, Tabu Ley, and L’Orchestre Bella Bella’s Soki Bros. were more likely to sing in Lingala, French or Kikongo. But just as it doesn’t take much rum to spike a drink, a bit of Cuban melody can dominate the flavor of a tune, and those sinuous lines, often buffered by studio reverb, are among the elements that make it easy for an American living in another century who doesn’t understand a word they’re singing to like this music.

Another is the guitar playing. Generally liquid and lyrical, it’s instantly ingratiating. If you mainly know Congolese music from the amped-up thumb pianos of Konono No. 1, you’ll recognize their figures in the cleaner but quite propulsive picking heard on Orchestre Kiam’s “”Kamiki” and Orchestre Bella Bella’s “Sola.” But you’ll also hear hints of North American soul in Franklin Boukaka’s “Nakoko,” which sounds like it was recorded after some intensive listening to Muscle Shoals and Memphis session work, and Docteur Nico ties up his sweet singing on “Canchita” with country & Western-style steel guitar. There isn’t a bum tune amongst the 24 collected on these polycarb frisbees.' ~ Dusted

just in thyme for summer, 320k, aint life sweet?