Big Music Bands of Democratic Republic of the Congo (1930s – 1970s)

In the year 1950, the Kinshasa and Brazzaville became the cultural linked, and several musicians migrated back and forth between them, and the most importantly which include the Nino Malapet and the initiator of the Ok Jazz, Jean Serge Essous, and the recording technology had changed to allow the longer playing times, and the musicians concentrate on the seban and the instrumental drums that breaks with a swift sound that was common in the rumba. Both of the OK jazz and the African jazz still continued to perform throughout the years until the African jazz broke up in the mid-1960. Tabu Ley Rochereau and Dr. Nico then created the African Fiesta that joined the new inventions from throughout Africa as well as American and the British soul, rock and country music. The African Fiesta, however, stayed only for two years before the breaking, and Tabu Ley created the group Africa international instead, but this new groups was not able to rival the OK jazz in influence for a very long period.

source of picture: muzikifan.com

Many of the powerful musicians of the Congo’s history arose from one of these big bands, such as the Sam Mangwana, Ndombe Opetum, Vicky Longomba, Dizzy Madjeku and Kiamanguana Verckys. The Mangwana was the most popular group for solo performance that kept the royal fan base even while changing from the Vox Africa and Festival des Marquisards to Africa, which followed the OK jazz and also return to Africa before setting up a West African group which is known as African All Stars. Mose Fan Fan of OK jazz was also seen to be powerful, bringing the Congolese rumba to the East Africa, especially the Kenya, after moving in the year 1974 with the Somo Somo. The Rumba is also spread through the rest of the Africa with the Brazzaville’s Pamelo Mounk’a and the Tchico Thicaya that moves to Abidjan and the Ryco Jazz take the Congolese sound to the French Antilles. Also the Congo, student at the Gombe High School they became entranced with the American rock and funk, especially after the James Brown visited the country in the year 1969. Los Nickelos and Thu Zahina arose from the Gombe High, with the former movement to Brussels and the latter, though existing only briefly, and became the legendary for their energetic stage that shows the frenetic, funky drums during the seban and it is normal psychedelic sound. In this period of late 60’s is the soukous period, though the term soukous now  have a broader meaning, and it refers to all of the subsequent developments  in Congolese music as well.