March 17, 2009

So.Pe.Ka.

Two of my favourite singers from the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz in the 1980s are Josky Kiambukuta and Malage de Lugendo.
Malage was taken on as a singer with the OK Jazz in 1986 primarily to replace Carlito. With songs like "Testament Ya Bowule", "Ida" & "Celio" (on "La Vie des Hommes") he soon proved that he fitted in well with the big boys.
Josky wás one of those big boys, and had been ever since joining the OK Jazz in 1973. He has produced a stream of classic compositions with the OK Jazz, from "Monzo" and "Fariya" in the 1970s to "Chacun Pour Soi", "Bimansha", "K.S.K." and "Kita Mata Bloqué" in the 1980s.

This is an album he recorded in Kinshasa in 1988, outside of the OK Jazz but with the help of some of his colleagues. Josky himself wasn't too happy about the production and the mixing, so he re-recorded one of the tracks ("Telema Na Malembe") a year later in Brussels (renaming it to "Namabele"*).
But I just love the singing on this album, by both Josky and Malage. The sleeve also mentioned Madilu, but he only features in the chorus - and not of all the songs -, and the photo certainly is not of Madilu (but looks more like Mayaula Mayoni).

Both Josky and Malage are brilliant in this record. And that's enough for me.

REM 810 (new link April 12, 2015)

Additionally here is a video of Josky and his cousin Serge Kiambukuta (who was a singer with Orchestre Vévé), recorded from Zairean television. The track is "Ayez Pitié", which Josky recorded with Ntesa Dalienst and released in Brussels on the "Selegina" lp. The orchestra accompanying the cousins is (at least part of) the orchestra of Johnny Bokelo, and the show was called "Tonton Skol".
Special attention for the commercial at the end....

6 comments:

  1. Fantastic!

    A big tp ok jazz fan l;ikes me appreiaciates this kind of music even when i have it!
    wuod k

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  2. preciate it mr. wrldsrv!

    but you have to tell me, where have i heard this song before, its killing me... track 4 from kaloum star's melkweg tape... someone else sings the same song, in a faster beat... help!

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  3. SKOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. hi, file has been deleted from the hosting site. cheers

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Anonymous: The link has been replaced.

    ReplyDelete