30 Years

It is hard to believe that thirty years have passed since Franco died. Regular visitors of this blog (if there are any) probably recall my earlier posts on the subject of his demise and the sad or even tragic circumstances of his last performance, just twenty days before in the Melkweg in Amsterdam.
Fortunately a lot has been done in the last few years to preserve and/or restore his legacy. And one can only hope that even more can be retrieved before it disappears in the inevitable mist of time.

In this post I would like to share one of the key albums of the Grand Maître's extensive legacy. This double album, "Tonton Franco et le T.P. O.K. Jazz - 6 juin 1956-6 juin 1980 - 24 Ans d'Age", released on the V.I.S.A. 1980 label (FRAN 004-005), contains eight songs, - and only one composed by Franco himself. The album was released in 1981, so in fact almost 25 years after the foundation of the O.K. Jazz.
It is only the fourth album on the V.I.S.A. label, the label which Franco had initiated after the collapse of Fonior/Decca in March 1980 and for which he had negotiated a distribution deal with Daniel Cuxac's Disco Stock in Abidjan in 1980 (an interview with Daniel Cuxac from 1983 can be found on the afrodisc.com website).

Unlike the first of the V.I.S.A. 1980 albums this album is not dominated by Franco himself, but more of an orchestra-wide effort, with compositions from Josky Kiambukuta, Ndombe Opetum, Gerry Dialungana, Lola Djangi (a.k.a. Chécain), Makosso (credited as "Mackos" on the label and "Makos" on the sleeve) and two compositions by Wuta Mayi. Of the two records the first one probably contains the most 'well-known' songs. Songs which were reproduced during concerts in the 1980s and became 'household names' with mélomanes all over Africa.
It looks like this record was intended as a 'theme' record, and perhaps even as a single lp. For the songs "Propriétaire" (owner), "Héritier" (heir), "Locataire" (tenant) and "Ayant Droit" (beneficiary or rightful owner) all refer to ownership and rights. It is doubtful that these songs were composed with this theme in mind though, as the composers later referred to them with other titles. "Héritier" was also referred to as "Machata", "Propriétaire" as "Sambwa Sambwa".

There are many highlights on this classic album. The first of my personal favourites is the start of Josky's "Propriétaire". I just love it when Ntesa Dalienst shines through in the chorus, adding extra swirls like a baroque painter.

Ntesa & Wuta Mayi

After 2'39 the rhythm changes into the trademark 'San Salvador' shuffle, used in more of Josky's compositions. Josky is - as always - in great form, with the typical decline at the end of his lines (which for some strange reason is why I love Josky's singing).
Josky is also great in the chorus in "Héritier", where he is joined by Lukoki Diatho, adding warmth and depth to the song which - as often with Ndombe's compositions - has plenty of drive, but tends to stay a bit two-dimensional.
"Ayant Droit", the first of the two compositions by Wuta Mayi, is in my opinion the star of "24 Ans d'Age". It has everything: great rhythm, great arrangement and - above all - great vocals. The melodious lead vocal by Wuta Mayi, the adornments by Ntesa, Josky providing the solid base: this is why the T.P. O.K. Jazz was top of the league. Ntesa told us in 1991 that Franco did not play on this and the other Wuta Mayi song; so the 'Franco guitar' in "Ayant Droit" is Thierry Mantuika.

Of course this is not the case on "Locataire". This is Tonton Franco himself playing. Once more Ntesa is prominently present, although more restrained than in the Josky and Wuta Mayi compositions. As per usual with the Franco compositions the sébène is intense, with Franco in charge.

"Kufwa Ntangu", composed by guitarist Gerry Dialunga, features Wuta Mayi and Josky alternating on lead vocal, backed by (a once more very prominent) Ntesa and (probably) Lola Djangi. "Probably" as Lola manages to stay well hidden behind Ntesa, but the combination of voices does remind me of his own composition, - which happens to be the next song on the album. "Kufwa Ntangu"" is one of those songs that grows on you after a while, and it is a pity that it is the shortest song on the album.

"Meka Okangama" has that special element which typifies a Lola Djangi composition: there is always something of a "mélodie mélancholique", as he himself described it. Even with the energetic voice of Ntesa besides him Chécain succeeds in radiating a certain sadness in this wonderful song, which is probably the most typical 'old school' O.K. Jazz song on the album. Besides Ntesa Josky is singing and Ndombe was clearly present during the recording (he can be heard animating at 8'30) but I doubt if he was singing.

Wuta Mayi's second composition, "Likambo Ya Moto", is in my opinion not as exciting as "Ayant Droit", but still has some interesting vocal combinations, with Ntesa, Lukoki Diatho and of course Wuta Mayi. Although Franco is not playing there is a lot of guitars battling it out in the sébène...

Djo Mpoyi, who joined the orchestra in 1978, only sings on one song: "Banza", composed by rhythm guitarist Makosso (full name Makonko Kindudi). Like "Héritier" this song does not feature Ntesa Dalienst, but this is amply compensated by Josky, who is backed by Wuta and Djo. Josky is once more in great form and really carries this song.

"24 Ans d'Age" is not so much a showcase of le Grand Maître Franco, but more of his Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz, and particularly of the vocal talents, which in the year before the release of this album had led to a huge hit with Ntesa's "Liyanzi Ekoti Ngai Na Motema". With the album Franco targeted a wide, mainly African, audience. The success of the V.I.S.A. 1980 albums made him realise that an even wider audience was possible, and in the following years he developed a plan to reach out to the world.

Live versions of these songs can (update: no longer!!) be seen on Aboubacar Siddikh's YouTube channel:
Propriétaire: Télé-Zaïre 1980
Héritier: Télé-Zaïre 1980
Ayant Droit: Télé-Zaïre 1980 and at 1-2-3
Locataire: Télé-Zaïre 1980 and in Abidjan 1980
Kufwa Ntangu: Télé-Zaïre 1980 and in Abidjan 1980
Meka Okangama: Télé-Zaïre 1980

And for those who can not enjoy music without seeing a picture, Aboubacar has also uploaded the songs of this album: Propriétaire - Héritier - Ayant Droit - Locataire - Kufwa Ntangu - Meka Okangama - Likambo Ya Moto - Banza.

FRAN 004/005 (mp3)
FRAN 004/005 (flac - available until December 31, 2019)


PS: coming up: more music from Mali....

La femme se plaint

Is there an element linking this and the previous post? The answer is yes. What both artists have in common is a unique and original singing style. And that's not all: they both draw their inspiration from tradition. Although I add that the source of this tradition may not be so clearly defined - and certainly not in ethnomusicological (what?) terms - in the case of the singer who is the subject of this post.

I am sure you have already recognised him from the photo on the sleeve; the subject of this post is Josky Kiambukuta. I am sure I am not the first blogger to post this album, but there is a valid reason why I still would like to share it with you again. This is a special album. First, because it was conceived as an album, and not as a random collection of previously released songs. Secondly, because Josky was the first singer who was allowed to make his own album with the T.P. O.K. Jazz.

Josky was recruited into the O.K. Jazz (by Simaro Lutumba*) after Sam Mangwana to add a different style to the orchestra. As an ex-singer with Docteur Nico's African Fiesta Sukisa and a member of the Orchestre Continental (as was Wuta Mayi) he was firmly rooted in the African Jazz school of Congolese music. As he explained in an interview in 1991 he had been a great fan of Rochereau since his early youth. Obviously his first vocal contributions were in the style of idol (great example), but he soon started making his mark in the O.K. Jazz, and was actively encouraged to develop his own style. Like all musicians within the O.K. Jazz he was also asked to contribute as a composer, which he did with fervour ("Kebana", "Monzo", "Seli-Ja").
In the interview he pinpoints the song "Fariya" as the start of his own style. A style which he traced back to the legendary ensemble San Salvador, who dominated the recordings on the Ngoma label in the first half of the 1950s. He further developed and refined his style in songs like "Ba Pensées", "Amour Violé", "Mobali Amesana Na Ngai", "Toto", "Bisengambi", "Tokabola Sentiment", "Propriétaire" and - of course - "Bimansha" and "Nostalgie". All these songs were hits.

In the 1991 interview Josky indicated that traditional music was another source of inspiration for these songs. He named "Amour Violé" and "Limbisa Ngai" as based on a traditional rhythm from Shaba (now once more named Katanga**). This personal development culminated in the lp "Franco présente Josky Kiambukuta du T.P. O.K. Jazz", an album which he treated with considerable respect and care. This resulted in a true Classic of Congolese music.

And this is a rare feat for an O.K. Jazz album to which Franco himself has not contributed (i.e. he is not playing in these recordings...). What I personally really like in these four songs is the variation which Josky has managed to introduce both in the rhythms and in his singing. He is without a doubt the star in these songs, but none of the songs is the same, and within the songs it is like he is constantly 'feeling his way', almost exploring the right notes. Solidly backing him in all songs are Aimé Kiwakana, Lokombe Ntal and Madilu System. This harmonic backing only acts to emphasise Josky's vocal excellence in all four songs. Just listen to the ease with which he weaves through "Massini" and "Mehida"!

Josky stated in the interview that most of his songs are sung from a perspective of a woman. "La femme se plaint" (the woman complains) as he described it. Keep this in the back of your mind and listen to this album again. It will add another dimension to what is already a masterpiece.

Edipop POP 025 (1983)

* who knew him from the age of 15.
** Josky himself is from Bas-Congo.

75

I had intended to finish this post last Saturday, July 6, as it was the date on which Franco would have celebrated his 75th birthday. But both the warm weather here in the low countries, plus work and (especially) social obligations have prevented me from completing this task.
So almost a week late, I would like to commemorate this true giant of African music, a giant who despite his huge influence on African and - through this - world music in many respects remains completely unknown to the general public in large parts of the world, by sharing two selections from his work.

The first of these is the album "Chez Fabrice à Bruxelles" which was released on the Edipop label in 1983.

In my experience this is an album that not many people will mention when summing up their favourite works by Franco and his T.P. O.K. Jazz. This is a pity, but not for the most obvious reason.
The most obvious reason being that this is the album that contains the first (almost 19 minutes) track combining the vocals of Franco and Madilu System: "Non". This combination would prove hugely successful in the following years, with the albums "Très Impoli" (POP 028, 1984 - with "Tu Vois?", which is probably better known as "Mamou") and, of course, "Mario" (CHOC 004 and CHOC 005, both from 1985).

To be honest, I am not a great fan of the (also late) Madilu. While I understand the reasons for his popularity, my preferences are with other singers.
But, as Ntesa Dalienst put it in an interview in 1990 (parts of which have been posted by Aboubacar Siddikh on his YouTube channel), in the last years of his life Franco composed songs for the voice of Madilu. According to Ntesa, this choice must be seen in the light of Franco's continual endeavour to incorporate other popular Congolese styles into the music of the T.P. O.K. Jazz. From 1973 onwards he had (no doubt helped by the position he had obtained both within the music 'business' and in relation to the political powers of - then - Zaïre) attracted singers from the African Jazz school of Congolese music (Sam Mangwana, Josky Kiambukuta, Ntesa Dalienst and others). Ntesa names "Non" specifically as a song intended to integrate the style of Pepe Kallé.
While Ntesa stated that the love for this music style was Franco's main motive, I suspect that commercial motives must have played a role. And especially as Franco was trying, in 1983, to gain access to the American and European market and wanted to use the broadest possible scope of Congolese music to do so.

At the same time Franco did not want to lose any of his popularity with his Congolese/Zairean public. So he continued to address them on issues which can best be described as 'everyday issues'. "Non" is a mix between a love song and a song about a social topic. In short, the song is about a girl's refusal to marry a married man. Seen from a current, western perspective the lyrics are blatantly sexist, even verging on misogynistic. Whether this means that Franco can be described a misogynist is, however, not as obvious as it may seem. A lot of Franco's songs describe opinions held by (a larger or smaller part of) the Zairean public. In many cases they do not necessarily always represent Franco's personal view.

Getting back to the album, I find the A-side musically more interesting than the B-side. This side contains two tracks, "Frein à main" and "5 Ans ya Fabrice". I don't know the lyrical content of the first song, apart from what appears to emanate from the title (a "frein à main" is a handbrake, and I assume Franco is not referring to the handbrake in a car).
The second song is a sequel to a song from 1980, simply called "Fabrice". It is a continued ode to the tailor in Ixelles, Brussels frequented by Franco and some of his musicians and staff.
There is a third ode to the same craftsman, "Fabrice Akende Sango", which was released after Franco's death on Sonodisc CD 6981, and which also features Ntesa, but this time with Sam Mangwana, - and not with Josky (as in this version). Sadly the Franco's absence in the post-production of that last version is very noticeable....

I like the A-side not just for the solid chorus, but also for the complex arrangement. Perhaps not as classic as "A l'Ancienne Belgique" from 1984, but well en route to that peak in the 1980s repertoire of the T.P. O.K. Jazz.
Over the years I have found that a lot of listeners have problems distinguishing Franco's guitar in the melee (or - if you like - mêlée) of guitars. In "Frein à main" and "5 Ans ya Fabrice" his guitar is on the far right of the stereo image (e.g. 7'15 into "Frein" or 10'36 into "Fabrice").

Edipop POP 027

Classic

It was Ntesa Dalienst who made us aware of the fact that Franco was playing in the opening track of this classic album by the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz. Until then we had assumed that he was not involved; an assumption that seemed to be confirmed by the absence of a composition by the Grand Maître himself. Contributing to this assumption was the growing awareness that many of the guitar bits which are generally labelled as "Franco's guitar" are in fact Thierry Mantuika playing like Franco.

In fact, Franco is playing right from the start, and brilliantly too.
In the first song his guitar is on the right, and in the three other songs it is on the left. I have to add that he does not play until after 2'46 in "Nda-Ya".

Many critics consider this lp, which was released in 1984, to be one of the best of the T.P. O.K. Jazz. And I think there are many reasons to support this. For one, the top three vocal heavy-weights of the 1980s O.K. Jazz are present in all the songs: Josky Kiambukuta, Ntesa Dalienst and Madilu System. Secondly, there is no weaker song in this album. And there is certainly variety in the styles of the four songs.

The opening track is a composition by Josky. The title "K.S.K." is an abbreviation of ""Kasongo Sefou Kitima", which is the name of a person. As Josky explained in 1991*, he composed the song during a visit to Kenya in 1983. In that year, after playing in Brussels in May (see my earlier post), the orchestra went to the US for a short visit. On their return to Brussels they were invited to perform in Kenya. They spent one month in Nairobi before returning to Belgium, where the album "A L'Ancienne Belgique" (referring to a concert-hall in Brussels) was recorded at the Studio Madeleine.
Unlike the majority of Josky's compositions "K.S.K." is not a song about love. It is - as he put it - a song about life: you work well, you're a nice person, you help people, you help your friends, but still there are people who are against you.

"Nda-Ya", composed by bass player Mpudi Decca, is also a name, but of a woman. As Ntesa explained, the song is about a man who is in love with a woman, but his mother has told that he should marry Nda-Ya. When the marriage with Nda-Ya does not work out the man blames his mother.
The lyrics are in Decca's dialect of Kikongo, Kitandu, - which is remarkable as Ntesa was born in a family speaking another Kikongo dialect, called Kisingombe.

The B-side opens with what is perhaps Madilu's most famous composition with the O.K. Jazz, "Pesa Position Na Yo" (which is - I am afraid - not saying much, as he composed only two songs with the orchestra...). Madilu performed this song at nearly all the concerts in the following years, but usually with other singers backing him. In this video from 1986, for example, by Kiesse Diambu, Aimé Kiwakana and a very young Malage de Lugendo. Personally I prefer this original version, with the solid backing by Josky and Ntesa, and the understated and subtle guitar playing of Franco.

Fittingly, in the last track, "Mukungu" composed by lead guitarist Gerry Dialungana, none of the three singers has a lead role (although in the O.K. Jazz terms Ntesa - as the one with the highest voice - sings the first vocal). Instead the instrumentalists dominate this song. And, of course, this means that Franco is allowed to 'do his thing'. He does so brilliantly, gradually pulling out all the stops after about 7 minutes, with some inimitable shuffles.
In case you are still wondering which guitar is Franco's: he is on the left (I recommend using headphones).

Edipop POP 031 or (MF) here

Because the lp is still in mint condition I am adding a version in the FLAC format. This is only available for a limited period, until March 4.
Edipop POP 031 (flac) There will be more FLAC files in the future, but always for a limited period (too much server space...)

*You can hear Josky's comments in Aboubacar Siddikh's posting on YouTube of this album.

Baby

Pronounced "bah-bee", to be precise. A track which first appeared on the 1991 album "L'Orchestre T.P. O.K. Jazz (Héritage de Franco) avec le Commandant Josky Kiambukuta", and - like all the tracks on that album - composed by Josky himself.
More significant is the subtitle of this album: "Les Mayeno A Gogo", - where "mayeno" refers to breasts, and not the young variety, but those of a mother. While I am told that the "mayeno" is actually a traditional dance of the Bantandu, it is clear that the T.P. O.K. Jazz after Franco's death made an effort to stay "with it".

R to L: Chécain, Aimé, Josky, Ndombe, Diatho (Brussels, 1991)

With Franco still alive things were very different. His songs were always the subject of public scrutiny, and his lyrics always led to popular discussion, as they dealt with issues concerning the average Congolese, the man in the street.
Franco's death meant the end of an era and the start of a period of great unrest. Within a year of his death many musicians, including longtime members of the O.K. Jazz Isaac Musekiwa and Dessoin Bosuma, died - often under mysterious circumstances. Rumours of sorcery (never far away where Franco was concerned) and treachery were rampant. Every incident was viewed with suspicion.

With Franco gone, the remaining members of the T.P. O.K. Jazz and those who had (re)joined the band (Carlito, Ndombe) looked around and saw that the public's focus was rapidly shifting towards other, younger musicians. Franco's death also offered new possibilities: Franco had never been somewhat 'reserved' in adding synthesizers and electronic effects to his songs, stating that he wanted to make sure that the public knew it was Franco who was playing. And Franco had been quite strict when it came to moonlighting outside of the O.K. Jazz.

In this setting the regrouped T.P. O.K. Jazz introduced a new dance, the "mayeno". In retrospect I doubt whether this was a smart move. Franco's sexually explicit songs weren't sexually explicit just for the fun of it; he wanted to draw attention to the perversity in parts of Congolese society. Franco was always a 'naughty boy'; when he made sexual references in his songs, these were never out of character. With the "mayeno" Simaro's T.P. O.K. Jazz stepped out off character. They attempted to compete with bands like Zaiko Langa Langa, who in the early 1990s introduced a dance called "Etutana, Yango Na Yango" (which I gather translates into "Bang them together, this and that!"). Although the mayeno seems innocent compared to this, it just didn't seem right to see the middle-aged frontmen of a respected, 35-year old orchestra on stage pretending to juggle their tits....

Musically Josky remained more in style, continuing his line of songs in the San Salvador tradition he had started with "Fariya", - a song which he repeats in a medley on the 1991 lp. In fact, all the tracks on the 1991 lp are in this style, including "Baby".
The lp can be found, by the way, on the Global Groove blog.

Instead of the lp I would like to share with you this remarkable video of Josky performing "Baby" with Zaiko Langa Langa. Joining Josky in this song are his O.K. Jazz colleagues Madilu System and (later) Lukoki Diatho. Malage De Lugendo is also in this video, but had already moved to Zaiko. I estimate this video to be from 1991, but please correct me if I am wrong (it can't be a lot older, as I copied it in 1993).


By the way, you may have noticed that YouTube is now allowing videos with a maximum length of 15 minutes. I have therefore reposted "Testament Ya Bowule" (see here and here), Dalienst's "Munsi" (the Abidjan version, see this post) and Hawa Dramé's "Noumou Foli" to YouTube.
Links:
Testament: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUvN4tMCrAE
Munsi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLFATgO2NU4
Hawa Dramé: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-1wVzciBF8

P.S.: The great photo at the top of this post was taken by Aboubacar Siddikh during a rehearsal.

MaMaKi

This is a first in this blog. Normally I don't post CD's. But in this case the CD has been out of production for a long time, - and even when it was in production it was extremely hard to get.

In the mid-1970s, Josky Kiambukuta was one of the few members of the T.P. O.K. Jazz who had the freedom to record outside of the orchestra. Franco, as a general rule, did not allow his musicians to wander off and work with others. As I mentioned in an earlier post, he wanted to put an end to the coming and going of musicians.

I appears to me, by the way, that this rule was not always imposed with the same rigour. Franco must have known about his instrumentalists frequently 'moonlighting' outside the O.K. Jazz. But I guess the main reason for the rule was to impose his authority as the leader of the orchestra.

"While in the O.K. Jazz, I, Mayaula and Youlou made three songs on the side. So, not in the O.K. Jazz, but in MaMaKi. Meaning Mayaula, Mabiala, Kiambukuta. So: "MaMaKi".(...) "Ya Tamba", that was the label; he was the producer", Josky recalled in 1991.

He mentions Mayaula Mayoni, who was - as Ntesa Dalienst put it - 'associated' with the O.K. Jazz, but not a member. His association in practice meant that he composed songs for the orchestra (see this post) and on occasion played rhythm guitar.
Youlou Mabiala at the time was no longer a member of the O.K. Jazz. He had left and had already formed his own orchestra Kamikaze Loningisa. Both to Franco and to the general public he was seen (and is seen), however, as a child of the O.K. Jazz.

I realised afterwards that Josky stated they recorded only three songs as MaMaKi. I am not sure what this means. Maybe he is referring to his own compositions, because - going by the CD* - there are three songs composed by Josky. Or perhaps the other songs on these two (!) CD's were originally not released as MaMaKi, but - and I am just guessing now - as Mayaula Mayoni and his orchestra. Or maybe he meant that only three MaMaKi songs where included in the lp "L'Afrique Danse avec Ya Tamba".

This lp on the African label (African 360.110) also contains two songs by two other artists who shortly afterwards joined the T.P. O.K. Jazz (or perhaps in the case of Diatho had just joined the orchestra): Djo Mpoyi and Lukoki Diatho. I don't recognise Josky in these songs, and Josky himself doesn't remember singing in them. Both songs are also on the MaMaKi CD's, - although "Libala Bombanda" has been renamed to "Ngonda Nazwi" (but "Libala Bombanda" is the correct name).

The lp contains one 'mystery track': "Trahison Hadas". Josky confirmed that this wasn't a track by MaMaKi, and I am pretty sure it is neither by Mpoyi & Diatho. But I have not been able to trace who is performing this track.

What makes these CD's really special is the magical combination of the composing talents of Mayaula and the superb singing skills of Josky. Take for example the moment Josky enters his solo in "Pardon Cherie" (after 2'39), after a solid intro into the song in which the groove has been carefully 'constructed'. Or the spine-tingling moment when he set off (after 3'00) in - my favourite - "Silawuka".

Youlou too has his moments. Of course in "Papi" (which has featured on at least one of Youlou's own "Best of" CD's ) and "Camarade Na Ngai", which were composed by him. But also as a backing vocalist in "Pardon Cherie", "Bombanda Compliqué" and "Massivi".

It appears to me that least two of Josky's tracks were 'rough sketches' for later successes with the T.P. O.K. Jazz. The superbly jangling and counterpoint-ridden "Limbisa Ngai" was repeated in a slightly polished form on that classic lp from 1983 "Franco présente Josky Kiambukuta du T.P. O.K. Jazz" (Edipop POP 025). And "Mossese" appears to have been a rough study for perhaps one of Josky's best known hits: "Chacun Pour Soi" (also released in 1983, on CHOC 002/003).

I am still left with a lot of questions about the tracks on these CD's. Why were the three Diatho compositions included, when they clearly don't feature any of the three from MaMaKi? I am not complaining though, because "Lengema" is a song which is beautifully sung by Lukoki, backed firmly by Djo.
And who is this 'Masiva' who composed the last track "Na Regretté Tantine"? This track and "Silawuka" appear to be from the same session. Who is playing the acoustic guitar in these two wonderful songs? According to Josky the orchestra backing the MaMaKi trio consisted mainly of members of the O.K. Jazz. But who?
Why were tracks shortened ("Mama Na Bebe", "Libala Bombanda", "Massivi"), or extended ("Bombanda Compliqué"!!, "Pongi Nazwa Te")?
And I could go on, and on, and on..........

African 360.110 (Ya Tamba lp)
BOP 011 (MaMaKi CD #1)
BOP 011 (MaMaKi CD #2)

* "Going by the CD", because on the lp "L'Afrique Danse avec Ya Tamba" the track "Pongi Mazwa Te" is credited to Josky, while on the CD Mayaula is named as the composer (and the song is almost two minutes longer...).

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....