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....

Le Poète

Only a year ago we celebrated his 80th birthday with a selection of his work, today we mourn his death.

There are no words for the sadness, the loss, felt at the death of 'Le Poète' Simaro Lutumba Ndomanueno.
The only consolation I can offer is another selection from the extensive legacy of this great composer.

01. Kadima
02. Cedou
03. Presence Na Ngai Ebangisaka I & II
04. Naboyi Bombanda Ya Basi Misato
05. Vaccination
06. On Ne Vit Qu'une Seule Fois
07. Mbanzi Ya Kamundele
08. Desespoir 1 & 2
09. Minuit Eleki Lezi I & II
10. G.G. Yoka
11. Mbawu Nako Recuperer Yo
12. Regina Regina
13. Je Vis Avec Le P.D.G.
14. Monzo 1 & 2
15. Mbongo


In Memoriam Le Poète 19/03/1938 - 30/03/2019

Kasse Mady (1949-2018)

Yet another of my musical heroes has passed away, and once more too young. I still had high expectations from Kasse Mady Diabaté, who passed away in Bamako, Mali, this Friday (May 24, 2018) at the age of 69.

Kasse Mady was born in 1949 in Kela, a village 100 kilometres south of Bamako, upstream on the Niger river, and a village renowned for its djeli population and its proximity (only 8 km) to the village of Kangaba, which is seen as the craddle of Mande culture. Although born into a family with deep griot roots (his aunt was the great Siramori Diabaté, see this post) neither his father nor his mother were djeli (other than by birth), and Kasse Mady started out by helping his father, cutting grass for the horses. But even at a young age his voice stood out, and many started to compare him to his great grandfather Bintoufama Diabaté, nicknamed 'Kasse Mady'.
Still in his teens Kasse Mady builds up a reputation singing at weddings, baptisms and such, until he is asked to join the orchestre Super Mande from Kangaba, which subsequently participates in the first Biennale Artistique et Culturelle in 1970. A few years later he joins Les Maravillas de Mali, at a time when the orchestra is in a state of great unrest, after having been heavily censored by the new government of president Moussa Traoré. When the chef d'orchestre is replaced the name of the orchestra is changed to Badema National.
At Badema Kasse Mady is able to really make his mark, and he stays with the orchestra for 16 years, until he lured away by producer Ibrahima Sylla in 1989. He moves to Paris where Sylla produces his album "Fode".

I guess the first time I heard Kasse Mady sing was in the mid 1980s. I don't remember being very impressed, but this may have been due to the rather miserable quality of the cassettes (copies of copies of copies). This changed dramatically when I heard the song "Fode Nara", while visiting Bamako in 1988 (here is the actual recording; I missed the beginning..). I certainly wanted more of this.
Unfortunately there would be little more of Kasse Mady with Badema, as the public institutions responsible for the national orchestras disintegrated and musicians had to look elsewhere to find an income. Kasse Mady, like many others, moved to Paris.

Personally I think his album "Fode", (over)produced by Syllart, was a step backwards. Even today, after years of musical abuse from (especially) Paris-based productions, I still can't stand more than two minutes of this album. Fortunately the production was toned down a bit with the following album, "Koulandjan". While still very much a Parisian production, at least Kasse Mady gets a chance to shine. As the album title suggests, it contains a version of the Malinké classic "Koulandjan", for which Kasse Mady wanted to use the traditional version. He asked permission of the elders in Kela, which he received a few weeks later accompanied by a cassette explaining which parts of the epic song had to be included. The total length of the song including these lines would amount to 30 minutes. But Sylla stopped the recording after 13 minutes, much to the annoyance of Kasse Mady.

Kasse Mady went back to live in Mali in 1998.
In 2001 he was approached by Lucy Duran to record. Produced by Duran, the result is a mature album which set the tone for the albums which followed: strong songs selected from the Mande repertoire of Kela and Kangaba, mixed with a few excursions into other areas.

I am not going to review all the albums Kasse Mady has released. I would, instead, like to share a small selection of his work with you. You can either listen to or download the mix here:
.
Alternately you can download the tracks of this mix here: Kasse Mady in memoriam

Also, I would like to share with you this cassette, which was recorded (and produced) in Mali. It is undated, but my guess is that the cassette was recorded in the late 1990s.
IC 0497

As I mentioned, I had high hopes for Kasse Mady. I would have loved to have seen him with a revival of Badema, slowly rocking his shoulders to the rhythm of the music....

Le Poète à 80

A tribute to Le Poète Lutumba Simaro, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Tracks (all composed by Simaro):
01. Na Lifelo Bisengo Ezali Te (Orchestre Mi)
02. Fifi Nazali Innocent (O.K. Jazz)
03. Motema Na Yo Retroviseur (T.P. O.K. Jazz)
04. Mambo Mucho (Kongo Jazz)
05. Affaire Kitikwala (T.P. O.K. Jazz)
06. Oko Regretter Ngai Mama (T.P. O.K. Jazz)
07. Inoussa (T.P. O.K. Jazz)
08. Santa Guy Guyna (O.K. Jazz)
09. Mado Aboyi Simaro (O.K. Jazz)
10. Annie Obosani Ngai? (O.K. Jazz)
11. Odutaka Na Vie Mon Cher (T.P. O.K. Jazz)
12. Lisana Ebandaki Na Kin Malebo (Orchestre Mi)
13. Testament Ya Bowule (live TV) (T.P. O.K. Jazz)

Foundation

I am well aware that it has been over a year since the last post on this blog. I hope to change this in 2018, but am making no promises. Fortunately others are still going strong or have in the last year returned to blogging.
Besides the usual subjects (the work of Franco and his O.K. Jazz, music from Mali and such) I hope to share some traditional music with you in the year which has just started.

But first a post about a cassette which has resurfaced occasionally in the last two decades since I copied it from my friend Faas. A cassette which has intrigued me because of its rare mix of traditional and modern elements. The cassette is by the Ensemble Instrumental Raoul Follereau de Bamako, an ensemble which I have been unable to trace in Mali and which none of the artists I have spoken to (in the past) have ever heard of. That is one of the intriguing elements...

It doesn't take too much imagination to figure out that there must be a link to the Fondation Raoul Follereau. This assertion is backed up by the first track on the B-side, which is about this journalist, writer and welldoer of French origin. Raoul Follereau, who died in 1977, is best known for his struggle against leprosy and poverty. He did not created the foundation which carries his name (this was founded 7 years after his death), but did inspire its foundation. The man appears to have been inspired in turn by Charles de Foucauld*, although perhaps I should write that he used Foucauld for his personal objectives. And these were - in retrospect - not as elevated and pure as the creation of a foundation in his name may suggest, - or as they may have seemed at the time. Follereau founded the Fondations Charles de Foucauld in order to rebuild the French church of the Sahara ("reconstruire l'Église française du Sahara"). The key words in this are "french" and "church", for - very much in the spirit of the 1930s - nationalism and christianity were very much part of Follereau's philosophy. In 1927 he had created "la Ligue de l’Union latine", "destinée à défendre la civilisation chrétienne contre tous les paganismes et toutes les barbaries" (to defend christian civilisation against paganism and barbarism). Of course (and like present-day nationalistic movements) the superiority of the own, national culture was not in dispute.

Follereau went as far as to join forces with all those willing to fight the "complot judéo-maçonnique", openly praising Mussolini and supporting the Vichy regime during WWII.
Although this may have nothing to do with the work of the Fondation, it does perhaps raise some questions about the motives of the organisation. The French have always had a tendency to promote their way of thinking, under the guise of 'francophonie' or 'collaboration'. And it is surprising how little this has done to really help the countries and societies which were the target of French aide.

Back to the cassette.
The cassette was released in 1993, i.e. five years after the last 'old style' Biennale. Still the music does evoke memories of these great events, which coincidentally were relaunched last week in Bamako (although apparently not everyone agreed that this was the right moment to do so).
Particularly the chorus reminds me of the great choruses I have seen and heard. What I find refreshing with these choruses is the lack of pretence. Although the girls all sings in unison, they still create the impression of being an unruly (but happy) group of individuals. Most of the instruments accompanying the girls are those one would expect with an ensemble instrumental from Mali: kora, balafon, flutes, bolon, drums.
The twist is in the addition of an electric guitar. And what a nice guitar it is. This is the kind of guitar one would occasionally hear with a djeli, or with Abdoulaye Diabaté: plenty of reverb and smooth as silk.

This is nice music to dream away, to glide smoothly into the new year.
Happy New Year.

Ensemble Instrumental Raoul Follereau de Bamako(AFR 001, 1993)


* for those who can read French: the entry in the French wikipedia is much more elaborate.