 |
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Veteran
Congolese musician Tabu Ley, who died
in a Belgian
hospital last weekend aged 73
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.
Today,
for instance, his funeral arrangements begin in Brussels, when his
family, friends, fans and well-wishers in the large Congolese and
African community living here are expected to converge on the funeral
home to pay their last respects to this great African man.
And,
tomorrow, an advance party comprising some family members and his
former Afrisa International Band musicians, will fly to Kinshasa ahead
of the return of his body for burial.
His former band
manager, Mekanisi Modero, who is now based in the United States, will
also fly to Kinshasa to organise a musical send-off for his former boss
in the form of a concert, expected to be held next week, probably after
the Monday burial.
FRUITFUL FAMILY MAN
But, just as he was prolific at making music, Tabu Ley was also quite fruitful in the family sense.
But, just as he was prolific at making music, Tabu Ley was also quite fruitful in the family sense.
He
sired nearly 50 children, who are today scattered all over the world.
However, only a few of them have followed his footsteps into music.
The numbers might have been many, but he is said to have tried to maintain contact with those that he could.
Even
in his twilight years, deeply ill and living either in Kinshasa, Paris
or Brussels, Tabu Ley worked hard to play his fatherly role to all his
children, borne of various mothers.
That is how,
between 2009 and 2011, when he was being treated as an outpatient at a
Parisian hospital, he lived with daughter Inna and her mother Melanie in
Creteil on the outskirts of Paris.
He may not have been a constant figure in their lives, but somehow the two felt obligated to be there for him, with him.
He was a doting father, his admirers say, who did everything to ensure that his children had a good education.
And
although he never discouraged them from venturing into music early, he
motivated them to have a solid foundation in education.
And
‘The Family Man’, as he was often fondly referred to, demonstrated that
love by dedicating some of his songs to his spouses, fans and children.
Tabu,
who earlier in his career in the 1960s was simply known as Pascal
Rochereau, had a musical journey that spanned over four decades,
starting in the late 1950s when he joined Orchestre African Jazz, headed
by the legendary Joseph Kabasele, Le Grand Kalle.
The group featured the renowned solo guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda alongside his brother Charles Mwamba Dechaud.
But
rivalry between the musicians saw Dr Nico and Tabu leave African Jazz
to form African Fiesta in the early 1960s, and Dr Nico went on to
relesae the ever-popular hit, Bilombe Ya Africa (African Champions), an
indirect jab at their musical rivals.
But the two also parted company, with Nico forming African Fiesta Sukisa and Tabu birthing African Fiesta Nationale.
AUTHENTICITY
Then,
after years of the big names on the Kinshasa circuit being known by
their French first names, Mobutu Sese Seko climbed onto the platform
breathing a firebrand cultural revolution known as ‘Authenticity’ and
forcing many artistes to shed their Christian names.
Kabasele
gave up the name Joseph to take on a long identity that praised his
supposed toughness, Pascal became Tabu Ley, while his biggest rival on
the Congolese music scene then, Franco, became Luambo Luanzo Makiadi.
The
names might have changed, but the quality of their compositions in the
Lingala beat that spread like wildfire throughout Africa remained the
same, if not better.
Tabu, for instance, maintained his fine, urbane touch to his music, as well as his solid connections with Kenya.
Many
of his fans here will recall his 1982 visit with Mbilia Bel, when they
released Kamunga. Later, in 1984, Mbilia’s Nakei Nairobi and Twende
Nairobi — the first a love song and the other a political hit in praise
of former President Daniel arap Moi’s Nyayo clarion call — became local
anthems, both on radio and the dance floor.
The two
musician’s relationship went on to spawn the super-hits for which Mbilia
is famed, including Nadina, Beyanga, Eswi Yo Wapi, and Nakei Nairobi.
Nairobi
might have been attractive to the Congolese because of its modern
recording studios, but the consummate family man looked beyond the
microphone during his Nairobi calls to scout for opportunities for his
children, and two of his daughters, Mireille and Collette, studied at
the Utalii College in the ’80s.
WHEELCHAIR-BOUND
The
crooner has been in poor health and confined to a wheelchair since he
suffered a stroke in 2008, an anti-climax to a life well-lived and a
career that had been the envy of many, not only in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, but also the rest of Africa.
That
stroke was a setback for a man who, throughout his career, was known not
only for his clear tenor voice, but also his nimble feet.
For, among the great musicians on the continent, Tabu Ley would have taken the accolades for being a great dancer hands-down.
This was a man who, in his heyday, was agile, stylish and a fantastic choreographer of the rhumba dance.
The
man who introduced the sojourn beat to Linagala, the new up-tempo beat
giving more emphasis on the drum beats and horns. Listen to it on the
hit Sambuluma, released in the early ’70s.
When his
health deteriorated, he relinquished his position as Minister of Culture
and Arts, Sports, Youth and Leisure, and Tourism in the City-Province
of Kinshasa.
Prior to being appointed minister, he had
held the post of vice-governor of the city of Kinshasa, under the
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) party. Earlier, he had also served
as a nominated MP, alongside Tshala Muana, the ‘Queen of Mutwashi’.
Last
week, as his condition deteriorated at the St Lucas Hospital in
Brussels, where he passed on, he was in the constant company of daughter
Inna and two sons, including Mark, a France-based journalist.
They
witnessed him receive the final holy communion from a Catholic priest
in hospital last Friday morning, and all were in his room when he
breathed his last the following day.
Tabu Ley may be
gone, but his rich discography will live on, and present and future
generations will continue to enjoy fine music from one of -Africa’s
greatest artistes.
TRIBUTE FROM PEERS
About
two years ago crooner Koffi Olomide paid tribute to Tabu Ley by
reproducing some of his popular oldies under the album ‘Koffi Chant Tabu
Ley’, redone during a LIVE show at a hotel in Kinshasa. Koffi
reportedly singled out Tabu Ley as his mentor in vocals prowess.
Similarly, fellow musician Papa Wemba has praised Tabu Ley for having inspired many Congolese singers.
Veteran
KBC radio presenter James Onyango Joel of the ‘Zilizopendwa’ fame
recalled recently, the hit song ‘Maze’ was replayed by the rebels when
they temporarily took over the KBC studios during the abortive 1982 coup
attempt.
From then the song became a very popular club
and radio hit, he said. Nairobi-based musician Ken Makokha of Ulinzi
Orchestre says he got inspired to play the saxophone after listening to
the horns in ‘Maze’, popular for the catch phrase “I love you, baby
touch me”.
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MUSICAL ORPHANS
DINO VANGU
The soft-spoken Dino Vangu (Ya Dino), after leaving Afrisa International in 1985, continued being an integral part of the group, where he was the band master (Chef d’ Orchestre).
The soft-spoken Dino Vangu (Ya Dino), after leaving Afrisa International in 1985, continued being an integral part of the group, where he was the band master (Chef d’ Orchestre).
His unique solo guitar style features on some Afrisa songs like ‘Eboue’.
When
he left the band to settle in Paris, his place was taken up by Huit
Kilos, who now lives in the US. In Paris, Dino has set up a session
group comprising his Paris-based rumba counterparts.
He
has also released several albums featuring both new and old songs,
backed up by Faya Tess and Lo-Benelle, an up and coming singer doing
cover versions of most of Mbilia Bel’s songs.
Last year
when Tabu Ley returned to be feted back home in Kinshasa , Dino played
the solo guitar during concerts to fete the fallen star.
The
future looks bright for Dino and other former members of Afrisa
International as they endeavour to revive the band and keep Tabu Ley’s
music alive.
KOFFI OLOMIDE
This is not your usual musician.
Described variously as “a very bright student”, Koffi earned an academic scholarship to France to study Business Economics.
He
has also established himself as outstanding in stage shows. For his
effort, ‘Effrakata’, released in 2001-2002, Koffi received four Kora
Awards on a single night at the annual Kora Awards in South Africa for
2002 and 2003, including the award for Best African Artiste.
More
recently, he has won the Kora Award for “Best African Artist of The
Decade”, leading to the establishment of one of his many aliases as the
‘Quadra Kora Man’.
He has often showered praise on Tabu
Ley for having inspired him as a singer. Koffi did cover versions of 40
of Tabu Ley’s popular oldies.
SAM MANGWANA
Sam Mangwana was born on February 21, 1945 in Kinshasa to parents of Angolan background.
He
was a member of Franco’s hugely popular TP OK Jazz and Tabu Ley’s
African Fiesta Nationale. As Tabu Ley pointed out during a telephone
interview with this writer in 2009, other former members of Afrisa have
gone on to establish successful solo careers.
They
include singer Faya Tess, who lives in Paris, guitarist Nseka Huit
Kilos, Dodo Munoko, Wawali Bonane and band manager Modero, all who live
in the US.
The group’s members who remained in Kinshasa
include guitarists Dave Makondele and Master Mukonkole, both of whom
were in the band that last visited Kenya in 1995. Mangwana is now based
in Luanda, Angola.
MBILIA BEL
The songstress had a child with Tabu Ley -named Melodie, in the 1980s before going on to become a refined and mature performer.
The songstress had a child with Tabu Ley -named Melodie, in the 1980s before going on to become a refined and mature performer.
Her songs, among them ‘Mobali na Ngai Wana (This Husband of Mine’), remains popular to date.
The
song, composed by Tabu Ley is an adaptation of a traditional song in
Kikongo, and in it M’bilia Bel praises her husband as being handsome and
successful and stresses the fact that even though he has the
opportunity to choose from any of Kinshasa’s beautiful women, he chose
her.
Other songs that blazed the charts during that period include ‘Balle a Terre’ and ‘Bameli Soy’.
In 1987 Tabu Ley recruited another female artiste to accompany M’bilia Bel.
Kishila
Ngoyi was here real name, but she was known by her artistic name, Faya
Tess. It was with this new lineup that Afrisa embarked on a tour of East
Africa that took in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, culminating in the
album Nadina, which had Lingala and Swahili versions of the title song.
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WHAT FANS SAID
Jimmy Wayuni, Nairobi
Though I couldn’t understand most of the words, I was inspired by the strong, catchy beats.
Kaminju wa Kiemo, Nairobi
I have kept collections of most of his favourite songs, which I will always listen to.
Maximillah Barasa, Bungoma
I
grew up dancing to Tabu Ley’s music. My father kept a big collection of
his work and we always enjoyed it, especially Maze and later Muzina.
Bruce Ogaga, Nairobi
I have been playing Tabu Ley’s songs over and over since his death. There will be no other inspiring singer like him.
Achieng’ Abura, Afro-Jazz musician
Tabu
Ley’s passing was an anti-climax to my Jubilee celebrations. He is one
musician I grew up listening to and who inspired my style.
Machua Waithaka, Nairobi businessman
I
remember hosting him in 1995 at the Makuti Club, South B, where he did
an impromptu performance of Muzina alongside the resident band.
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