Merveilles du Passé – Hommage au Grand Kallé, Joseph Kabassele et l’African Jazz, vol. 2, african 360.143, 1984

This is volume 2 of the ‘Hommage au Grand Kallé’.
african’s 360.143.
Joseph Kabassele helped to spark the rise of modern Zairean music.
The founder and leader of African Jazz, a band that introduced
guitarist Dr. Nico, vocalist Tabu Ley Rocherau and saxophonist
Manu DiBango, Kabasele has been called, “Le Gran Kalle” and “the
father of rumba”. In an interview, shortly after Kabasele’s death in 1983,
influential Zairean musician Franco Luambo Makiadi said, “(Kabasele)
was the founder of Zairean music and, although
we were in competition, he made many things possible for me.

” One of the few Zairean musicians to be educated to the secondary
level, Kabasele made his musical debut as a member of Georges Doula’s
band. Forming African Jazz in 1953, Kabasele led the band towards
international recognition. In January 1960, Kabasele and African
Jazz traveled to Brussels, along with Belgian Congo delegates, to
perform at the historic “Round Table” conference. The most
successful of Kabasele’s many compositions were “Le Table Ronde,
” written for the conference, and “Independance Cha Cha,
” subsequently adapted as a celebratory anthem by African countries
achieving independance. Although African Jazz reached its peak in
the mid-1960s, with the departure of Dr. Nico, Rocherau and DiBango,
the band continued to perform until 1970 and became the first
Congolese band to record in Europe.
~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

tracks;

1 Independence cha cha
2 Naweli boboto
3 Merengue scoubidou
4 Sentiment emonani
5 Nawonso pamba
6 Tosekana
7 Table ronde
8 Sophie ya motema
9 Batela mwana na biso
10 Motindo na yo Paulina