POSTED ON

July 16, 2015

Orchestra Zib-Hombers
dirigée par Mabuse
Sonafric 1980

Orchestra Zib-Hombers, front

Good morning groovers, can I ask for your help today ?
We have an album by Orchestra Zib-Hombers of which
I can’t seem to find any decent information. Mabuse,
it’s front man appears to be Congolese but one of our
visitors once suggested they are from a mid African
country like Gabon or Cameroon. The music which
was recorded by Namaco in Nigeria is called Rumba
from Zaïre if you believe suggestions made on Amazon.
The lyrics are sung in French and English. All together
I am a bit confused, Are we dealing with a Congolese
group, they mostly use the term ‘orchestre’ in stead
of ‘orchestra’. Melodies make me believe it is more
highlife than rumba, alhough sleeve says ‘sukus’..
it is most certainly no soukous to my opinion.
their English sounds Nigerian style, but French
is not spoken there if I’m not mistaking, so
who can enlighten us with the right info
and solve this mystery..?

tracks;

01 – l’Amour est aveugle
02 – La vie est compliquée
03 – La plainte d’une femme mariée
04 – Wicked brother

downloadbutton

This entry was posted in

7 Comments

  1. Rico 16 July 2015 at 18:46 - Reply

    Hi Moos, in the 1st song, I could hear words in Lingala (bolingo = love). The 2nd and 3rd are definitely sung in french (no doubt, it’s my mother language) and the 4th in english). Yet, I can’t tell you what country the musicians come from.

  2. glinka21 17 July 2015 at 02:33 - Reply

    A nice find, in any case, Moos. Thanks for sharing it.

  3. Joachim 17 July 2015 at 10:03 - Reply

    Hi, I do not know what country this group may be from. Nevertheless, Even in the English song, there is some Lingala Words. I’m not sure, but I guess, I know this song from Prince Noco Mbaga.
    I suggest, we have a Congolese group here (as the style reminds me quite strongly on Sam Manguana), the English song (which is definitely Igbo Pidgin) may be a tribute to the fact that this album was published in Nigeria.

  4. Alexsam 17 July 2015 at 16:19 - Reply

    I have the LP and always assumed that they were from Cameroon.

  5. Shad 19 July 2015 at 08:27 - Reply

    Ikwokilikwo”, a fast-paced form of highlife popularized by Oliver de Coque and Godwin Kabaka Opara of the Oriental Brothers, amongst others. Leading exponents were Sir Warrior of Oriental Brothers, Prince Nico, Oliver de Coque, amd Kabaka. There’s plenty of more to seek and discover. The music is typically in 4/4 meter and is characterized by a fast tempo and aggressive bass line. (Essays on Music in Africa – Volume 1. page 130. 1988.). It combines soukous, rumba, makossa, benga, and highlife. Indeed, they hail from Cameroon just like Super Negro Bantous and African System Orchestra.

    • Moos 19 July 2015 at 08:46 - Reply

      ..that’s cool Shad, thank you very much..

Leave A Comment