This morning I heard we lost one of the greatest singers composers from
the African continent. Mayaula Mayoni died on may 26 at the age
of 64. He had suffered from a stroke some years ago and got partly
paralised. I had this LP waiting for quite a while, waiting for a good
moment. RIP Mayaula, we will honour you once more playing one
of your finest albums. It was made with Les Redoutables d’Abeti in 1984.
It’s presented in Mayaula’s favourite colours, pink and white, a preference
I didn’t share with our hero. What I do share is his musical taste, I think
he was one of Franco’s best songwriters. Here are some articles that
give more information on the subject.

http://vibesdafrique.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=1&action=display&thread=3275&page=1

http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAYAULA-MAYONI/282726013263

http://wrldsrv.blogspot.com/2010/05/liwa-ya-mayaula.html

tracks;

1 Veniuza
2 Mokili makambo
3 Omari
4 Sauce ya bolingo

Did you enjoy that Colombian compilation I called ‘Cumbia Sabrosa’?
You can find it back on may 31, 2008, in our archives. It contained
that hot track, ‘Colombia tierra querida’. Lucho Bermudez was one of
the orchestral leaders that wrote history. Check out this album with
the traditional pretty lady cover. Gaita, porro, merengue, paseo,
cumbia and bolero by one of Colombia’s master composers.

tracks

1 La gaita de las flores
2 Miguelito
3 Lina
4 Lo mas lindo que yo tengo
5 Tierra mia
6 Muchachas Colombianas
7 Maqueteando
8 Hasta luego Medellin
9 Me gustas
10 Mosaico Colombiano

What can I tell you about this LP? Nothing much I guess.
Just the facts, Orchestre Lokassa de Makale from 1977’s
Congo. Auteur Compositeur : Liata Lokassa. You be the judge.

tracks;

1 Nelia 1
2 Nelia 2
3 Liata Lokassa 1
4 Liata Lokassa 2
5 Passi ya mokili 1
6 Passi ya mokili 2
7 Liwa 1
8 Liwa 2

Next in the never ending story of the great Franco’s repertoire
is the first from OK Jazz’s ‘Authenticité’ series. it contains recordings
from 1960 to 1962. Singers are Mulamba ‘Mujos’ and Munsi ‘Kwami’.
Lutumba Simarro – rhythm guitar, Tshiamala ‘Piccolo’ – bass, Moke ‘Simon’
and Musekiwa ‘Isaac’ – tenor saxophone, Albino – alt saxophone, Bosuma
‘Dessoir’ – tumbas and Luambo ‘Franco’ solo guitar and lead vocals.
The cover speaks of 1960/62 but the label of ’62, ’63 and ’64, anyway,
sparkling material by Congo’s greatest of all time, enjoy it.

tracks;

1 Na banzi zozo
2 Maria de mi vida
3 Bolingo ya mbongo mabe
4 La mulata Congolaisa
5 Olongi yo mayi ya bwatu
6 Nono bolingo na Mujos
7 Na ko banza mama na mwana
8 Sakina Jacky
9 Sentiment poto poto
10 Mobembo mabe boye
11 Ndale mi querida
12 Bebe ngai na zongi

Today’s album is a hell of a find but unfortunately it sounds like
nothing. The whole LP has a disturbing hiss and that is a real shame.
Normally I would not ask but, which one of you smart ol’ digital devils
is the first to give us back a link with a polished version ?
( part from that little rough start )
According to the online discography’s it’s the Star Band’s first album,
from the early seventies, great historic stuff that deserves a clean listen.
Thank you for being such help!

tracks;

1 Bamos pa’al monte
2 Cheri Coco
3 Sene-Gambia
4 Malaguena
5 Caramelo
6 Thiely

Slowing down Robert Johnson’s ‘King of the Delta Blues Singers’ was
a huge succes, everyone or almost everyone agreed with the new version.
The next step was easy to figure out, slowing down volume 2 of course.
So here’s part two, treated with the same amount of slacking. I trust it you
will agree with this one too. That’s all there is folks, just two albums.

tracks;

1 Kind hearted woman
2 I believe I dust my broom
3 Sweet home Chicago
4 Rambling on my mind
5 Phonograph blues
6 They’re red hot
7 Dead shrimp blues
8 Preachin’blues
9 I’m a steady rollin’ man
10 From four till late
11 Little queen of spades
12 Malted milk
13 Drunken hearted man
14 Stop breakin’ down blues
15 Honeymoon blues
16 Love in vain

Super Disco from Congo by the legendary African All Stars. With
Dizzy Mandjeku in the leading role and Lokassa ya Mbongo on
rhythmguitar, vocals by a.o. Nyboma, love this sound, dance away !

tracks;

1 Disco 80
2 Loulou
3 Nene Bambara Mousso
4 Aminata

Some time ago I posted Robert Johnson’s King of the Delta Blues Singers.
The next day I received the following comment;

Moos – it’s widely agreed now that all of Johnson’s 78s were speeded up. If you’ve
some means of slowing the LP down – like a direct drive turntable – you’ll
suddenly find yourself listening to a sexy young black guy with a cool guitar
sound – less of paranoid gabbler, more of a human being.
Le Grand Maître.

Well, Grand Maître, here it is, I had to gamble a bit how much to slow it down.
My Technics turntable helped me finding a suitable speed and I guess this
must be it more or less. I totally agree with the slower version.

tracks;

1 Crossroads blues
2 Terraplane blues
3 Come on in my kitchen
4 Walking blues
5 Last fair deal gone down
6 32-20 blues
7 Kindhearted woman blues
8 If I had posession over judgment day
9 Preaching blues
10 When you got a good friend
11 Rambling on my mind
12 Stones in my passway
13 Traveling riverside blues
14 Mikcow’s calf blues
15 Me and the devil blues
16 Hellhound on my trail

Today’s post concerns a rare album from Congo, or Zaïre in those days.
I didn’t find any information about these guys, the group is ungoogleable.
Just two names appear on the backsleeve, ‘Fundu’ and ‘Tounta Albert’.
I do know that I like this album very much, sweet guitarsounds and
vocal harmony. If you read the titles and see track #6, EMI, one gets the
impression this might be the first album they recorded. They must have been
grateful and so are we ! Enjoy this rare beauty by Orchestre Lomeka.

tracks;

1 Kidiba 1
2 Kidiba 2
3 Godet 1
4 Godet 2
5 Nki kwe didi
6 EMI

Let’s stir the place up a bit. R&B today means a kind of music,
with all respect, not for me. Back in the old days, R&B would stand
for rhythm and blues, honest stuff with stunning instrumentation and
mindblowing voices. Such as this one, if you speak of a woman with
bollocks in her voice, this is her. Etta James, although quite light
coloured and with blond hair, she has a fat black sound like no one has.
Bluesy, New Orleans based rock and roll with crazy saxophones and
Etta’s unique way of singing. check track #2 in which she has
a conversation with a talking sax, greatly performed by Harold Battiste.
It’s all recorded in the 50’s, over half a century ago, don’t you just love it?

tracks;

1 Tough lover
2 The pick-up
3 By the light of the silvery moon
4 Fools we mortals be
5 Come what may
6 Dance with me Henry
7 Good lookin’
8 Tears of joy
9 Shortnin’ bread rock
10 Baby, baby, every night
11 Then I’ll care
12 Market place