MUZZICALTRIPS: MIX /// Muzzicaltrips In Congo (45rpm selection from 1966-74)

A travel around really beautiful rumbas and early soukous, played by orchestras during early years of Congo under Mobutu Sese Seko. Great voices, crazy guitars, sweet horns, in various congolese styles. Selection is based on 45s from Fiesta, African and Pathe labels, which are not extremely rare to bump into in africa as generally not the styles hardly sought after by vinyl diggers, in parallel to be a bit lost in the huge congolese production.

Few comments to enlighten the 2 first tracks from OK Jazz:

"Bakajika Law" has been voted by Mobutu in 1966 and stipulates that soil and subsoil of the country belongs to congolese state. This corresponds to a key economical part of Mobutu's general (early) measures to extricate from colonial influence (grip?). Cultural part follows through a "Resort to Authenticity" campaign focussing on congolese specificities in opposition to occidental longly imposed references (which led to change name of Congo to Zaire 1971). In this song, Zimbabwean sax player Isaac Musekiwa gives spoken explanation in english of Franco's suffering singing; and message is clear: "[many] african countries are dying because of the land, so Franco wants to know why", at the same time it underlines Mobutu's Bakajika law (supposed to protect Congo land from foreigners, but also give to the government a control on soil, sometimes despite traditional local uses).

Concerning the second track "Colonel Bangala", i am also curious to know what the lyrics says as in 1966 (same year of the song) Alphonse Bangala contributed to foil a plot against Mobutu (by supposedly playing double agent), leading to public hanging of the Prime Minister and 3 other major political figures potentially inconvenient for Mobutu's projects...

So if someone knows lingala, pls give us some light... In any case, enjoy the music.

Muzzicaltrips in Congo (53 min):