Mariama

Orchestre Zaïko Langa Langa was founded in 1969 by students from Kinshasa, under the provisional name “Orchestra Zaïko”. The name “Zaïko” is an amalgamation of “Zaïre ya Bakoko”, which means the Zaire of our ancestors. Zaire is a name for the Congo River. The meaning of “Langa Langa” is controversial. It is the name of a people in central Congo, but later became slang for “get drunk”.

In the 1970s, a lot of music was released on single. Often on the front of the single the first part of the song and on the back the second part. This was also the case with the song “Zaiko Wawawa”. In the second part of this song, the singer utters the question several times: “Essiebons, who are you?” Essiebons, that is the Ghanaian record label that recorded this single. Essiebons also has a shop in Accra, opposite the General Post Office. In that shop the singles “Zaiko Wawawa” and “Astrida” were bought.

From 1976, the band stayed in Ghana for several years, travelling through the country and performing at dance parties in many towns in the province. In Accra an LP is recorded with the music of the singles. Often the front and back of the single are recorded separately, as for instance “Zaiko Wawawa I” and “Zaiko Wawawa II”, but sometimes both sides of the single are combined into one song, as in “Astrida”, from the LP “Zaïre-Ghana: Recorded in Accra in 1976”.

From its inception in 1969 until 1975, Papa Wemba also participated in this orchestra. When Papa Wemba left Zaïko Langa Langa in 1975, he successively sang with the bands Isifi Lokole and Yoka Lokole, before forming the band Viva La Musica in 1977.

The band Langa Langa Stars was formed in 1981 as a spin-off from Viva La Musica. This band has 7 lead singers. They were called “Les 7 patrons de Langa Langa Stars”. They are Esperant Djenga Ka, Djuna Djanana, Emeneya Mubiala, Dindo Yogo from Viva La Musica and Evoloko Jocker, Djo Mali and Bozi Boziana from Orchestre Zaïko Langa. Already in 1984 Langa Langa Stars disbanded again. Yet they were one of the most popular soukous bands from Congo. The song “Parapluie” from the LP “Verckys présente Langa Langa Stars” from 1983, was composed by Djuna Djanana, one of the singers from Viva La Musica. On the other hand, “Soleil”, from the same LP, was composed by Evoloko Jocker, one of the singers from Zaïko Langa Langa and also one of the founders of this band in 1969.

Zaïko Langa Langa still exists. They even released another album in 2019. This makes them the longest existing band from Congo. Although the band constantly changed band members, the current leader of Zaïko Langa Langa, the singer, dancer and lyricist N’Yoka Longo Mvula, also known as Jossart or Vieux Mbombas, was also a founding member of the band in 1969. He has always remained a member of the band. Originally, he is from Angola. He is now 68 years old.

Thanks to Muziekweb in Rotterdam

And thanks also to Barbera Schuil, for making her African LPs available.

1. Orchestre Zaïko Langa Langa: Zaiko Wawawa (part 1), 4’17
   author Zaiko, single Zaiko Wawawa, 1976, Essiebons INT. 121
2. Orchestre Zaïko Langa Langa: Zaiko Wawawa (part 1), 4’03
   author Zaiko, single Zaiko Wawawa, 1976, Essiebons INT. 121
3. Orchestre Zaïko Langa Langa: Astrida, 9’36
   author Olhemi, LP Zaïre-Ghana Recorded in Accra in 1976, RetroAfric RETRO 05
4. Papa Wemba: Analengo, 5’49, CD Kuru Yaka, 2014, MÉLODIE GR 018
5. Langa Langa Stars: Bouquet de fleurs, 8’45
   LP Langa Langa Stars 1983, Flash Diffusion Business FDB300099
6. Langa Langa Stars: Parapluie, 9’57, Djuna Djanana
   LP Verckys présente Langa Langa Stars, 1983, Éditions VEVE International REM 340
7. Langa Langa Stars: Soleil, 9’54, auteur Evoloko Jocker
   LP Verckys présente Langa Langa Stars, 1983, Éditions VEVE International REM 340
8. Zaïko Langa Langa: Jusqu’où, 6’08, auteur M’Vula N’Yoka Longo
   CD Empreinte, 2004, Prozal – 9152, WBE – 9152