World music, compiled by Bas Springer.
Music from Congo-Kinshasha, selected by Kees Schuil from his collection of African LPs, including M’Pongo Love.
M’Pongo Love was born in 1956 in Boma, a port town situated on the river Congo between Kinshasha and the Atlantic ocean. Her real name is Aimée Alfride M’Pongo Landu. When she was four years old she contracted polio and was paralysed completely from a shot of penicillin. After two years she is able to use her legs a little again. Her mother was the director of a girls’ education centre. Her father was a military base commander, he was murdered when she was five years old.
At primary school, she sings in the choir. Later, she worked as an executive secretary at a car dealer. However, in 1975, when she is 19 years old, she meets Deyess Empompo Loway; a saxophonist who played at TPOK Jazz of Franco. He persuades her to give up her job and start a singing career. She takes on the stage name M’Pongo Love. “Love” was her family nickname. Empompo Loway helps her to organise her own orchestra “Tcheke Tcheke Love”, and he also assists her in writing her music.
Two songs from her first album “L’Afrique danse avec M’Pongo Love”, were composed by Empompo Loway; the songs “Bileli” and “Montayo”. In 1980, Empompo Loway and M’Pongo Love, end their cooperation. Loway is going to help another young singer: Vonga Ndayimba, known by her stage name Vonga Aye. Empompo Loway, one of the best saxophonists of the twentieth century, passed away on 21 January 1990.
Souzy Kasseya, Lutumba Simaro, and Mayaula Mayoni composed songs for M’Pongo Love as well. The latter one, Freddy Mayaula Mayoni, was a famous former football player before he started singing. For her, he writes the first song of her first LP: “Ndaya”. This song disregards polygamy and turns out to be a huge success, especially for the women of Kinshasha. He also helped her write the song “Basongueur” on her LP “M’Pongo Love” from 1983. Mayaula Mayoni passed away when he was 63 years old in Brussels on 26 May 2010.
In 1976, she performs for the first time with her orchestra “Tout Choc Zaïko Langa Langa”. This band was founded in 1969 and was called “Orchestra Zaiko”. From the founding until 1975, Papa Wemba played in this orchestra as well. In 1977, this singer created the band “Viva La Musica”. In the 1990s he performed, together with Tabu Ley Rochereau, at Tivoli, Utrecht. In 1916, he passed away at the age of 66, during a concert in Abidjan.
When, in 1977, l’Orchestre National du Zaïre was founded, with Franco Luambo as its first guitarist, M’Pongo is part of it as a singer.
From 1977 onwards, M’Pongo Love started writing her own music. She performs all over Africa and she records most of her albums in Paris. After this, she moved to Gabon. Here, she contracted meningitis in December 1989. For several weeks she stays in the University Hospital of Kinshasha. It was there when she passed away on 15 January 1990. She was 33 years old and at the high point of her career. On 21 January 1990, several days later, Empompo Loway, who had helped her so much, passed away.
Thanks to Muziekweb in Rotterdam.
And also thanks to Barbera Schuil for making her African LPs available.
Playlist:
- M’Pongo Love: Ede, 3’51, auteur: M’Pongo Love, LP L’Afrique danse avec M’Pongo Love, 1977, Sono Disc 360.102
- M’Pongo Love: Montayo, 5’24, auteur: Empompo Loway, LP L’Afrique danse avec M’Pongo Love, 1977, Sono Disc 360.102
- Empompo Loway: Bonne Fête Souci, 9’51, author: Empompo Loway, LP Empompo Deyesse, 1986, ASL ASLP 1009
- M’Pongo Love: Ndaya, 6’40, author: Mayaula Mayoni, LP L’Afrique danse avec M’Pongo Love, 1977, Sono Disc 360.102
- Mayaula Mayoni: Bon Anniversaire, 6’15, author: Mayaula Mayoni, maxi-single Double Action, 1982, Disc-Orient D.O. 0024
- Orchestre Zaïko Langa Langa: Zaiko Wa Wa Wa (part 1), 4’22, author: Zaiko, single Zaiko WaWaWa, 1976, Essiebons INT. 121
- Papa Wemba: Moyi, 6’34, CD African mosaïc: Congo, 2005, Syllart 823403
- OK Jazz Zaire: Kinzonza tata mbemba, 3’24, Luambo Makiadi (Franco), LP “Les Editions Populaires”. West African RECORDS Phonogram 6354 004
- M’Pongo Love: Basongueur, 5’51, author: M’Pongo Love and Mayaula Mayoni, LP M’Pongo Love, 1983, Safari Sound SAS 047
- M’Pongo Love: Saint Nicolas, (6’51), auteur: Beya Maduma, LP Mokili Compliqué, 1985, Rythmes et Musique REM 440
