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fri 21 jan 2022 20:00 hour

Music by Sam Mangwana, selected by Kees Schuil from his collection of African LPs.

Singer and composer Sam Mangwana was born on 21 February 1945 in Kinshasa. His mother is from Angola and his father is from Zimbabwe.

He starts his musical career with rumba band African Fiesta led by Tabu Ley Rochereau in 1963. He leaves the band for a short trip to Brazzaville, but returns to Rochereau’s band, which has since been renamed as L’African Fiesta National. In 1967 he starts his own orchestra: “Le Festival des Maquisards”, which also includes guitarist Dizzy Mandjeku.

Mangwana starts the band l’African All Stars in 1978 in Abidjan, together with several former members of Rochereau’s band Afrisa, such as Théo Blaise Kounkou, Lokassa ya Mbongo, Ringo Moya and Dizzy Mandjekou. To record 3 albums, the band members travelled to Lagos. The band performs in cities along the West African coast. They record another four albums in 1979 in Ghana. Later on, in 1979 the band relocates to Lomé. Here, several other guitar players from Kinshasa joined the orchestra, including Pablo Lubadik and Bopol Mansiamina. However, this is where the animosity started and, after one last recording in Lagos (the LP Matinda), the band splits up. In 1982, Lokassa, Mandjeku, Mangwana and Moya come together one last time to record 3 more albums: “Affaire Video”, “N’simba Eli” and “Bonne Année”.

In July 1989, along with Franco & Le T.P.O.K Jazz, Sam Mangwana records the LP “For Ever”.

The CD “Rumba Music” is released in 1994. The song “Suzana” on this LP is a reprise of “Suzanna Koulibali” from the 1979 LP “Sam Mangwana”, recorded in Ghana.

Sam Mangwana sings in many different languages, such as French, Portuguese, Spanish, English, as well as African languages Swahili, Kikongo and Lingala. For example, on the CD “Galo negro” (= Black rooster), released in 1998.

One of the songs on the CD is called “Lubamba”. Which is also the name of the last CD, which Sam Mangwana recorded in 2016 and at first was only released in Angola.

On 20 November 2021 during a performance at a music programme on the French broadcasting channel TV5, he announced to release the CD in France as well. During the show he also reveals that he still feels as if he were still 20 years old.

He still performs. Even in the Netherlands: in 2010 in Rasa, Utrecht, and in 2016 at the Africa Festival in Hertme.

He currently lives in Angola.

 

 

Special thanks to Muziekweb in Rotterdam.

Also special thanks to Barbera Schuil for providing us with her African LPs.

 

Playlist:

  1. L’African Fiesta National: Tarcisse, LP L’African Fiesta National Vol. III 1985, AFRICAN 360 150, 3’19
  2. Sam Mangwana et le Festival des Maquisards: La Vie, LP Sam Mangwana et le Festival des Maquisards, 1971, AFRICAN 360 031 B, 5’03
  3. Sam Mangwana et l’African All Stars: Yenga Yenga, LP Affaire Video, 1982, Celluloid CEL 6638, 7’39
  4. Sam Mangwana & Franco & Le T.P.O.K.: Cherie B.B., LP For Ever, 1989, Melodie 387752, 8’43
  5. Sam Mangwana & Franco & Le T.P.O.K: Aladji, LP For Ever, 1989, Melodie 387752 4’39
  6. Sam Mangwana: Suzana, CD Rumba music, 1994, Sterns Africa STCD 9003 9’28
  7. Sam Mangwana: Caro mabanzo, CD Galo negro 1998 Socadisc GR017 3’41
  8. Sam Mangwana: Ya mbemba, CD Galo negro 1998 Socadisc GR017 3’59
  9. Sam Mangwana: Lumbamba, CD Galo negro 1998 Socadisc GR017 4’56
  10. Sam Mangwana: Luzingu ke novela ko, CD Lubamba, 2021, MDC MDC027 6’23

 

All lyrics and music by Sam Mangwana.

 

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