Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga
Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga brings African dance rhythms to this year’s line-up. Now making his home in the U.S., this dynamic singer’s unique blend of Congolese rumba infused with the flavors of Kenya has made him an undisputed star of East African music.
Listen
[audio:http://rvanews.net/folk_festival/2009/artists/NyamaChoma.mp3|artists=Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga|titles=Nyama Choma from Song and Dance]From The Brothers Burton
Scott says: Modern High Life music mixed with tropical rhythms. On principle I would say don’t miss the chance to hear a band from Kenya, and these guys sound great!
Taylor says: I’m kind of a sucker for most all African music, and Kenya is no exception. Super upbeat Southern African rhythms, huge harmonies, and weaving guitar patterns=excellence in a coconut!
Professional Bio
Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga brings African dance rhythms to this year’s line-up. Now making his home in the U.S., this dynamic singer’s unique blend of Congolese rumba infused with the flavors of Kenya has made him an undisputed star of East African music.
(Photo by CC Smith)
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Valerie Catrow
Valerie Catrow is editor of RVAFamily, mother to a mop-topped first grader, and always really excited to go to bed.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
Samba Mapangala’s music is neither highlife nor South African. It is, as the bio states, “Congolese rumba infused with the flavors of Kenya”.
Samba Mapangala sang with a number of bands in his native Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Zaire)before moving to Uganda in the late 1970s and then to Kenya in the early 1980s. In Uganda, he formed the band Les Kinois. With Les Kinois in Kenya, he recorded some of what have become his most famous songs. I am sure that he will treat us to a ripping version of at least one of these, “Malako”, at Folk Fest.
He formed Orchestre Virunga in Kenya in 1981. With this band, he released an album that has come to be known as “Virunga Volcano”. This album has been listed among the 100 most essential “world music” recordings. Samba and Virunga just completed a highly successful tour of East Africa where there music is still loved and where they are highly respected.
Virunga has changed line up a number of times over the past couple of decades and has included some of the stellar Congolese guitarists who are best known outside of Africa: Syran M’Benza, Diblo Dibala and Huit Kilos.
Huit Kilos, a veteran of other big name bands such as those of Tabu Ley and King Kester Emeneya, will play in Richmond!
Get ready for some of the best ance music you will ever hear, led up by the stunning vocals of Samba Mapangala.
Southern African, not South African, although I screwed up my geography (I always confuse Kenya and Tanzania in terms of N, S location. I guess that is generally referred to as East Africa though). In any case I am super pumped.
BTW
Last week’s special program featuring Samba is now posted for download here:
http://ambiancecongo.blogspot.com/2009/10/ambiance-congo-for-sunday-september-27.html
Enjoy!
David