When Awilo, son of the legendary Vicky Longomba, came to town
A chat with Awilo Longomba, who popularised the soukous sound with his catchy dancing. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Vicky Longomba was a very strict but loving father. He loved wearing his suits. He never wanted his son to become a musician because he believed young musicians abused drugs.
- Eventually, Awilo won the tug-of-war with his father. He stopped going to school and instead spent every waking day attending his father’s rehearsals.
- Soon he started playing the drum for various groups in Kinshasa, one of them being l’orchestre de Lita Bembo.
On December 15, 1959 the colonial Belgian government in Congo announced that a conference of Congolese and Belgian leaders would be held early in the following year to discuss matters of independence. It was decided that some Congolese musicians would travel to Belgium to entertain the Congolese delegates.
Two names came up — Joseph Kabasele, the tall hairy man, and Franco. Vicky Longomba, the then TPOK Jazz band leader, and Kabasele were tasked with selecting musicians who would travel. But, according to Gary Stewart, when Vicky Longomba extended the invitation to Franco, he declined. So Vicky and Brazzos, who played the guitar with TPOK Jazz, agreed to travel to Belgium.
This incident brought out Vicky Longomba as a responsible leader, a quality he imparted on his own children. One of the children, Awilo Longomba, would later become the ‘king’ of techno soukous.
“My Father inspired me but he never wanted me to get into music. Despite that, he was a loving father who ensured that all his children got a good education,” said a cheerful Awilo in Nairobi recently.
Vicky Longomba was a very strict but loving father. He loved wearing his suits. He never wanted his son to become a musician because he believed young musicians abused drugs.
Eventually, Awilo won the tug-of-war with his father. He stopped going to school and instead spent every waking day attending his father’s rehearsals.
Soon he started playing the drum for various groups in Kinshasa, one of them being l’orchestre de Lita Bembo.
But it was not until he joined orchestra Viva la Musica, led by Papa Wemba, as a drummer, that he had a real first taste of a live performance in his first international tour of Europe and Japan in 1985 and 1986.
Awilo says he has great memories of Wemba. “Papa Wemba was a wonderful guy. I remember the feeling I had when he introduced me to the band as their new drummer. It broke my heart when I heard of his untimely death.”
His father died in 1988.
In 1992, Awilo decided to leave Viva La Musica and form his first group, La Nouvelle Generation. This new band became very popular in Europe and produced several albums. He left La Nouvelle Generation in 1995, and that’s when techno-soukous music was born. “I love rumba, but I ventured into techno soukous after realising that people loved music that got them up and dancing. Old school rumba is best listened to while relaxing, therefore I introduced rap in soukous. I got a chance to work with Papa Wemba and Soukous Stars and, truthfully, people danced and attended in large numbers when I played with a soukous band.”
In 1996, Awilo released his first solo album, Moto Pamba, in which, he was the composer, the lead singer and the drummer. “People encouraged me to sing and I did just that. I let go of the drums and started singing,” he says. In 1998, he released his second solo album, Coupe Bibamba, the song with the famous lyrics Comment tu t’appelles? Je m’appelle Coupé Coupé Bibamba! This song denounces poverty in Africa and, with its catchy lines, he became a sensation in Africa and Europe.
“In my song Coupe Bibamba, I encourage kids to go to school, church and believe in themselves so that they can eradicate poverty in Africa,” he says.
His other albums include Kafou Kafou, Mondongo and Super-Man. “Before I went solo, I featured in over 100 albums as a drummer. But I am not the greatest drummer there is. Among those who came before me, I respect Sesko Molenga. He was the first recognised drummer in Congo. And of course Marie Jose from Zaiko, Pojos of TPOK Jazz, Bellow Mafwala and my friend Simolo Kakol.”
However, so far none of Awilo’s children have shown any interest in music. “I have six children and we all stay in London. I thought they would want to become musicians but so far it’s only the last born who is showing interest as he makes a lot of noise every time he is awake. He is only three.”
Fans of rumba music believe that the new generation of musicians is shying away from old school rumba, a concern that Awilo clarified. “Yes that is true I have friends who tell me rumba is no more. But the truth is, old school rumba is still popular. The reason young artists prefer doing the third generation rumba is commercial.”
