Get married? Not just yet, says songbird Mbilia Bel

Marriage is not on the priority list of Congolese songbird Mbilia Bel. In fact, she confesses, it just never crosses her mind these days. Her priority is to continue making music for as long as she is able. Her second preoccupation is dressing well and taking good care of her body. 

This perhaps explains why the woman who, teaming up with her mentor, veteran Lingala musician Tabu Ley, did lead vocals in such great songs as Boya Ye, Beyanga, Nadina and Nakei Nairobi, looks as young as she did when she started her music career almost 30 years ago.

In an interview with Review this week, she attributed her keeping fit to personal discipline and strict diet. “I always keep watch on what I eat to ensure I don’t gain weight, and often I keep my mind set,” she said. She pointed out that fruits and vegetables form an integral part of her daily diet.

Her fear of marriage, she says, stems from horrifying tales of domestic violence and heart-rending experiences of relationships which have wrecked the lives of many women in her native country. “In life, normally it is women who suffer marital problems as we often are left at home to bear the burden of spending time with children and bringing them up,” she says.

Mbilia, who, incidentally, is currently visiting Kenya for two concerts, whose proceeds will go towards improving the the lot of women, says that as a celebrity, marriage is the last thing in her mind. “I prefer to remain single because I don’t want somebody to hurt me.”

However, she makes it clear that she is not against marriage per se, but only encourages respect among married couples. And most of the songs she has composed are about troubles and turbulence in marriage, and advises couples of “tolerance in marriage”. 

She also challenges married men to give more money to their wives for home upkeep. “When a married man leaves home it is often better that he should ensure that the wife is left with enough money to spend if he can afford it in order to avoid any ill-feelings on her part.” 

During the current tour, she is the only foreign participant at the Sigalagala event. Each year Nairobi’s GoDown Arts Centre recognises, through Sigalagala, the contribution of African women in various fields of art and, according to Joy Mboya, a director, this time round, it is only befitting that Mbilia performs here.

Mboya explains that Sigalagala is the Luo word for ululations, which depict the aspect of “African women artists coming together to promote their genres of arts”.

Many will recall that Mbilia, the mercurial singer with a melodious voice who started out as a dancer, was in the early days of her career romantically involved with Tabu Ley, and the product of that short-lived union is a daughter Melodie, now 22, who incidentally, is following in the parents’ footsteps. She is a singer based in Paris who already has some recordings with her father.

Mbilia’s second daughter, 20-year-old Mimi is not involved in music though.

However, at present, Mbilia would rather not think about her days with Tabu Ley, although she says she respects them. “At the moment, I’m looking forward and not back to anything that may discourage my ambitions,” she says.

Today, she is inspired working to improve the welfare of the girl-child. This, she adds, is how she got involved with her Kenyan counterpart, Suzanna Owiyo, with whom she has recorded some music. One of her immediate plans at the moment is to set up a centre for the girl-child.

“After my Kenya tour and when I return to Kinshasa, I will pursue my ambition of setting up a centre for needy young girls,” she says. 

At the centre, through sponsorship, she hopes to not only have the girls brought up, but also given some education. For young girls aspiring to make a career in music, Mbilia has one piece of advice: have some education. 

“I know there are very many who think music is easy to pursue as a full-time profession, but I would encourage them to start by pursuing it on a part-time basis first before taking it up full-time,” she says.

Unlike in the past, the diva has her own band which is accompanying her on the Nairobi tour. 

During the interview, she promised fans that, in the two shows, last night and tonight, she would give them something to remind them that she is not about to hang up her microphone in a career that gave her a name in eastern, central, southern and western Africa.

“I decided to bring along a full band also as an assurance to my fans of getting a feel of both my earlier songs and some of my recent ones,” she points out, adding that she had to suspend a recording session in Kinshasa to travel to Nairobi.

She cannot remember how many times she has visited Kenya, and says: “I first visited Nairobi in the early 1980s alongside Tabu Ley when I was in my early 20s.”

Mbilia Bel is taking up the challenge of being among the longest-serving Congolese female singers. Another is Tshala Muana, a one-time nominated MP, who is occasionally involved in live shows. 

“Sometimes I do feel lonely when I look around, noticing that some of those I used to perform with are either keeping a low profile or have been taken away by the cruel hand of death.”

Mbilia joins musicians and fans worldwide in condemning the recent shooting to death of South African reggae icon Lucky Dube. 

“For us back home in the DR Congo it came as a double blow, particularly as it was only recently that we lost Madilu System.” During her days with Afrisa International, rivalry among some fellow women singers such as Faya Tess and Beyou Ceil (both now taking a low profile) was apparent.

Her former colleague in Afrisa International, Mekanisi Modero, who is now based in the US, said in a recent interview that Mbilia brought new blood into Afrisa International. 

“She came into Afrisa as a confirmed singer, singing excellently and having an attractive dance style.”

“I’m sure that if Mbilia Bel had wanted to make Afrisa her own group she could have done so then, but she was partially blocked by suspicions within the band. 

“However, I’m glad that up today, Mbilia remains firm in her love for music.”

Soon after leaving Afrisa in the late 1980s Mbilia had joint recordings with ace solo guitarist Rigo “Starr” Bamundele, with whom she produced her first album, Phenomene. 

During the Kenya tour she hopes to have joint recordings with Kenyan women singers before returning to the DR Congo to continue with her own.