Congolese group founded in the east of the Congo in the 1960s by Ndala Kasheba. The band relocated to Tanzania (via Bujumbura, Burundi) in the late 1960s, arriving in Dar-Es-Salaam in 1969. The group was one of, if not the, first Congolese groups to settle in Tanzania. In 1970, Ndala's old friend Kikumbi Mwanza Pango joined the group. Two years later, in 1972, the group changed their name to Orchestre Safaris-Nkoy.
Orchestre Fauvette
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Orchestre Fauvette is one of the Congolese public's least-known musical groups. And yet, its members have produced music of great quality and compositions that have honored our music. Having set up base in Tanzania, the group has all but disappeared from Congolese cultural screens. Apart from articles written in English and Swahili by Tanzanians, there are almost no traces of the group in the French-language press, except in Jean-Pierre François Nimy Nzonga's “Dictionnaire des immortels de la musique congolaise moderne”. In other words, information on this musical group is virtually non-existent. This is why the name of this group does not appear in the alphabetical list of Congolese orchestras compiled by our friend Pedro in the columns of Mbokamosika: http://www.mbokamosika.com/2014/03/liste-alphabetique-des-noms-d-orchestres.html
Founded
According to statements made by Ndala Kasheba on Tanzanian radio in June 1970, the Fauvette orchestra began its activities on June 7, 1964 in Lubumbashi. He also claims that there was a singer at the time who believed he sang like a bird. His name was Moineau (Fauvette?). It was he who gave the name to the group, which immediately adopted it. Since its creation, this musical ensemble has always been led by Kasheba, who was also its key figure. A few years later (1970?), a charming singer who had made his debut in 1962 in Kolwezi's Norvella Jazz orchestra came to reinforce the group's vocal attack. His name was Kikumbi Mwanza Mpango, alias King Kiki. Fauvette's dream was to become the best band in Africa.
Tour of East Africa
In 1967, Fauvette toured the rebellion-ravaged eastern provinces of the Congo. The band then crossed Lake Tanganyika to reach Bujumbura and Kigoma. Two years later, they settled on the shores of the Indian Ocean in Dar es Salam. The song “Mama nakupenda” was recorded in the studios of Radio Tanzania. In 1972, Fauvette left the Tanzanian capital for Nairobi, where they changed their name to Safaris Nkoy. After another short stay in Bujumbura, the group finally returned to Lubumbashi. The first difficulties arose in 1974. The band was not immune to dislocation. King Kiki, the group's star singer, whose many admirers affectionately called him King of Swahili Rumba or Maestro King Kiki, left to form the King Kiki Double “O” orchestra. Kiki had gone into exile for fear of reprisals from Mobutu, who had censored and then banned his song “Mijumbe ya Kasongo”. For his own safety, he fled to Tanzania. The singer became a naturalized citizen in 1997, the year of the fall of the marshal-president.
The Fauvette orchestra was made up of the following eleven musicians: Léornard (mi-solo), Gustav Mwana (drums), Johnson (trumpet/vocals), Marchel Chimponda (saxophone), Gigi (bass guitar), Jojo Kabala (vocals), Ndala Kasheba (lead guitar), Motoo (tumba), Baziano Bweti (vocals), Monga Stan (rhythm guitar), King Kiki (vocals).
June 1970 there was a RTD program called NI MASHUHURI, this program was hosted by a girl named Eddah William at the time. And in one of the programs that month, Eddah interviewed a musician named Freddy Supreme. Both of them later changed their names, Eddah William became Eddah Sanga, and Freddy Supreme became known as Ndala Kasheba. That day Freddy was in the studio being interviewed about the band he was leading at the time called Orchestra Fauvette, a band he had led since its inception.
Freddy began to explain that he began learning guitar from his father when he was 12 years old. His father knew how to play the guitar although he did not work as a musician, he used to play the guitar at home after work hours. Freddy decided to quit his job to pursue a career in music and that became his job until he died.
Freddy explained that the Orchestra Fauvette band started on June 7, 1964 in the city of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The name Fauvette in Swahili is Chiriku, the band had a singer who they believed sang like Chiriku and thus gave the band that name. They bought their musical instruments in Germany through the Dar es Salaam Music House music store (the store still exists today). The instruments were Hofner, a very respected name for musicians at that time.
Among the songs that were played during that period was Camarade ya nzela..which Freddy explained was a song that talked about a friend you meet on the road or on the way, whose soul is like a box of clothes, inside of which you never know what is there. Also played was the song Jacqueline which Freddy himself composed which he explained he had composed for his girlfriend who loved Jacqueline. Another song played during that period was Nono na Kalemie, this song was dedicated to a girl named Nono, a resident of Kalemie who was a great lover of the Fauvette band.
Fauvette arrived in Dar and was playing at the White House Ubungo venue, but during those years Ubungo was very far from the city, and there were many accidents that befell the band's fans on their way to and from the music, so the band decided to move to the Mikumi Tours venue where they played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fauvette had a dream of becoming the best band in Africa. They didn't make it there but they managed to leave a big mark in the history of East and Central African music.
Label: Chandarana Records
Year: 1990
Genre: Charanga, Rumba, Cha-Cha
Source: Digital
1. Jaqueline 4:39
2. Francisca 5:25
3. Vivi 5:29
4. Camarade Ya Nzela 5:42
5. Mama Nakupenda 5:06
6. Melinda 4:49
7. Maria Sala Tobalana 4:40
8. Voyage Emonani 5:20
9. Maria Na Kampala 5:52
10. Nalembi Dit Marie 5:37
1 comments:
Impressive find. What a great blog. What a great diversity of music. Loving it. Thank You
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