Nov 23/04
Rumba before the war
I promised another track off the 1972 Africa Dances compilation in my post yesterday, so here you go.
Les Bantous de la Capitale are one of Congo’s oldest bands still playing (as far as I know). Formed in 1959, they were heavily influencial in the development of Congolese rumba and early soukous. Today’s track, Lisie, is a particularly Congolese-laid-back rumba. It makes me think of palm trees, coconuts and slow-moving ceiling fans.
It’s strange listening to such relaxed, happy music when it comes from a country still divided in two by a brutal civil war. All I can say is, “way to go Belgium.” They really gave Portugal a run for their money for the worst colonizer crown. And no, you aren’t allowed to blame it on the king.
Anyway. Enjoy the tropical rumba. Grab a piña colada or something.
Bantous de la Capitale – Lisie
Tags: congo, rumba
Thoroughly enjoying your posts (it’s even encouraging me to start my own if I find the time)! Bantous de la Capitale is one of the great orchestras that grew out of the Kinshasa/Brazzaville stew, and fully florished on the Brazzaville side of the river (read Gary Stewart’s “Rumba On The River” for a wonderful history of Congolese music). Unfortunately, Bantous are no longer playing. And while Belgium messed up Congo(-Kinshasa), and Mobutu had a good friend in the US, France was responsible for the messes of Congo-Brazzaville.
Interesting. I really thought Bantous were Kinshasa, not Brazza. But hey. Learn something every day. Thanks for the info!
Many of Bantous’ musicians (like Essous, Malapet, De La Lune) started out in Kin, in the famous 1950s bands of Rock-A-Mambo and OK Jazz. As Brazzavilleans, they decided to start up their own orchestra in Brazzaville: first Orchestre Bantou > then Bantous Jazz > finally Bantous de la Capitale (per the musical-chair permutations of Congolese orchestras)…
Thanks again for the info, Pieter. If you happen to own any of the music you mentioned in your comment please let me know. We could maybe arrange for you to have a guest spot or two on the site if you’re interested. Let me know..
I’m really enjoying your blog. I spent a year in Brazil and it’s astounding to hear all the musical similarities between what you post and much of what I heard while I was there. Please keep up the good work!
I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful musik. It brings some sunshine over here in Germany (Hamburg). I am working on a sunday and I really enjoy this song and all of the musik you introduce here.
So just a big warm smile for you and all the others out there who love musik.
[...] I grabbed today’s track off an easy to find (to offset all the recent rather obscure posts) and well put together compilation, Salsa Africa. The album is worth buying, especially if you don’t already have a copy Bantous De La Capitale’s El Coco. [...]
[...] this time from an especially generous and well-traveled Benn loxo reader, Pieter. A predecessor of Orchestre Bantous (De La Capitale), Rock A Mambo swayed fans in the late 1950s with their afrolatin tunes. Made up of the best [...]
[...] If you can’t make it, pour yourself a little Bas Armagnac, get a fire going and throw on today’s Bantous de la Capitale track. It’s a little reminder that there’s much more to life than Lisie. [...]