Oct 6/06
Listener all-stars
Lately I’ve been getting so much new music from Benn loxo listeners that I can’t keep up. Big thanks for all the great sounds coming my way. I promise I’ll get to all of it.. just give me some time and keep tuning in.
Several of you have asked for more Kenyan music and that champeta post a while back got some great feedback. With these two requests in mind, Benn loxo listener, Fabián, came through with a classic Orchestra Super Mazembe track in both its original format and as a champeta remix. You can also check-out his web site, Africolombia, with much more music.
Apologies in advance if I got the champeta group name wrong – please correct me, but it wasn’t clear from the song tag or some armchair research who exactly recorded this tune.
Orchestra Super Mazembe is actually a Congolese band by origin, forming as Super Vox in Likasi, Congo-Kinshasa, in the mid-60s. After meeting up with the Super Eagles in Zambia a few years later the band decided to hit-up the booming music scene in Nairobi, Kenya. Since Nairobi already had another band named Super Vox they changed their name to Super Mazembe, which roughly translates into “huge bulldozer”.
From the mid-1970s onwards Super Mazembe released several big hits in Nairobi, maintaining a large following right-up until the late 80s. Today’s track was released in 1983. You can find it on Earthworks re-release, Giants of East Africa.
Orchestre Super Mazembe – Shauri Yako
Dogar Dis – Quedo en las tablas
Benn loxo listener, Steve, just told me,
“I wanted to mention that I did a translation of the track’s lyrics to English for Zim Bida and the good people at africambiance earlier this year that you can find at the link
http://africambiance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10211”
Thanks, Steve!
Hí, Mr. Matt the song Shauri yako, is one of mi prefer
Translation in Inglesh (Excusse by my inglesh bad)
Song : Quedo en las Tablas
If God sends health, money and also, love.
he have of all money and pleasures, before, would have friends, money and love, but now everything I finish.
now this sorry one.
also it speaks of which if, God gives us everything we must be been thankful.
it is more or less, to which means the song,
Greetings,
Fabian Altahona
Barranquilla Colombia
Shauri yako took me waaay back to the beginings of my love of African music… on KUSF in San Francisco in the early ’80s- Somewhere I have a cassette tape with that song on it….
thanks for ALL of the great music you share with us!
nannigan
Oakland, CA, USA
Yes, I second that emotion! Thats a classic track that took me back to when I first heard it in the 80s too
Hey, I’m a great fan of Orchestre Super Mazembe (or Orchestra Super Mazembe, as they are also called). Or actually I’m a great fan of what seems to be their first studio album from 1980, entitled Mazembe. The only problem is that I have never heard the album. I’ve only heard the two tracks that are included in the Giants of East Africa compilation (the first two tracks on it). The rest of the compilation (ie. their later work) I find less interesting. Does anybody have an idea, where to get the debut album?