One Look at Lipua Lipua

I am looking at this band a bit more than I had intended to do. I thought this band was just another band in the block and that many people care about them. I guess I was living a fantasy land.
The band I am speaking about is the band Lipua Lipua. This band was a band that was from another band: Bella Bella. In 1973, Bella Bella had left the Veve Label to form their own label. Bella Bella made a sng that would soon become the other band for the Veve Label. That band became known as Lipua Lipua. The original members included Pierre Bissikita, Kevin Kayembe, Tonton Ricos, Mulembu Tshibau, Mbubi Malanda, Nyboma, and Pepe Kalle. They produced some songs like Massale, Lusamba, Nkoleta, and Mombassa. But their signature song was Kamale which would be the song of the year in Zaire.

But Lipua Lipua experienced some departures like Pepe Kalle, Pierre Bissikita, and others. Bissikita formed his own band Makosso and Pepe Kalle went back to fully doing his band Empire Bakuba. But these departures seemed forgotten when they produced some notable songs like Fuga Fuga and Niki Bue. Also there was a new Rhythm Guitarist man name Vata Mombassa. Lipua Lipua was on top to become a hot band to be a force to be reckon.

Once again another blow came after. In 1975, the likes of Mulembu, Tonton Ricos, and Nyboma left to form Les Kamale. However these departures looked such a footnote. That is because new people arrived. Lists of these new guys included Kiloto Toko, Luswama Aspro, Santana Mongoley, and others. But the man who got his chance to shine and make his light is Paul Nzayadio better known as Nzaya Nzayadio. This man would be the lead singer for most of Lipua Lipua records for a few years. This was good for Lipua Lipua.

As result they managed to produce some classic songs like Mbondo, Matoba, Sekizenge, Namona Ya Wapi, and Mfeuni. This got Lipua Lipua got some well deserved spotlight and they were becoming the hot band. Also they were able to do some performances and personnels like Nzaya Nzayadio and Vata Mombassa were being able to show their skills to everyone to see how chart topping they could be.

However, Lipua Lipua started losing its thunder in 1980 after all the success it have had were becoming meaningless as more people became interested in other bands like Empire Bakuba, Viva La Musica, and Zaiko Langa Langa. Lipua Lipua was left in the backburner though they continued making music during the early 1980s. By 1984, Lipua Lipua was offficially done. Vata Mombassa continued to do his own thing while Nzaya Nzayadio became a session singer.

Lipua Lipua was a great band in my opinion. This band I say was slightly better than Bella Bella and even Orchestre Kiam. I say that Lipua Lipua's best time was with Nzaya Nzayadio's smooth voice and Vata Mombassa's great rhyhm guitar playing. That is what I say was the best Lipua Lipua time not really when Nyboma or him and Pepe Kalle were in the band. Lipua Lipua under Mombassa managed to showcase the one man Nzaya Nzayadio a lot. Really Nzaya was at his best during this time. Nzaya Nzayadio was a unique singer.