Dream Duet: Barbara Kanam and Cindy Le Coeur

 

This is women's history month and I want to focus on Congolese women singers that they have yet to sing together or the ones that should have sung together. I got two Congolese ladies that I selected for you guys for today. 

Cette chanteuse est l'auteure de la chanson "Jardin d'amour" et une autre chanteuse qui est la chanteuse préférée du chanteur Koffi Olomide. Koffi Olomide est le patron du Quartier Latin. Cette chanteuse est une relative du grand musicien Maika Munan qui est connu pour ses travaux avec les musiciens comme Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Madilu, Pepe Kalle et notamment Tabu Ley. Cette chanteuse était dans un orchestre avec la chanteuse religieuse Meje-30. Qui sont les chanteuses que je parle de? 

They are Barbara Kanam and Cindy le Coeur or some say Cyndy le Coeur. Technically the same in my view anyway. Why did I select these two as a dream duo. 

Because they are both are effective as romantic fanatics. Also, they have soft voices which I know pleases some folks who prefer softer voices. However there is a nice difference between Barbara Kanam and Cindy le Coeur. Cindy's soft voice is very feminine and pretty high while Barbara's voice is much more masculine and in the middle range in the female standard. In other words, not low enough or high enough. That is exactly why these two women must sing together. If Koffi Olomide wanted more money, he should encourage Cindy and Barbara to do a few duet songs together so he can get be involved in the guitar and musical production side. Koffi is good at playing the guitar if some don't know. 

I found five Koffi Olomide songs that Barbara Kanam and Cindy Le Coeur should sing together. Koffi Olomide would only play guitar in these scenarios. 

1) Diabolos (2008) 

2) Drapeau Blanc (2003) 

3) Micko (1997) 

4) Lovemycine (2008)

5) Classe Tendresse (1993) 

These five songs would have been perfect especially the last one. I am speaking to the song Classe Tendresse. This song would be perfect for these two women to make beautiful harmony and the lead vocals to be equal between Barbara and Cindy. This song would fit their soft voices well in my humble opinion. Then add to Koffi Olomide's guitar in it, it would be a song in the standard of MOPAO. 

Koffi fans should encourage him to arrange a duet between Cindy Le Coeur and Barbara Kanam. Agree or disagree?

First edition of Congolese Women special of Dream Duets. 

Dream Quartet: Abby Surya, Barbara Kanam, Faya Tess, Mbilia Bel

 

 

One Congolese post of the great female Congolese singers. I am very honored to do this. I got four great Congolese female singers that are alive for everyone's joy. 

I am speaking of Abby Surya, Barbara Kanam, Faya Tess and Mbilia Bel. These women are great singers in their own right. Abby, Faya and Mbilia have sung together in the past but they have yet to sing with Barbara Kanam. 

For those who may not know about Barbara Kanam, she has a family connection to Maika Munan. It is said that they are cousins. Maika Munan is one of the best guitarists to ever to live in DRC. He used to collaborate with the likes of Faya Tess and Abby Suriya. 

Speaking of Maika Munan, he should be the producer and front man of this great project if these four women ever sing together on stage or record. He can play his acoustic or electric guitar while these four women give beautiful melodies as well as solo vocals that they are able to give. 

Faya Tess is a more relaxed singer with a nice vibrato on it. Mbilia Bel is very soft but is able to give her own twist with her soft voice. Abby Suriya has a strong feminine voice with a delicious vibrato. Barbara Kanam has a masculine twist in her voice but yet it is soft at the same time with a sexy vibrato that I always want to hear in my ears. If I could a duo response like Franco did back in the late 1960s occasionally, I would pair Abby and Faya to respond to Barbara and Mbilia. That would be one good way of doing a quartet. Duo and duo part in one song if there is another option of harmony. 

There are many songs that would fit their voices but there is one song that fit these four women. 

LOVANGO by Mbilia Bel 

Lovango would allow Mbilia Bel sing lead as well as Abby Suriya with choirs of Barbara Kanam, Faya Tess and Mbilia Bel. It would make the song much better with Maika Munan playing solo and rhythm guitar. 

I hope these ladies will do a show or a collaboration record for the fans who love female Congolese singers. 

Maika Munan: AFRICAN SWINGER

MAIKA MUNAN 
AFRICA SWINGER 

Hello everyone. This is the week of Congo Independence. I want to do a post for an artist that I enjoy so much. I am talking about Maika Munan. He is the one who has worked with many great Congolese singers like Ballou Canta, Nyboma, late Madilu, Koffi Olomide, late Papa Wemba, late Dindo Yogo, Reddy Amisi, late Pepe Kalle and many others. He made a great album in 1995 that remains a classic in my eyes. It is called Africa Swinger.

I will focus on the most important moments due to time. 

I love when he did the Boscomania because he gave hommage to a Congolese musician who was based in Kenya who was known as Jean Bosco Mwenda. I loved how he played on Masanga. It was perfect. 

African Swinger was a great song because we hear the voice of Maika Munan. He really sounded perfect. I wished Maika would sing more often because his voice is very nice to hear and he has a melody in his tone. In addition of Papa Wemba was perfect and he really sang well. His tenor just added something nice to the song. 

Bwana Mukubwa is another great song because this song is done in Swahili. This Swahili version is Shaba from Katanga. Maika Munan is actually from Katanga. He is cousin or uncle of Barbara Kanam who would work with Papa Wemba on Wemba's last album Maitre d'Ecole. I think Barbara Kanam sings in this song but I am not sure. I will have to ask to make sure. Regardless, Maika sounds perfect with singing. You see good harmony from the singers. 

Lingo x 2 is a classic without doubt. This was a Viva La Musica singing sounding song. This was a semi-reunion with addition of Abby Suriya. It had Reddy Amisi, Dindo Yogo and of course late great legend le nkuru Papa Wemba. Papa Wemba just shined throughout the song. It was powerful and great. 

Comes Makaramba which has Papa Wemba's one time songwriter Koffi Olomide Mopao with Carlyto, Abby Suriya, Faya Tess and Tshala Muana. It was a star studded song. They used the animation from Papa Plus which made the song much greater. I really enjoy this song a lot. 

But the best part was the song Rosina. In that song, it was a love song but one thing that stood out was the memory of Grand Kalle. Maika Munan really sounded close to Grand Kalle in many aspects. The emotional wave reminded of how Grand Kalle used to sing in a regular basis. I am impressed and I think this song needs to be remixed so many times. I think the female partner with Maika is Barbara Kanam but I am not sure. I think that Barbara Kanam should sing this with Meje30. I think they would harmonize perfectly in this great song that Maika made. 

Dream Quartet: Christy Ntesa, Erick Mpoyi, Fila Basele, Barbara Kanam

Hello my friends, I got a dream quartet here. This is the perfect one for me. Happy Easter Everyone. This is a gift for you. 

It is a combination of religious context, pop context, international context and rumba context. 

Whom I am talking about. 

Christy Ntesa- Pop Singer 
Erick Mpoyi- Religious Singer 
Fila Basele- Rumba Croon
Barbard Kanam- International Queen

BTW three of these people are related to famous people. Christy Ntesa is the daughter of the late great singer Ntesa Dalienst. Erick Mpoyi is the son of the late charming singer Djo Mpoyi. Barbara Kanam is the niece of the great musician and composer Maika Munan. Those who don't know, Ntesa and Djo Mpoyi were singers of OK Jazz from Franco. They were known for songs like Mouzi, Tantine, and Massikini. Maika Munan is a composer who has worked with artists like Madilu, Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba and Pepe Kalle and was a member of Afrisa International from Tabu Ley. 

Fila Basele is a former musician of Victoria Elesien from King Kester Emeneya. 

These people would be my favorite quartet for several reasons. First of all, they are from Generation 5 or Generation 6 of Congolese Music. More importantly, there is so much diversity. I mean imagine Erick's more religious theme with his song while you have Christy's more poppish sound in her songs then bring in the smooth rumba croon Fila with his songs and finally bring Barbara Kanam who would have made the songs and her songs make more sweet to hear. 

How would their harmony go? It would be perfect because Fila's silky voice, Erick's deep soulful sound, Christy's youthful and Barbara's deep mezzo range would create something sweet and I know their harmony would touch many people's hearts. 

These are a few songs that I think would fit their voices
Bina na Ngai na Malembe (kanam)
Massikini (djo mpoyi)
Mouzi (ntesa dalienst) 
Un pas zele (tabu ley)


Those songs alone would have demonstrated some beautiful harmonies as well as great vocal demonstrations from these incredible singers. I know that many Congolese in Kinshasa and abroad would enjoy so much.

Finally, these people are extremely popular. Christy has a strong base of fans in Brussels. Erick is beloved by many Congolese in Kinshasa. Fila Basele has managed to make his name by doing his own songs and doing cover of great songs by great artists. Barbara Kanam has a strong base in Kinshasa as well as London, Paris and Brussels. 

If these people could come together and make music together, I think you got something special. It will make people like me very happy. 

This dream quartet would be perfect in my view.