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 Duo: Bozi Boziana and Papy Tex

Hello everyone. I want to give a pleasure of dedication to Papy Tex. I am doing a dream duet based on him. I got someone that Papy Tex needs to sing with if you ask me. Fortunately he is alive like Papy is. 

I am speaking of Bozi Boziana. I am actually surprised that no one has made an effort to get Bozi Boziana to sing with Papy Tex. I know that they were rivals of a competiton hosted by the late Dewayon who was a mentor to Franco and older brother of Johnny Bokelo. Papy Tex said that Bozi was part of the band Bana Yolo with Djo Mali. 

That was the past. I want to focus on the future. Here is why I want to see Bozi Boziana and Papy Tex sing together.

1) Papy Tex needs a Pepe Kalle voice with him since Pepe was his best friend and closest friend out of all friends that he had. 
2) Bozi Boziana sounds like Pepe Kalle but he is much more fragile. Don't believe me, listen to the song Sanda. It was amazing how similar that they used to sound like. It was just amazing accept Bozi has that fragility that makes the difference between him and Pepe Kalle. 
3) They are the last of the Zaiko generation. 

The last one is important. I know Papy Tex was never part of the Zaiko clan but basically his generation is really called the Zaiko generation. Zaiko practically made its impact on Congolese music. Bozi Boziana and Papy Tex are the same age, I think. They were both born in 1952 if I am not mistaken. I am not sure but I think that they are 68 years old. 

Bozi and Papy are really among the last folks of the Zaiko generation since many have passed apart from Nyoka Longo himself. They don't have to do very fast soukous songs but make well balanced soukous with some rumba. In fact I have one song that would fit them perfectly. 

Monique. 

They need to sing this song for the fans because Bozi is softer and Papy Tex knows to put force with his voice. I think that we hear this, I think the Bana Yolo and Bana Empire can be in peace and finally we get two sides to call a truce in a public sense. I know Bozi and Papy are not enemies but unfortunately many still are not convinced. I think that is why they need to do a duet together and particularly sing the song Monique. 

PAPY TEX (DOCTEUR AMOUREUX)

PAPY TEX
DOCTEUR AMOUREUX 

Bonjour tous. Je suis un homme heureux pour faire cette poste. Je vais faire une poste de l'amour ce qui vient du grand chanteur. Il s'appelle Papy Tex. Pour ceux qui ne savent pas, il était un grand ami et partenaire musical du feu Pepe Kalle. 

Aujourd'hui je l'appelle comme Docteur Amoureux. Pourquoi demandez-vous? 

Il faisait une chanson ce qu'il donnera la place de ce surnom. Il s'appelle Ibetibi mais c'est une refaite de la chanson originale Ce n'est pas ma faute. Ce n'est pas ma faute était fait en année 1987 et Ibetibi était fait en année 1992. La chanson refaite de Ce n'est pas ma faute (Ibetibi) aurait plus popularité que la version originale. 

Cette chanson parle de la vérité sur un homme qui tombe dur pour une femme. En fait, Papy Tex chante de l'homme qui tombe dur pour une femme ce qu'il l'appelle comme un ange dans son coeur. Papy Tex démontre ses émotions de cette femme qui est une inspiration et seul ce qu'il doit vivre avec mais si elle le rejette puis il sera en souffrance incroyable sans pitié.

Ce que cette chanson parle de venir de la notion sociale que les femmes sont les gens faibles seulement mais il n'est pas toujours la vérité. Les hommes peuvent être faible aussi en particulier de l'affaire des femmes. Il concerne de moi comme un homme propre ou les autres hommes en tout cas. Papy Tex a raison totalement de chanter sur ce sujet. Papy Tex démontre son côté vulnérable et il normalise comportement émotionnel pour les hommes et il donne les hommes leurs espaces pour parler ouvertement de leur souffrance des femmes qui les ont rejetées. 

C'est pourquoi je l'appelle Docteur Amoureux. Il est ici pour aider les autres hommes qui n'ont pas obtenu la femme qu'ils ont voulus mais les donner la médecine pour les dire qu'ils ne sont pas seul dans leur souffrance mais avec la bonne médecine musicale, peut-être ils ont leur aide de la continuation de l'aventure jusqu'ils ont leur femme qu'ils seront capable de vivre avec éternellement. 

Merci Papy Tex pour cette chanson Ibetibi. C'est une bonne médecine pour nos âmes quand nous avons des coeurs brisés. 

Papy Tex (LOVE DOCTOR)

PAPY TEX 
LOVE DOCTOR 

Hello everyone. I am a happy man to do this post. I will do a post about love coming in from a great singer. His name is Papy Tex. He was a great friend and musical partner to the late Pepe Kalle for those who do not know. 

Today I call him LOVE DOCTOR. Why you ask?

He did a song that will give this nickname its place. It is known as Ibetibi but it is actually a remix of song he did called Ce n'est pas ma faute. Ce n'est pas ma faute was done in 1987 while Ibetibi was done in 1992. The latter one is much more known and more loved than the 1987 version. 

This song actually speaks on a great truth of a man falling for a woman. In fact Papy Tex sings of a man who is falling hard for a woman who he calls a angel in his heart. Papy Tex is expressing his emotions of this woman is a great inspiration and the only that he can and should be with but if she rejects him then he will be in incredible pain irreparable. 

What this song speaks of is a society notion that only women can be weak but it is not always the case. Men can sometimes be weak too especially concerning a woman. It applies to me as a man or other men. Papy Tex is so right to sing about this. Papy Tex is showing his vulnerable side and he is making ok for men to also express their pain when they get rejected by a woman that they believed was the one for them. 

That is why I call him love doctor. He is here to help other men who don't get the woman that they always want but to give them medicine to let them know that they are not alone in their pain but with good music medicine, it can help them continue their adventure until they find the woman that they can spend the rest of their lives with. 

Thank you Papy Tex for the song Ibetibi. It is a good medicine to our souls when we are heartbroken. 

PAPY TEX EST VIVANT

Je ne suis pas heureux du tout. J'ai entendu des rumeurs horribles et dangereuses. La rumeur de la mort du grand artiste. Il est connu Papy Tex mais il s'appelle en réalité Jean Le Baptiste Dode Matolu. Il est auteur et compositeur et le président actuel de L'Empire Bakuba. Il est ami d'enfance du feu Jean Kabasele Yampanya wa Mulanga dit Pepe Kalle. Celui qui composait les chansons amoureuses comme Ibetibi, Mamie, Mutambu, Wando, et les autres. 

J'ai entendu des rumeurs que Papy Tex était mort. Je me demande si cette rumeur était vrai mais heureusement c'est faux. Mais cette rumeur est dangereux pour nous. Cette rumeur dangereuse faisait beaucoup de peurs dans la diaspora Congolaise. Je ne sais pas pourquoi quelques gens veulent la mort aux autres avec beaucoup de passion. Je ne comprend pas. 

Je sais qu'il y a gens qui blâment tout à Papy Tex de la mort de Pepe Kalle. Ils vous diront que c'est Papy Tex qui voulait la mort de Pepe Kalle depuis il y avait des grands ennuis entre deux hommes particulièrement avec le dernier album qui s'appelle Cocktail. Ils diront cet album faisait Papy Tex très fâché et il voulait le revenge pour cette oeuvre puis il faisait une chose pour trahir son ami d'enfance. S'il y avait des problèmes entre ces deux hommes, ce n'est pas notre affaire. Ils n'étaient jamais des ennemis. En fait avant la mort de Pepe Kalle, il avait du plan pour venir à Brussels en Belgique de visiter Papy Tex. Alors, vous voyez qu'ils restaient les amis jusqu'à la mort. 

Prions pour Vieux Jean Dode Matolu.

Prions que Jésus lui protégera.

Prions que Jésus lui donnera une vie plus. 

Prions que Jésus l'offrira plus force dans sa vie propre.

Prions que Jésus lui dévoilera son plan pour lui.

Merci Dieu que Jean Dode Matolu est vivant.

PAPY TEX EST VIVANT 

JEAN DODE MATOLU 

Dream Quartet: Franco, Papa Wemba, Pepe Kalle, Tabu Ley

Photo from Franco's son Emongo Luambo 






Hello everyone. I planned to do two posts but due to personal issues, I have never had the chance but they will come out soon. I want to do a post in honor in the 30th anniversary post of Franco's death. Franco would be 81 years old if he was alive today. 

I am doing a quartet on three singers who would fitted well with Franco's wild baritone voice. 

They are Papa Wemba, Pepe Kalle and Tabu Ley. They will be perfect together alongside Franco. Pepe Kalle has a smooth baritone which will allow Franco to sing a little higher with the tenorists Papa Wemba and Tabu Ley. These men would make ladies melt hard because their voices will make waves in people's ears. They are very musical great as harmonious singers. 

Think of the LP called Très Impoli. This album would fit these four singers together perfectly. Papa Wemba would be perfect partner for Franco in the song Mamou while the four would sing together in the album title and Temps Mort. Franco would sing in the high baritone section with Pepe Kalle at low baritone with tenors with Papa Wemba and Tabu Ley and they can decide which is the highest tenor singer. 

Think of also the song of la vie des hommes. Franco and Pepe Kalle would be perfect as a duo where Franco would sing the high notes with Pepe Kalle would sing with the lower notes. Also I would push Franco to sing more in this song with Pepe Kalle's smooth vocals. 

Finally, let's put the Fabrice serious. Fabrice in 1980, 5 Ans ya Fabrice in 1983 with Fabrice Akende Sango in 1988. These songs would be perfect for the three male singers with Franco singing lead. Pepe Kalle would sing high with Tabu Ley singing in the middle and Papa Wemba singing the high notes. Franco would give the examples of clothes that he loves so much. 

Franco will be remain a great legend. If he had a nzonzing session, he should have had Papa Wemba, Pepe Kalle and Tabu Ley as the backup singers. 

Dream Quartet Comeback

Hello everyone. I want to apologize for everyone for being inactive for five months. It has been a very hard situation. Family tragedies, family issues and job changes. I may also have some big things coming. Due to this, I have been unable to actually to even think of posting anything actually. My schedule has been unstable. Also, I have been involved in more church stuff. Another disclosure now, I am actually involved in a choir alongside my little sister. It has been a tough time because now I sing in front a congregation. Also in my church, I am trying to set a female quartet to occur at some time but it seems unlikely. Then again, never say never. 

This lead to my announcement of this. I will make 45 posts of Dream Quartet. Which four singers will I think that will be perfect together. Male ones, Female ones and a few mix-age of two females and two males. 

I will give you two tonight before I sleep. 

Update: I won't able to finish tonight. I had a computer crash and I have to sleep. I will either Friday or Saturday.