Dino Vangu "Kin Nostalgie" (Air B.Mas Productions, 2002)
A collection of tracks gathered from two distinct periods of Congolese guitarist Dino Vangu's career. The first five tracks are by the early 'Seventies group Makina Loka Diyame, whose band name (DI-YA-ME) was a concatenation of the musician's names (Dino Vangu, Makiona Sala, Yenga-Yenga), three younger musicians who had an abundance of explosive talent and energy. The Diyame tracks were probably originally released as 7" or 12" singles and sound a bit choppy, chaotic, and intensely manic -- almost with a punk rock-ish fervor. It's a great glimpse into the kind of pent-up talent that lay underneath the smooth exterior of the better-known bands, but the remaining tracks on this disc, four later songs by Dino Vangu from 1986-89, may come as a relief, though there's still a slightly unpolished edge which may attract listeners who have wearied of the overly-perfect production style from the Parisian studio system. Intriguing.

The Venanda Lovely Boys "Bo Tata" (Rounder Records, 1993)
More South African stuff, this time in the driving style of the late-1970s isicathamiya genre... I have to confess, the particular iteration of the SF Bay Area 1980s "world music" scene left me a little weary of South African pop music, though is is considered one of the classic, foundational bands. Probably worth a spin, if you can ignore my grumpy old-man bias.

Verckys Et L'Orchestre Veve "Dynamite Verckys" (Africa Records, 1970) (LP)

Verckys Et L'Orchestre Veve "L'Afrique Danse #11" (Africa Records, 1971) (LP)

Verckys Et L'Orchestre Veve "Verckys A Paris" (Africa Records, 1971) (LP)
Back around 1988, I came across this album at a small and soon-defunct neighborhood record store tucked away right next to San Francisco's Kezar Stadium, and fortunately had the foresight to actually buy it despite my more-than-limited budget. It's a beautiful album which provided one of my first glimpses into classic Congolese pop music, though for many years, in the pre-internet era, it remained an enduring mystery. Technically, this is a best-of set, since bandleader Verckys (and most African artists) mostly released singles, and only found a fraction of his work collected onto LPs... It's all quite nice, though: this gathers ten tracks from his early solo career, not long after he left the fabled OK Jazz Band, and is very much still in the same tradition of that 1960s superband: gentle, elegant, deeply satisfying and richly melodic "rumba" music. Alas, though the music is available online, I've never been able to track down a CD reissue. (See below for more about Verckys and his career...)

Verckys Et L'Orchestre Veve "Verckys" (Africa Records, 197-?) (LP)
Side One of this album features backing by his original band, L'Orchestre Veve, while Side Two is from Les Grands Maquisards, which had previously been Sam Mangwana's band. Apparently this album was collector-nerd reissued on vinyl, though alas, not on CD.

Verckys & Le Veve "Mfum'bwa Bankoko Baboyi: 1969-1971" (Africa Records, 1998)
A CD release, with more of Verckys's early solo work, overlapping the albums above, and preceding the more hard-edged funk-soul music of his later career. Anyone have an extra copy they can spare? (Never hurts to ask!)

Verckys Et L'Orchestre Veve "Conglolese Funk, Afrobeat And Psychedelic Rumba: 1969-1978" (Analog Africa, 2014)
Although this is one of many potent, provocative releases on the powerhouse reissue label, Analog Africa, it was a bit disappointing for me, not because of the music within, but because of the artwork without. I picked this album up because it has the same cover art as a 1971 Verckys LP I purchased decades ago at a small, about-to-vanish record store near Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. That mysterious disc (seen above) was a lovely set of early work from West African bandleader and saxophonist Georges Kiamuangana Mateta (aka "Verckys," 1944-2022) an evocative slab of vinyl that was one of my first introductions to Congolese pop music. Seeing the cover again, I had hoped this would be a straight reissue of that cherished album, but alas, there's only one track included from that set, a gentle, flowing tune that stands in high contrast to the rest of the record. Not surprisingly, given the tastes of many 21st Century record collectors, this focusses on Verckys's later, harder-edged music -- funky grooves and driving Afrobeat, including a number of songs that are reminiscent of Fela Kuti's work in Nigeria, though more tonally varied and less monotonous than most of Fela's work. The Fela comparison isn't just stylistic, though: Verckys held a similar stature as a pioneering figure in his national musical culture. His career started in high gear back in 1963 when he became a member of bandleader Franco's OK Jazz ensemble, becoming one of the group's key members, as well as Franco's business secretary. It was a gig he famously forfeited in 1969 when he went rogue and recorded several clandestine tracks with several other OK Jazz musicians when Franco wasn't in town. He got fired, but released those tracks as the keystones of his own new record label, the independent Editions Veve, which became one of the most influential drivers of the Congolese music industry during the 1970s. As a producer, Verckys embraced a new generation of Congolese artists who explored more forceful, driving sounds such as American-style rock and funk, and moved away from the elegant melodicism of the 'Sixties rumba bands. Verckys skillfully navigated the fractious and often highly politicized music scene of the era, promoting the careers of dynamic new bands such Bella Bella, Thu Zaina and Zaiko Langa-Langa. His own work pushed boundaries as well, as heard on this well-curated set which gathers about a dozen first-class examples of Verckys's pioneering work, with nods towards the melodic guitar music of his youth, as well as deep dives into the same James Brown-ish grooves as other Afrobeat artists of the era, though arguably Verckys shows greater tonal and stylistic depth than many of his contemporaries. Plenty of groovy beats and some great sax work as well: definitely worth a spin!

The Victoria Kings "The Mighty Kings Of Benga" (Globe Style Records, 1993)

Vijana Jazz Band "The Koka Koka Sex Battalion" (Stern's Music, 2011)
This is one of those records that just immediately captivated me and drew me in: an instant favorite. Super-groovy early 'Seventies dance music from the Western Jazz Band, a Tanzanian group with strong roots in the mellow guitar pop of Kenya and The Congo, though with a unique feel in which multiple guitarists keep a running, discursive commentary running parallel to the vocals. I used to joke that, given my limited ability as a guitarist, the job I'd like in a band was to be one of those Motown guitarists who just adds one little rhythmic grace note throughout the entire track... That's kind of what's happening here on these vintage 1975-80 recordings, where the musicians chime in with small, concise, constantly modulated melodic riffs, deftly embedded inside each loping beat. On paper, these interlocking riffs aren't that different from other African pop of the era, but the Vijana ensemble -- notably including bassists Akili Ismeli and Manitu Musa, guitarists Hassan Dalali, Hamza Kalala and Abdullah Kwesa, along with various percussionists, singers and horn players -- had a uniquely mellow, restrained approach, inducing a delicate hypnosis, particularly on standout tracks like "Miaka Mingi" and "Pili Hihurumie." Doubtless it's music like this that Talking Heads devoured when delving into African music in the early '80s; krautrock fans might enjoy the similar explorations of tonality, rhythm and repetition heard in these classic tracks.

G. G. Vikey "Chantre De La Negritude" (Bolibana Records, 2011)
Oooh, neat! This is a digital reissue of an old album that I actually own on vinyl -- I found it in the bins of a small record shop that was going out of business in the late 1980s, and I've always wondered who the heck Mssr. Vikey was (there was no Internet to speak of, back then...) and where he came from. The subtle, quirky guitar work reminded me of New World artists such as Joseph Spence, but the groovy dashiki clearly said "somewhere in Africa." Now, two decades later, I've finally pieced it together, with help from the Bolibana reissue series (digital only, alas!) and French Wikipedia, I have learned that Gustave Gbenou Vikey was a musician from Benin, mainly active in the 1960s, and that he released this one album, along with a string of singles. I'm still not sure exactly what year this record came out, but I'm pleased to see it "in print" again at last... If you enjoy gentle acoustic roots music -- think S. E. Rogie-era palm-wine music -- then you might want to check this gem out. Includes a few tunes with a full band, but it's mostly just Vikey and his "guitare Africaine", and it sounds really, really nice! Recommended.

Voz Di Sanicolau "Fundo De Mare Palinha" (1977)
(Produced by Armando Carrondo)
This appears to be the only album by this late 'Seventies Cape Verdean "funana" band -- rough cut but melodic pop music, with bouncy rhythms, rough-edged, jangly guitar and an irrepressibly upbeat vibe. This late '70s album has been reissued a few times, notably on a 10" vinyl EP by the folks at Analog Africa. Fun stuff!

---

---

African Music Index
World Music Index

---