Zanzibar or Bust

Dunia Tuna Pita Live on stage at Sauti za Busara 2009

2012-01-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Lighting up the stage in front of a Zanzibari crowd who seemed able to sing along to every song, this is Samba Mapangala peforming 'Dunia Tuna Pita' which translates as 'We are just passing through this world'. Recorded at Sauti za Busara 2009. Featured instrumentalists Syran Mbenza, lead guitar, Komba Bellow, drums. Produced by Andy Jones, Screenstation, for Busara Promotions.

Malako on soundtrack for award-winning documentary "The People The Rain Forgot"

2012-01-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Director Sophia Tewa's film was awarded Best Documentary Feature at the 2012 Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood. The People The Rain Forgot tells the story of the most vulnerable victims of climate change in Africa. Drought haunts Kenya, ruining the livelihoods of millions. Whether it is man-made or the punishment of God, Kenyans don't agree. But the cause is widely known: the earth's climate is changing, fast. Pastoralists and farmers have to find new ways to survive as once-fertile lands are slowly turning into deserts. 2011.

Sophia Tewa is a New York-based journalist. She has worked with CNN and CBS. She teaches multimedia production at The Meridian, Lehman College. The People The Rain Forgot is her first documentary as a director and producer.

The many faces of "Vunja Mifupa"

2011-12-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

It seems Samba's "Vunja Mifupa" will live forever. Here it is on an "American Idol"-type talent show in Nairobi performed by one Nga'nga'lito in 2009: http://youtu.be/465erYIKJj0

Vunja Manyumba

2011-12-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

You will NOT believe this! Nairobi's political satire TV program XYZ Show has used "Vunja Mifupa" as the basis for this week's episode, to hilarious results! http://youtu.be/TbWXq8Miiz0

Samba's BIG news in Tanzania!

2011-12-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.mwanaspoti.co.tz/wcreadnews.php?id=9451

Mapangala bado ajivunia A/Mashariki

Samba Omar Mapangala

ANTHONY NYONGESA
LICHA ya kupiga hatua kubwa barani Ulaya anakoishi, mwimbaji, Samba Omar Mapangala, bado anayo mapenzi makubwa kwa Afrika Mashariki.

Hii ndiyo sababu ya yeye kurudi kurekodi nyimbo zake au kutunga vibao kusifia mandhari ya eneo hilo.
Kibao chake cha juzi cha �Zanzibar�, ni uthibitisho tosha kwamba Mapangala hayupo tayari kuisahau kanda hiyo kwa vyovyote.

Wimbo huo ulipigwa picha katika kisiwa cha Zanzibar akimshirikisha mwimbaji mkongwe, Bi. Kidude na msanii wa Kenya, Mike Awilo, wa kikundi cha Jamnazi Afrika.

Zanzibar, Tanzania na Kenya ni sehemu ambazo nimekulia, hivyo basi ni vigumu kwangu kuzisahau kwa urahisi,� anasema mwimbaji huyo.

Wimbo huo wa Zanzibar aliurekodi mwezi Septemba katika mataifa tofauti ya Afrika Mashariki. Tayari kibao hicho kimeanza kutamba.

Wimbo huo utaorodheshwa kwenye albamu ya Maisha Matamu anayotazamia kuizindua mapema mwakani atapofika jijini Nairobi kwa shughuli hiyo.

Kwenye wimbo Zanzibar, ninasimulia uzuri wa watu wa eneo hilo ambao ni wakarimu mno. Nilionyeshwa ukarimu wao mara ya mwisho nilipoenda huko kufanya shoo ya mwisho katika tamasha la Sauti za Busara mnamo 2009, alisema Mapangala alipohojiwa na Mwanaspoti jijini Nairobi hivi karibuni.

Mapangala ndiye aliyetunga vibao maarufu vya zamani kama vile �Vunja Mifupa�, �Karibu Kenya�, �Ujumbe� na �Nyama Choma�.

Kwa muda wa miaka 13, msanii huyu amekuwa akiishi Marekani anakoandaa shoo zake katika majimbo mbalimbali.
Kwenye wimbo Maisha Matamu ambao pia utabeba jina la albamu mpya, msanii huyo anaangazia kuhusu namna maisha yalivyo mafupi japo kuna mambo mengi mazuri.

Akizungumzia bendi yake ya zamani ya Orchestra Virunga ambayo ilivunjika mwaka 1993, Mapangala anasema ataifufua hivi karibuni.

Tangu kuvunjwa bendi hiyo, amekuwa akiwategemea wasanii wa kukodi, jambo analosema sasa linakaribia kufika ukingoni.

Kenya kuna wasanii mahiri mno, hivyo nikiwa Nairobi nitaandaa mipango kuhusu namna nitakavyoweza kuifufua bendi,alisema akizungumzia Virunga iliyotamba miaka ya 1980 na 1990.

Miaka miwili iliyopita, Mapangala, alinukuliwa kwenye vyombo vya habari akisema anatarajia kurudi Kenya kuendeleza maisha yake, anasemaje kuhusu hilo

Ni kweli, ninajiandaa kurejea nchini kikamilifu. Hata hivyo, sijaamua ni lini iwe hivyo. Kwa sasa ni kwamba niko mguu mmoja Nairobi, mwingine Marekani, kuna mambo kadhaa ninayolenga kutimiza kule pia,� alisema Mapangala.

Miongoni mwa hayo ni mipango yake ya kuuvumisha mtindo wa rhumba katika mataifa ya Magharibi, ili uwe maarufu kama ilivyokuwa Afrika Mashariki miaka 1980.

Mapangala mwenye umri wa miaka 55, anasema awali mtindo huo ulivumishwa Ulaya na mapromota kadhaa akiwamo Oluoch Kanindo aliyevisaidia vikundi kama vile Shirati Jazz na Kolele Maze kutambuliwa huko.

Umaarufu wa Mapangala ulimwezesha kuteuliwa kuwa Balozi wa Heri Njema wa Kituo cha World Wildlife Fund (WWF) kinachojishughulisha na hifadhi ya mazingira, misitu na wanyama waliomo hasa sokwe mtu.

Tayari ametoa kibao cha Les Gorilles des Montagnes kinachoelezea umuhimu wa kuwalinda sokwe katika misitu ya Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasi ya Congo na sehemu nyinginezo barani Afrika.

Alikuwa miongoni mwa wasanii waliompigia debe Rais Barack Obama katika kampeni za Marekani za mwaka 2008. Aliimba �Obama Ubarikiwe�. Kibao hicho pia kilipendwa mno hapa nchini.

Mapangala alizaliwa katika Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasi ya Congo mwaka 1956 na alikulia huko alikoanzia pia shughuli za muziki.
Aliimbia bendi mbalimbali zikiwamo Bariza, Super Tukina, Super Bella Bella na Saka Saka.

Mwaka 1975 alihamia Kampala, Uganda kwa mwaka mmoja kabla ya kuja Nairobi alikoanzisha bendi ya Orchestra Virunga mwaka 1981.
MWISHO.

Warm souvenirs from Stone Town

2011-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Winter is settling in now in northern North America, and my cold feet are wishing for the warm Indian Ocean waters. Surfing the Internet in lieu of the sea, I re-discovered these lovely memories on the website of the Sauti za Busara festival to share with our fans, along with our hopes to be returning there soon. Meanwhile the "Zanzibar" video has gone impressively viral, with 4,500 views in less than 2 months, and seen in unexpected corners such as Japan, India, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Dominican Republic, Finland and Serbia! We'll be playing it again and again as the snow starts falling.....

ABOVE: The Busara crew celebrates the grand finale of the festival on stage following Virunga's monumental closing performance. BELOW: Samba in full flight, accompanied by backup vocalist Teddy.

Video of the Week: Zanzibar by East African Star Samba Mapangala

2011-11-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Zanzibar video is getting great response! I sent out a press release last week and the YouTube view count jumped by 2500 in a couple of days, and it's still climbing. This posting by World Music Central should give the view count another quantum leap! The great camerawork by Adam Juma in Zanzibar and Patrick Ondiek in Nairobi, plus Andy Jones' kind donation of the Sauti za Busara footage of Bi Kidude, Samba and Awillo's patience and great good nature while filming, and Sam Epstein's skill in editing and resolving various technical issues, all contributed to the final, stunning results. Thanks to World Music Central for the coverage, and everyone else who has featured, shared, posted, and watched this great clip!

Video of the Week: Zanzibar by East African Star Samba Mapangala

Zanzibar is the second video from Samba Mapangala‘s latest album Maisha Ni Matamu (Life Is Sweet). Filmed in Zanzibar and Nairobi, the videoclip presents scenes of the island’s many charms: the mysterious alleys and bustling markets of Stone Town, the gorgeous beaches and quaint dhows of the Indian Ocean, colorful people and sensuous dancers. At the same time, it pays tribute to the venerable Zanzibari icon Bi Kidude and the annual Sauti za Busara music festival.
Alongside Samba’s sweet soaring voice, “Zanzibar” features a guest vocal by Awillo Mike of Kenya’s Ja-mnazi Afrika band, and a Congolese guitar solo by Zaiko Langa Langa’s Beniko Popolipo.
Samba Mapangala was born Congolese but it was in Kenya where Samba’s career took off. With Samba writing and singing songs in Congolese Lingala and Kenyan KiSwahili, his Orchestra Virunga rapidly became the top band in Nairobi.

New video clip for "Zanzibar" song just released!

2011-09-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Brilliant write-up from Robert Ambrose's Rhythm Connection

2011-08-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Asante sana, Roberto!

Rhythm Connection

Longtime favorite singer Samba Mapangala recently unleashed a killer new album with a fortified Orchestra Virunga. Maisha Ni Matamu (Life is Sweet) covers broad sonic territory, including reggae and other Caribbean influences, but the bedrock Congolese rumbas are, and have been for decades, the band's foundation. Mapangala's Congo roots are enhanced on this release with crucial contributions from guitarists Popolipo, Syran Mbenza, and Huit Kilos, and Komba Bello Mafwala on drums.

The opening title track is straightforward soukous that will fill any dance floor, while the acoustic "Tupendane" is at the other end of the spectrum, a gently swinging, acoustic appeal for harmony among people everywhere. "Tupendane" features John Bashengazi, a musician from the Eastern Congo who plays all of the instruments and sings along with Samba. Other songs range from celebrations to exhortations to care for the environment and each other. "Tupende Miti (Let's Plant Trees)" offers its wisdom in multiple languages, giving a tribute to Wangari Maatai, the Kenyan Nobel Prize winner responsible for widespread reforestation in her country and beyond.

Mapangala has been based in the U.S. for years, but he built his career in Kenya after leaving the Congo. Doug Paterson has a good biography and appreciation here. His many recordings always feature wonderful guitar and his emblematic singing. While this record captures the veteran in good form and the production sounds first-rate, there are no nine-minute rumba classics comparable to those that kept Mapangala at the peak of popularity in East Africa for decades. He is more worldly now, and so is his music, and that is a mixed blessing for this listener.

I was going to post an audio snippet of "Maisha Ni Matamu," but found this fun video that has the whole song, with the gentleman trying to keep up with the young women, on the cold streets of NY. I thought: Enjoy!

P.S. I've decided to start including reviews of new releases on this site, reviving in this format my earlier activity with The Beat magazine. I'll sprinkle them among the sharing posts, looking a bit different; I hope you find them useful. Maisha Ni Matamu (Life is Sweet) can be purchased for download at CDBaby, Amazon and iTunes, if a low bit rate is okay for your ears. Full-bandwidth CDs can be found here.

WRIR-FM's Bill Lupoletti reviews Maisha for his Global A Go Go site

2011-08-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.globalagogo.com/2011/06/samba-mapangala-orchestra-virunga.html

Maryland-based Samba Mapangala is held in the highest regard by fans and musicians as one of the classic singers of soukous, the guitar-driven dance music that swept from the Congo to East Africa in the 70s and across the world in the 80s. Mapangala has been keeping the flame burning with frequent international tours (he played at the Richmond Folk Festival in 2009) and a series of independently-released recordings. He attracts some of the top players in the business -- guitarists Beniko Popolipo (Zaiko Langa Langa), Huit Kilos (Afrisa International) and Syran Mbenza (Quatre Etoiles) contribute solos and mi-solos; singers Wuta Mayi (Kekele), Ballou Canta (Soukous Stars) and Suzanna Owiyo (a major Kenyan star) add vocals. This is an excellent addition to the catalog of a man whose recorded output is consistently strong. The high-energy numbers here are 1 and 4, 2 and 5 are mid-tempo rumba congolaise, 6 is acoustic and 3 is reggae-influenced. Soukous certainly isn’t the flavor of the week in African music, but for the literally millions of worldwide fans of this music, Samba Mapangala delivers the goods as always.

See you Saturday at Cedar Cultural Center!

2011-08-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eXX-5tPJ7c

Samba takes his place among the legends of Congolese rumba

2011-07-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! Samba in good company: Radio Milele FM Nairobi billboard campaign showing classic rumba greats with Samba at far left, along with Tabu Ley, Mbilia Bel, Kanda Bongo Man, Tshala Muana, Franco. Photo by John Nyambu

Rave review for Maisha ni Matamu by World Music Central

2011-07-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

One of world music's most prominent online magazines had this to say about Samba's new album: written by Tom Orr. Yes, it's sweet, Tom and so are you! Thank you!

worldmusiccentral.org

How Sweet It Is

TOrr

– July 15, 2011Posted in: CD Reviews

Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga - Maisha Ni Matamu

Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga Maisha Ni Matamu (Life Is Sweet) (Virunga Records VR003, 2011)
Still supple, spine tingling and, yes, sweet after 30 years on the scene, the voice of East African sensation Samba Mapangala is in fine form on his latest album. And he’s still the master of combining Congolese, Kenyan and Tanzanian rumba with the similarly chiming rhythms of Kenyan benga, resulting in one irresistible dance music. He dubbed it the Virunga sound and it was a sensation at Nairobi’s Starlight Club in the early ‘80s before Mapangala brought it to the world. Now he and his Orchestra Virunga- which on this recording includes such legendary participants as guitarists Syran Mbenza and Huit Kilos, vocalist Wuta Mayi and drummer/animateur Komba Bellow Mafwala -return with a set of new songs for maximum dancing and listening pleasure.
The title track will instantly have you believing its sentiments to be true, “Zanzibar” pays melodic tribute to nonagenarian singing legend Bi Kidude, “Jirani” celebrates neighborliness in a reggae-laced style (and gets reprised as an instrumental at the end) and “Nipigie Simu” sports a lively Latin feel complete with montuno piano pattern.
The need to protect the environment and its wildlife is addressed on “Tupande Miti” (with guest voices Suzanna Owiyo and Ballou Canta) and “Les Gorilles Des Montagnes” respectively, and the soothing, harmonica-laced “Tupendane (Let’s Love Each Other)” is as much a showcase for multi-instrumentalist and singer John Bashengezi as for Mapangala’s tenderly shared lead vocal.
Maisha Ni Matamu delightfully provides the sort of sweetness that won’t harm your teeth or put pounds around your middle but fulfills your need for music to move you each and every day of your life.
Buy the album or MP3 downloads: CDBaby.com

Maisha Ni Matamu video featured by Afropop Worldwide

2011-06-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Official Blog of Afropop Worldwide: Life Is Sweet, NYPD Doesn't Understand

Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow, the directors of Afropop Worldwide know very well what life is like in NYC: the streets are tough but life can be sweet. Thanks guys, for getting the word out about Samba's new song, just right for summer in the big city! Dancers are Grace Haukwa, Eto'o, and Mambo. As for the cops, we're still waiting for our subpoenas.

Tambour d'Afrique: MAISHA NI MATAMU TUPENDANE WITH SAMBA MAPANGALA FR...

2011-06-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Tambour d'Afrique: MAISHA NI MATAMU TUPENDANE WITH SAMBA MAPANGALA FR...: "LE PALMARES DE LA RUMBA CONGOLAISE VOUS PRESENTE SAMBA MAPANGALA ET L'ORCHESTRE VIRUNGA DANS SON NOUVEL ALBUM: MAISHA NI MATAMU Watch live..."

Fantastic interview with Guy Angrand. Merci mingi Guy!

Just released: New album from Samba Mapangala! Life is sweet! Buy now from CDBaby.com

2011-05-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Samba's new "Zanzibar" song introduced on stage at Sauti za Busara

2011-04-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Busara festival director Yusuf Mahmoud got the crowd dancing at this year's Sauti za Busara as he introduced the song Samba has just released all about his experience headlining the 2009 program, during which the legendary Bi Kidude joined him on stage.
Thanks to Matthew Morin and Shino Saito for sharing this clip with us.

Samba Mapangala in Zanzibar | Mambo Magazine

2011-03-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Samba Mapangala in Zanzibar | Mambo Magazine

yes, we made it back to Zanzibar! read all about it in this story by Amanda Lichtenstein. I will be catching up on the postings just as soon as time allows....

photo by Amanda Lichtenstein, courtesy of Mambo Magazine

We're on our way, Nairobi!

2011-02-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

I've been asked by many people right and left if Samba is going to perform while we are in town. The anticipation and desire to experience his music live is very very gratifying! However, this trip is primarily for publicity and promotion of the forthcoming album, Maisha ni Matamu, and to shoot more videos for music clips of the new songs. We will be making arrangements for concerts and tours later this year, as we intend to return in the fall to support the new album: so hang tight, folks! We want to make sure you will have Samba at his very best, performing in well-produced, well-organized shows. Stay tuned, and watch the Facebook fan page for news and current updates: http://facebook.com/sambamapangala

LIFE IS SWEET: NEW MUSIC FROM SAMBA MAPANGALA

2011-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

LIFE IS SWEET: NEW MUSIC FROM SAMBA MAPANGALA
FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE NOW FROM CD BABY.COM!
Samba Mapangala, East Africa’s most beloved singer, offers an advance taste of a new studio album to be released in Spring 2011: Maisha Ni Matamu. The joyous title track, aimed squarely at East Africa’s dance floors, bears the message: Life is sweet, but short. Let’s have some fun – Come dance with me!

The lush rumba “Zanzibar” is a souvenir from Samba’s voyage to that beautiful island to appear at the Sauti za Busara festival, where he encountered the venerable Tanzanian legend Bi Kidude in Stone Town. The mighty Orchestra Virunga is joined here by guest vocalist Awillo Mike Otieno of Kenya’s Ja-mnazi Afrika band, and Zaiko Langa Langa guitarist Beniko Popolipo, who contributes sizzling guitar solos on both songs.

The first two tracks from the forthcoming album are released as a digital-only advance EP, available on CD Baby and distributed on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster and elsewhere. "Maisha Ni Matamu" is also available as a free download for a limited time on CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mapangala7), and streaming on ReverbNation. http://www.reverbnation.com/sambamapangala The video clip for "Maisha Ni Matamu," filmed in the heart of New York City, features the Nabtry Cultural Dancers and a surprise guest appearance by the NYPD. It was directed by Sam Epstein and Bob Coen, camera by Samantha Conti. Watch it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA5ylLYjc98

Samba will launch the new songs and make media appearances in Kenya and Tanzania during an East African publicity tour in March. The full album will be released worldwide by Virunga Records, supported by tours of East Africa, Europe and North America. Further developments to be announced on the Facebook fan page and ReverbNation.

LINKS
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mapangala7
http://facebook.com/sambamapangala
http://www.reverbnation.com/sambamapangala
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA5ylLYjc98

Recording information

1. MAISHA NI MATAMU (Life Is Sweet) 5:22

Guitar solo Beniko Popolipo
Guitar rhythm Syran Mbenza
Bass John Bashengezi
Drums Komba Bellow Mafwala
Percussion Alfredo Mojica
Keyboard Fabio
Vocals Samba Mapangala, Jonal Buya di Lutete, Wuta Mayi
Animation John Bashengezi, Komba Bellow Mafwala
(Special thanks to Siama Matunguzidi)

2. ZANZIBAR 5:32
Guitar solo Beniko Popolipo
Guitar rhythm John Bashengezi
Bass John Bashengezi
Drums Komba Bellow Mafwala
Percussion Alfredo Mojica
Saxophone Jimmy Mvondo
Vocals Samba Mapangala, Awillo Mike Otieno
Animation John Bashengezi

All compositions by Samba Mapangala
Recorded at Ketebul Studio, Nairobi; Art of Music, Arlington VA; Master Sun, Paris
Realization by Syran Mbenza
Art Direction: Saki Mafundikwa
Photo credit: CC Smith
Maisha Ni Matamu video clip directed by Bob Coen / Sam Epstein
Produced by Samba Mapangala
Executive Producer CC Smith

Virunga Management: CC Smith, virungamgmt@gmail.com
Booking: Mel Puljic, MondoMundo.com (U.S.); Dirk Feys, Tsahara.com (Europe)

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International · Portland Ovations · Portland, Maine

2010-09-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International · Portland Ovations · Portland, Maine

Featuring Samba Mapangala, lead vocal
Friday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m.
Hannaford Hall
Univ. of Southern Maine
Portland ME 04101
207-842-0800
tickets: $10/Students $25/Subscribers $28/General Public

OVATIONS OFFSTAGE: West Africa & Maine: Highlife!

Friday, October 8, 2010 6:30-7:30 pm

Hannaford Hall, USM, Portland, Maine

Join the director of Portland’s Museum of African Culture as he explores the high energy dance music of the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International. Chief Oscar Mokeme makes personal connections between the band’s infectious music, the traditions of his native Nigeria, and the contemporary cultural life of Maine’s growing African community.
Precedes the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International performance at 8 pm.

Gig Alerts: Occidental Brothers Dance Band International with Samba Mapangala - WNYC Culture

2010-07-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Gig Alerts: Occidental Brothers Dance Band International with Samba Mapangala - WNYC Culture

Samba with OBDBI at Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh

2010-07-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

Pop Filter Hot Pick: Get Out in the Elements for Summer Sounds!

Samba on tour with OBDBI: North America June-July 2010

2010-06-05T17:25:00.003-07:00

Virunga Management is delighted to announce a new development in Samba Mapangala's long and prolific career as East Africa's most beloved singer. He has teamed up with a rising young band, Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, for a brilliant collaboration of live performances and studio recording. The new relationship has generated a creative synergy that adds a new spin to established repertoire favorites as well as inspiring new compositions that display all their strengths. A recent cover story in the alternative weekly Chicago Reader profiled the new partnership: http://www.chicagoreader.com

The Occidental Brothers’ blend of high-energy soukous, rootsy Ghanaian highlife and African jazz conjures sounds of the golden age of the African guitar band and has made them favorites of of music critics and devotees of the style, but it’s a sound that has also seduced an audience of listeners as diverse as the members of this multi-racial band. The group is led by guitarist Nathaniel Braddock, an instructor at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and twice profiled in Guitar Player Magazine. Braddock is joined by jazz phenom Greg Ward on alto sax, Joshua Ramos on bass and Makaya McCraven on drums. After playing the Pitchfork Festival in 2008 and GlobalFest in January 2009, the OBDBI experienced a meteoric rise–graduating from Chicago street festivals to the stages of Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Montreal and Vancouver Jazz Festivals in the course of a year.

The first OBDBI/Mapangala collaboration was the internationally applauded tribute song “Obama Ubarikiwe” in celebration of the aspiring presidential candidate, and a favorite son of Chicagoans and Africans alike. Mapangala and the OBDBI began performing together in fall 2009, and have recently begun recording music for release in 2010.

Long-time fans of Samba's music with his revered Orchestre Virunga need not despair, however. The hugely popular Virunga formation will continue to perform, tour and record the scintillating dance music that only they can provide as opportunities arise. Look for a Virunga European and African tour in summer 2011, and a new album coming soon.

Samba appears with the Occidental Brothers this summer in North America as follows:

JUNE-JULY: NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
June 19: Snoqualmie Casino (Seattle WA) KEXP Welcomes World Music Festival KEXP.org
http://snocasino.com/events/world-music-festival
July 1: Chicago Taste of Chicago

July 9: Madison, WI La Fete de Marquette

July 10: Chicago Folk & Roots Festival

July 18: Ottawa, Canada Ottawa Bluesfest

July 22: NYC Le Poisson Rouge

July 23: Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall

July 24: Providence, Rhode Island Providence Sound Session

July 28: Pittsburgh, PA The Andy Warhol Museum

For up-to-date bookings go to: rryder.com

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/sambamapangala

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samba-Mapangala

http://www.occidentalbrothers.com

Free download of "Les Gorilles des Montagnes" composed by Samba for the World Wildlife Fund: http://drop.io/GorillaSong

Taste of Chicago, July 1: Occidental Brothers featuring Samba Mapangala

2010-05-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int'l featuring Samba Mapangala

Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l plays classic Central and West African dance music—specializing in soukous, Highlife, Rumba, Dry Guitar, and other delights from the great continent. The multi-racial band mixes their backgrounds in traditional African music, jazz, and underground rock to bring these classic sounds to life. The group has been winning over a diverse audience of listeners, dancers and rockers, and causing a buzz among established African music critics! Word of the group’s electrifying live shows is spreading as they play sold-out shows with Afropop legend Oliver Mtukudzi and art-pop superstar Andrew Bird. The group recently played another sold-out show in March appearing as a featured group in Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music’s Afrofolk series.

Dates:
Jul 1, 2010

Hours:
6:40 - 8 pm

Location:
The Illinois Lottery Taste Stage
Balbo & Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL 60604

Admission:
FREE

Website:
For additional information please visit, http://occidentalbrothers.com

Facebook | Samba Mapangala

2010-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Facebook | Samba Mapangala

Official Facebook page for Samba just created!

Samba takes his career down a new path: Chicago Reader article

2010-04-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

A tribute to the president brought together Chicago's Occidental Brothers Dance Band International and their new front man: African superstar Samba Mapangala.

Blame Obama! | Music Feature | Chicago Reader

Music Video for the Mountain Gorillas

2010-03-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

Samba Mapangala --- Les Gorilles des Montagnes

From VipiAfrica.com: WWF teamed up with the much-loved Congolese musician Samba Mapangala and his Orchestra Virunga to work on a new conservation resource – one that drives home a positive message in an upbeat tune and uplifting tone. The song “Les Gorilles des Montagnes” focuses on why Mountain gorillas and their habitat in the Virunga landscape are important, emphasizing that they are the foundation of ecotourism, which will improve local livelihoods. It pays special tribute to the rangers and other conservationists of Virunga who dedicate their lives to protecting gorillas. The song was recorded in Swahili, the most commonly spoken language of the Virunga landscape.

Produced by Paul Ndiho, and also featuring guitarist John Bashengezi, and of course, the endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in Congo DRC.

Samba Mapangala: Les Gorilles des Montagnes

Vipi Africa: Using Music to Conserve Mountain Gorillas

2009-11-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Vipi Africa: Using Music to Conserve Mountain Gorillas

Voice of America's documentary filmmaker Paul Ndiho interviews Samba about his new song "Les Gorilles des Montagnes" recorded in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness of their mission to protect the endangered Mountain Gorillas of Virunga National Park in Congo. The song is available as a free download at http://drop.io/GorillaSong, or http://myspace.com/SambaMapangala

Samba Mapangala at Kennedy Center, Washington DC

2009-06-29T15:41:00.001-07:00

Video of the June 20 concert for UNHCR World Refugee Day can be accessed here (scroll down): http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=VIRUNGAVIR

Samba Mapangala's African rumba for free Saturday evening

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And now a word from our sponsor

2009-04-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

For more information about Samba Mapangala, check the following links:
www.myspace.com/sambamapangala
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mapangala

For more photos from the tour, visit the essential African music discussion board, AfricAmbiance.org

Last dance in Nairobi

2009-03-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

The main event was called "Benga Blast 2009" and featured an afternoon of performances at the Nyayo soccer stadium by a selection of the Kenyan bands that are reviving the benga style that we in the West began hearing back in the early days of the African music boom in the '80s -- D.O. Misiani and Shirati Jazz for example. It has a rootsy "countrified" sound to my ears, without the gloss of soukous (what they call lingala music or rumba in Kenya), sung in Luo or Kikuyu, and if producers like Tabu Osusa keep up the good work it could be the next big thing in the world music world. Samba was warmly welcomed as befit his legendary status and long popularity in Kenya, and ran through a selection of his best-loved hits for the crowd. Here are some links to local press coverage of the festival: here and again from Daily Nation,
On Monday we bid farewell to Nairobi and set forth before dawn on our first leg of the journey home.

Nairobi night

2009-03-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden our time in Kenya is drawing to an end. We are still hectically racing (or crawling through gridlock) to radio interviews, a tv taping for "Churchill Live" (a widely watched talk/comedy show a la Oprah) at the famous Carnivore Restaurant, and band rehearsals. On Friday, Feb. 27 Virunga performs at Club Afrique, with the core tour band augmented by Pepe Ibrahim, ex Virunga singer and now leader of his own band called Ngoma Afrika, and a guest appearance by Bikassy, who led the group Saka Saka in which Samba began his migration out of Zaire and into East Africa in the '70s. The show was a lot of fun. They played for hours, and did all the great Virunga hits. (I was dancing so hard to my favorite song, "Malako" that I hurt my leg and had to stop!)
Photos: Komba Bellow in the dressing room, dancers Mami Watah and Carolyne, and on stage from left: Bikassy, Teddy, Pepe Ibrahim, Syran and Samba.

Marafiki (more friends)

2009-03-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Making this trip even more fun was the presence of three long-time acquaintances and African music aficionados: Douglas Paterson (Seattle), Peter Toll (Netherlands) and Jean Suren (Nairobi by way of Los Angeles). Doug is an acknowledged expert in East African music, a record collector, broadcaster, audio engineer.... well, see for yourself on his Web site: East African Music.com. Peter, also a dedicated record collector and music scholar, was manager and producer for Simba Wanyika and also an old Africa-hand, who had lived in LA for a time. Incredibly, they had never met, and I was so pleased that they were able to finally get together in Nairobi after their many years of toiling in the same field. My dear friend Jean was a fixture in LA's African music scene during the good old days of the '80s, specializing in the care and feeding of African musicians and always the first on the dance floor at live shows, resplendent in African attire. She moved to Nairobi in 1991, continued to be in touch with the music scene, and is well-established and highly regarded in her career as a diabetes care and training specialist. How marvelous it was to reconnect with all of you!

More friends, fans and colleagues

2009-03-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

We would never have made it through this tour without Bofta, Virunga's indispensable band manager. We enjoyed a good time visiting his home for the first birthday of his youngest daughter, Chantal, and tasted the finest Kenyan food of our trip. A big asante sana to Bofta, his wife Jan, and their beautiful daughters!

Friends, fans and colleagues

2009-03-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Samba took enormous pleasure in reconnecting with many of his old friends, fans, musicians while in Nairobi. We want to give a big shout-out of love and appreciation especially to Tabu Osusa, music producer, former Virunga manager and long-time pal, for his generous hospitality while we were in Nairobi. Asante sana, Tabu! and may God bless you.

Freddy Machoka

2009-03-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have heard Freddy's name as long as I have heard Samba's music. He calls out "Freddy Machoka" in nearly every song he has recorded. So I finally had the chance to meet this famous long-time radio dj and close friend of Samba when we visited his program on Citizen radio. Freddy is a whirlwind of energy, elbows, knees, hands flying as he carries on his nonstop patter, with a brilliant broad smile that can light up a room.

Samba in studio

2009-03-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

As we had about a week and a half off in Nairobi before Virunga's final performances at Club Afrique (Feb. 27) and Nyayo Stadium (Feb. 28), Samba took the opportunity to work on some new music at Ketebul Studio. Guitarist Syran Mbenza and drummer Komba Bellow, in from Paris as part of the tour group, were in on the sessions, as were Kenyan benga star Suzzana Owiyo and Jamnazi's Awillo-Mike and a choice handful of other talented local musicians. A serene presence around the studio was Olith Ratego, whose soothing nyatiti interludes kept me calm and focused.

Meanwhile, back in Nairobi

2009-03-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

We embark on a week of media interviews, appearances and recording at Ketebul Studio. And a return to the perpetually clogged Uhuru Highway. Nairobi seems all the more overwhelming after idyllic Zanzibar. Samba does manage to make a brief visit to his former venue, Garden Square, where Virunga enjoyed so much success in the '80s.

It's showtime, folks

2009-03-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, time for the performance at Sauti za Busara. Virunga is headlining, the closing set of the festival. There was a lot of energy and everyone enjoyed it, the band, the fans, the festival personnel and Samba. He sang all his hits and everyone in the audience was singing along to "Vunja Mifupa," "Dunia Tuna Pita," and "Marina." At one point, he was joined on stage by the taarab legend Bi Kidude, who sang one of her ribald wedding songs to the delight of the crowd. Great appreciation to the Busara organization for a very professionally presented event--bravo and well done! Special thanks to Rosie for her efforts way above and beyond the call of duty. And asante sana to Yusuf for giving Virunga this wonderful opportunity to connect with fans and supporters from Tanzania and abroad. Photos by Alain Hullien, from top: Rhythm guitarist John; waiting nervously backstage: Suleiman (sax), Teddy (singer), Mami Watah (dancer), Bofta (band manager) and Jeremy (singer); Mami Watah does her famous "water dance," balancing a bottle on her head; Samba takes a bow. Last two images courtesy of the Sauti za Busara web site, busaramusic.org.

Room with a view

2009-03-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we met up with Doug Paterson, renowned East African music scholar and collector, and Ann Wanjie, editor of africanmusiciansprofiles.com in from London. Doug took us to his favorite viewing spot of Zanzibar, the Africa House, for some peaceful moments and watched the dhows cruising the Indian Ocean in the tropical breezes.
Our missing luggage returned, and we prepared for Virunga's performance at the festival that night.

Time out for a brief photo safari

2009-03-08T18:05:00.001-07:00

And now a little tour of the picturesque, narrow winding lanes of Stone Town, in which I quickly became lost and disoriented, and had to be led back to the hotel by a Good Samaritan on a bicycle.
But it was wonderfully gratifying to see Samba's image plastered on the walls on the Sauti za Busara festival posters.

The road to Zanzibar

2009-03-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Actually, we flew. Here's some of the band members en route at Nairobi airport. Aside from some unpleasantness having to do with yellow fever vaccination certificates, my lost debit card and the confiscation of some of our luggage and one of our dancers, the trip was uneventful.

Lest we forget our mission

2009-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are here to work, to make music. It's not all sukumawiki and Tuskers. Here is Syran Mbenza and Samba having a little practice in the hotel room. The full band rehearses tomorrow and Thursday, preparing for Virunga's appearance at the Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar this weekend.

Pimpers Paradise

2009-03-07T17:20:00.001-08:00

Samba says it was the music piracy that drove him to leave Nairobi, but the bootleggers are still shamelessly around. These rip-offs did not even make a pretense of looking legitimate, and the pirate even had the nerve to try and sell us some of Samba's own music.

The Big Guy

2009-03-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, Obama is big in Kenya. The euphoria is still detectable, but it may be dawning on the Kenyans that maybe Barack has a few other things to take care of first before he bestows his attention on Africa. This mural is at the Go Down arts complex, the site of Tabu Osusa's Ketebul Studio where Samba was recording some new songs.

Sukumawiki, ugali and nyama choma

2009-03-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

As for the food: sukumawiki (minced spinach-like or collard greens), ugali (white cornmeal fufu) and nyama choma (roasted meat) seem to be the national dishes. Reynald's restaurant and cabaret was a frequent gathering place downtown Nairobi, where you see Komba Bellow here attacking a plate of fried fish. This is a country of meat-eaters but nyama choma, I'm sorry, was not to my taste: so tough I could not get a tooth into it, and not seasoned at all. The pili pili and exuberant flavorings of West African cooking are disappointingly not in evidence here. Some days I gratefully took my meals in a Chinese restaurant.

Midnight at the oasis

2009-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Full moon over the pool deck at the lovely Heron Court Hotel, Nairobi. The pool was nicely maintained but had a water temperature only a polar bear could love. I jumped in and jumped right out again!

What to do when you are stuck in traffic

2009-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

The traffic in Nairobi is horrible! The Uhuru Highway through town is almost always jammed, and then there is the never-ending hell of the dreaded roundabouts. The drivers are daring and fearless, missing each other by millimeters in a constant game of "chicken." No road rage though, someone always gives way at the last second, knowing next time he will win the match, and amazingly I never actually saw any fender-benders. Extremely nervewracking, and we almost always seemed to be going somewhere across town at 5 p.m. Smog control has not yet arrived in this land, and nearly every bus, truck, car and matatu belches clouds of black exhaust smoke and fumes. So to pass the time as we inched along, I did a lot of shooting out of the car window, and sometimes over my head into the back seat. The top shot with the giant hand is Moi's monument to himself.
On the bright side, the weather in Nairobi was perfect, even better than Southern California: sunny, cool, low humidity, a couple of evening rain showers to freshen things up. I was told it's like this 9 months of the year, but no one said what the other 3 months were like. Maybe best not to ask?

Heathrow Hiatus

2009-03-07T14:48:00.001-08:00

My flight on Virgin Atlantic was one of the best of my life. What an airline! Beautiful, huge new Airbus, audio and movies at every seat, friendly crew, acceptable food, pillows, blankets and free drinks galore. I got 3 seats together and was even able to sleep a little. I ran through audio selections of Bob Marley, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, and Simon and Garfunkel, watched the Sex and the City movie and part of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and bingo, we were in London. Heathrow is another story though: it's like a giant shopping mall except with lots and lots of luggage. With people everywhere, from everywhere, speaking every kind of language. Samba came in on his flight about 6 hours before mine, and then we have 6 more hrs to go before we take off for Nairobi, so we've seen quite a lot of this place. Poor Samba's exhausted, and I'm starting to feel woozy.

Note to self: avoid long layovers between connections. Fairly excruciating afternoon into evening, killing time, looking for something to eat that is not horribly overpriced, and the bodily weakness of the lack of sleep. We plod around the endless terminal and corridors looking for a quiet spot to rest, and a bench not bristling with armrests so we can lie down for a while. The appointed time finally arrives, and we shamble down yet one more winding echoing tunnel (20 minutes to gate 23!) to board our flight to Nairobi.
This aircraft is obviously something Virgin picked up on the used-airplane market: yesterday's model, all beige plastics, excruciatingly tight seats, and the seat-back entertainment system that was quite disappointing after last night's high tech features and endless selections. Finally shoehorned in, we try to relax into another voyage into the night.

OK, for real this time

2009-03-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

I am now back from the tour to East Africa. All my plans to file posts from the road were wildly over-optimistic. I vastly underestimated the availability of Internet access in Nairobi, and the availability of time I would have to devote to this travel log! So now, instead of real time reportage, let me recollect events and moments in retrospect, in case you are wondering.... how was the trip?
There really is no way to define it, and I have not gotten a perspective yet through the haze of jet-lagged sleep deprivation. I do recall it was: wonderful, awful, crazy, exhausting, fun, confounding, exciting, humbling and revealing....

Somewhere over the rainbow

2009-02-07T15:55:00.001-08:00

No, I have not left yet: I go tomorrow. But I woke up this morning thrilled to see a perfect arc of a rainbow across the western sky from horizon to horizon, and immediately grabbed my camera and ran outside in my nightgown to shoot it, oblivious to the rain. It rains so little here in LA it's rare to see a rainbow, and even more so a complete 180 degrees. My friend Susana once told me that in Sierra Leone where she comes from they say the rainbow signals that an elephant is giving birth, which I guess is a good thing. I do hope this is a good omen for my journey.

Frankly my dear, it's the gear

2009-02-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

Before I put even a scrap of clothing into my suitcase, I am carrying miles of cables, and tons of transformers, electronic gadgets, and music recordings.

I've got a cute little “netbook” laptop (Acer Aspire), and charger, iPod & charger, several sets of earphones, digital camera and charger, DSL cable, plug adapters, flash drive, extra SD card, a CD /cassette/radio player and batteries for Samba, for use in rehearsals with the band, knife-proof money pouch, and some nifty new sandals. Am I ready for anything? No. I have no clue what I am going to bring to wear. It seems the weather in Nairobi is colder than even L.A. is this winter, and rainy. So instead of shorts and tank tops I need to bring full-on warm winter clothes, socks, sweats, plus the said tropical outfits for Zanzibar's alleged heat and humidity (but you are supposed to cover up to respect the Muslim traditions!) , and then a one-day layover in London, where it seems they just had a blizzard. I am hoping for at least one day at the famed Indian Ocean beaches, but does one have to swim in a hijab?