AM Foreign World Cup: Round 1 - Central/East Africa (Part 2)

[Stephan]

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco - Liberté
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - Festival Bilombe

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta
Birigwa - Yelewa - Only available in the Spotify playlist

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu - RapidShare
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy

[Honorio]

Don't worry, Stephan, my Spotify playlist includes the Birigwa song (and also the Kasai Allstars one).

[Greg]

Bracket 1.3.5
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony

Bracket 1.3.6
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - Festival Bilombe

Bracket 1.3.7
Birigwa - Yelewa

Bracket 1.3.8
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy

[Honorio]

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco & le T.P. O.K. Jazz - Liberté (DR Congo, 1976)
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony (Uganda, 1993)
Two great songs. The Oryema song is amazing, great vocals and a beautiful story behind. Taken from You Tube: Lapwony means "teacher". The story is about a school teacher, whose body was found lying in a school compound. He was struck by lightning and died on the spot, just as he was getting ready to head home. He had a pile of exercise books which he was suppose to correct at home. As a tribute to their beloved teacher, the pupils composed a song that they entitled "Lapwony."
But my vote goes to Franco, the "Soccerer of Guitar", one of these pivotal names that ignited a whole music scene (along with Grand Kallé) and the creator of a fluid guitar style (along with Docteur Nico that you will find on the last bracket) that was going to define Congolese music. Some may say African music in general.


Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless (Kenya, 2009)
Sam Mangwana & Orchestre Festival des Maquisards - Festival Bilombe (DR Congo, 1968-1969)
Beautiful Paul Simon cover performed by the Kenyan Boys Choir but it adds little to the original performed by Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The Mangwana song is a fresh sample of Congolese rumba, closer to its Cuban roots than any other song on this week (and almost all of them show some degree of Cuban influence).


Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta (Ethiopia, 1969)
Birigwa - Yelewa (Uganda, 1972)
The fact that there is already a song by Mulatu on the next round could prevent some people for voting for "Yègellé Tezeta". And moreover when his rival is as remarkable as Birigwa (described on Porter Records page as afro-folk-jazz-blues-psych). Probably Charlie Driggs chose the most weird song on the album (you can check also the delicious "Obugumba" from the same album on Spotify or on the Porter Records link), still my vote goes to Mulatu Astatke.


Bracket 1.3.7
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu (DR Congo, 2008)
Docteur Nico & Orchestre African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy (DR Congo, 1963-1965)
Terrific bracket, really. The Kasai Allstars song, coming from the third volume of the Congotronic Series, is hypnotic and showcases the modernity in tradition, the link between repetitive traditional music and modern electronica. But the Docteur Nico tune is gorgeous and it showcases his impressive finger-picked guitar playing. Franco was first but I got my doubts about who was better. Can I chose both?

[Miguel]

Bracket 1.3.5
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta

Bracket 1.3.8
Docteur Nico & Orchestre African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy

[nicolas]

Franco - Liberté 4.25
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony 4
Liberté is a long song but one that keeps on growing. "La musique des champions d'Afrique", as Franco says in the end. The Oryema song is good too, although I would have picked "Ye ye ye" from his 1st album.

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless 3.5
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - Festival Bilombe 4.75
Congolese rumba is a very infectious, with a soo African laid back feeling. The "Homeless" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo was better on Graceland .


Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta 4.25
Birigwa - Yelewa 3.5

Yelewa started well but the final with all that weird grunting ruins it all, while Mulatu's music is full of class, groove and spices

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu 4
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy 4.25

I never tire of cogolese rumba, with all these flourishing and sunny rhythms, makes me think of endless nights on the river. I'm in the exact mood for Dr Nico so Kasai Allstars (a good song) loses.

[Michel]

Bracket 1.3.5
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu

[Dan]

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco - Liberté
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - Festival Bilombe

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta
Birigwa - Yelewa

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy

It looks like I need to check out Mulatu Astatke's albums. And I've decided that Congolese rumba is a genre I want to hang out with more often (rhythmic and laidback... what a nice combination of things).

[Jirin]

Franco Luambo Makiadi - Liberte 8
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony 9

Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless 8
Festiva de Mquisards - Festival bilombe 8

Mulatu Astatke - Yegelle Tezeta 9
Birigwa - Yelewa 7

Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu 7
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta 7

[Kingoftonga]

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco - ‪Liberté‬
Geoffrey Oryema - ‪Lapwony‬

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - ‪Homeless‬
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - ‪Festival Bilombe‬

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - ‪Yègellé Tezeta‬
Birigwa - Yelewa - Only available in the Spotify playlist

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - ‪Mpombo Yetu‬ - RapidShare
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - ‪Mamu Wa Mpoy‬

[Stephan]

Hrmpf, I was sure I already voted here. In any case, these are my votes:

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco - ‪Liberté‬
Geoffrey Oryema - ‪Lapwony‬
Franco is my own nomination, but Lapwony is simply a great song. Another one I can see entering my top 500. Thanks for the background story Honorio!

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - ‪Homeless‬
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - ‪Festival Bilombe‬
The second song makes me happy.

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - ‪Yègellé Tezeta‬
Birigwa - Yelewa
Another really tough matchup, neither song as good as the two in the first matchup, but very close together. Mulatu is relaxing while Birigwa is crazy and I love it both, but Yelewa is a little more energetic, and that gives it the edge.

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - ‪Mpombo Yetu‬
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - ‪Mamu Wa Mpoy‬
The Kasai Allstars are nice, but Docteur Nico just blows them out of the water.

[Stephan]

And the results!

Bracket 1.3.5
Franco - Liberté - 4
Geoffrey Oryema - Lapwony - 5

Bracket 1.3.6
Kenyan Boys Choir - Homeless - 2
Festival Maquisard & Sam Mangwana - Festival Bilombe - 7

Bracket 1.3.7
Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta - 8
Birigwa - Yelewa - 1

Bracket 1.3.8
Kasai Allstars - Mpombo Yetu - 3
Docteur Nico & African Fiesta - Mamu Wa Mpoy - 6