Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique
Back to Musiques d'AfriqueRetour aux Musiques d'Afrique
|<< Back to Music of Rest of Africa
Remmy Ongala & Super Matimila (1947-2010)
(Tanzania)
Biography
Remmy Ongala, born a Zairean, was a very famous man in Tanzania.
He is one of many Zairean musicians who tried during the 1970s to earn a living in music outside
Zaire. Many of them left for Tanzania or Kenya. Back home in Zaire, too many musicians were
struggling to find work in one of the known bands nor for night clubs orchestras, which were
owned by successful businessmen or musicians.
Remmy, later nicknamed the Doctor or Dr. Remmy, started in music when the death of his mother left him the role of supporting his family. In 1978, he started playing in Dar-es-Salaam with Orchestre Makassy, and in 1981, he joined Orchestre Super Matimila, a band "owned" by a local businessman.
The rest, of course, is history. Matimila's music is laid back and swinging at the same time, a mix of Swahili flavour and rumba and soukous rhythms... Remmy sings of poverty and about people that lost their social ties, their dreams. He owes his popularity to the fact that he is still defending the weak in his songs.
In 1989, Remmy recorded for the first time in a Western studio, the famous Real World studio. The 1989 album « Songs for the Poor Man » was the result of this recording. Various albums followed, and Remmy Ongala toured regularly and often performed on festivals al over the world.
Musicians on Songs for the Poor Man:
Remmy Ongala: Lead vocals, guitar
Keito Kiniki: Vocal
Freddy Sengula Mwlasha: Guitar
Muhidini Kisukari Haji: Guitar
Hasani Ayas Ayas: Guitar
Matu Dikundia Hassan: Saxophone
Lawrence Chuki Limbanga: Drums
Saidi Salum Jumaine: Congas
Matimila: Percussion
Remmy, later nicknamed the Doctor or Dr. Remmy, started in music when the death of his mother left him the role of supporting his family. In 1978, he started playing in Dar-es-Salaam with Orchestre Makassy, and in 1981, he joined Orchestre Super Matimila, a band "owned" by a local businessman.
The rest, of course, is history. Matimila's music is laid back and swinging at the same time, a mix of Swahili flavour and rumba and soukous rhythms... Remmy sings of poverty and about people that lost their social ties, their dreams. He owes his popularity to the fact that he is still defending the weak in his songs.
In 1989, Remmy recorded for the first time in a Western studio, the famous Real World studio. The 1989 album « Songs for the Poor Man » was the result of this recording. Various albums followed, and Remmy Ongala toured regularly and often performed on festivals al over the world.
Musicians on Songs for the Poor Man:
Remmy Ongala: Lead vocals, guitar
Keito Kiniki: Vocal
Freddy Sengula Mwlasha: Guitar
Muhidini Kisukari Haji: Guitar
Hasani Ayas Ayas: Guitar
Matu Dikundia Hassan: Saxophone
Lawrence Chuki Limbanga: Drums
Saidi Salum Jumaine: Congas
Matimila: Percussion
Remmy Ongala
Born: 10 February 1947, in Kindu, D.R. Congo (at the time Belgian Congo)
Birth Name: Ramazani Mtoro Ongala-Mungamba
Died: 13 December 2010, in Dar es Salam, Tanzania
Style: Ubongo Beat (Tanzanian rumba)
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Sema | 1995 | WOMAD Select WSCD002 | |
| The Kershaw Sessions | 1994 | Strange Roots ROOTCD004 | |
| Mambo | 1992 | Real World RWCD 22 | |
| Songs for the Poor Man | 1989 | Real World RWCD 6 | |
| Nalilia Mwana | 1988 | Womad WOMAD 010 | |
| On Stage with Remmy Ongala | 1988 | Ahadi AHDLP 6007 | |
| Penzi Ni Jahazi | 1983 | Polydor POLP 538 | Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Talakaka |
Sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remmy_Ongala (external link)
realworldrecords.com/artists/remmy-ongala-orchestre-super-matimila/ (external link)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remmy_Ongala (external link)
realworldrecords.com/artists/remmy-ongala-orchestre-super-matimila/ (external link)
Page added August 2000