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1991-2000
Nguaka
Ayé (post-Zaïko Langa Langa)
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In 1991 Dindo Yogo left Zaïko to embark
on a solo career that would last until his death.
He has said that his reasons for leaving Zaïko were due to the jealousy
that the other musicians felt following the success of his solo projects
recorded whilst still part of the group. Dindo
had originally requested a formal written contract with Zaïko allowing him the
freedom to compose and release his own material.
The agreement was never ratified in print and it was only after achieving
his solo successes that Zaïko then started pressurising him to sign a limiting
contract. After leaving the group,
albeit on fairly friendly terms, he put together a Kinshasa group of mostly
unknown musicians that he called Nguaka Ayé, and on 10 August 1991 they
performed their first concert. The
group was frequently augmented by older colleagues from the original Etumba na
Nguaka but Dindo was financially unable to sustain the group.
Like most band leaders Dindo would travel to Europe to record his discs
using European based musicians. He
would then return to Kinshasa where he could perform the material live with his
Nguaka Ayé musicians. It was
during his frequent visits to Europe that he became an almost automatic choice
as a guest vocalist by many artists recording their own sessions.
Dindo Yogo, through the 1990s, became one of the kings of the “Nzong-zing”,
the super-session or impromptu performance.
In some quarters he was accused of prostituting his voice and certainly
some of the recordings he contributed to were by unknown and indifferent
artists. He was merely trying to
earn an honest living and, he claimed, gain more musical experience, by doing
what he was best at.
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| His solo albums subsequent to leaving Zaïko
Langa Langa represent some of the best Congolese music of the 1990s.
In fact the group Nguaka Ayé, with its own dance rhythm “Ngebu Ngebu”,
deserved far greater success than they achieved.
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| Albums released by Dindo Yogo
subsequent to leaving Zaïko Langa Langa:
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| 1.
Dindo Yogo Ngwaka Ayé, Ayé Lisusu!
(LP – FDB 100059). Released
as a cd under the title Dindo Yogo (FDB
300059) with the addition of two songs from C’est
la Vie.
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| 2.
Dindo Yogo Best of Vol. 1 (FDB
300300). CD only issue of five
tracks from C’est la Vie and five
tracks from Ngwaka Ayé, Ayé Lisusu!.
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| 3.
Groupe Ngwaka Ayé (CD 65053). |
| 4.
Djangi Dindo Yogo – Moni Mambu (BABI
005). |
| 5.
25 Ans de Carrière Musicale –
Laquelle toi choisir?..oh la vie!.. (FDB 300184). |
| 6.
Soo Wa Blue Silver 50 461-2). |
| 7.
Le Duo Père & Fils – Dindo
Yogo & Lola – Pour un nouveau depart – Ngwaka Ayé (KL 0165). |
| 8.
Dindo Yogo & Lola Muana – Duo
du Tonnerre “Lipou” (RMP 304999). |
| 9.
Dindo Yogo – Plus d’Amour (JPS) |
| The first album, Ngwaka Ayé, Ayé Lisusu! ,released on vinyl and cd, was recorded in
Paris and providing the backing vocals are Lukombo Djaffar from Tabu Ley’s
Afrisa who, like Dindo, had become a popular session singer, and the top
Congolese female singer Déesse Mukangi. Déesse,
at the time, had just left Bozi Boziana’s group Anti-Choc and was launching
her own solo career as well as singing backup on many of the best studio
sessions of the time. Guitar
soloists were old colleagues Popolipo and Huit Kilos and although the session is
washed with synthesizer and drum programming there is a fresh and uncluttered
approach to the music that makes this release an absolute joy to hear. |
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The follow up, Groupe Ngwaka Ayé , was a Kinshasa recording, less produced but
equally compelling, and more representative of how Dindo’s group played live.
This cd also includes a great re-recording of “Lola Muana”.
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| Moni
Mambu caught Dindo treading water, with too much
keyboard, probably because he was struggling to support the band and had already
lost most of his musicians. |
| 25
ans de carrière was produced with a fresh
injection of production money and in addition to some fine new tunes Dindo took
the opportunity of celebrating his quarter century in the business by
re-recording “Mokili Echanger”. His
new lyric explains how he has returned to the “avenue of life” following his
original intention to stay with Zaïko until the end of his career.
He confirms that one can never be sure what developments will take place
in this life. This, of course, was
a reference not only to his own life but also to the dramatically developing
situation taking place as Zaïre headed toward democratisation. |
| Despite the indisputable artistic
quality of Dindo’s post-Zaïko recordings he was, he openly admitted,
struggling financially, thereby explaining his necessity to work as a session
singer on other peoples’ recordings. His
next release was entitled Soo Wa,
which in the Mongo language means “we are dying”, a reference to the general
disorganised state of the Congolese music business rather than any kind of
physical death. |
| The excellent final two releases, Pour
un nouveau depart and Duo du Tonnerre
were both recorded with his son, Lola. Lola
Dindo had been developing his voice in an identical style to his father and it
was quite a pleasant surprise to hear the two together, one mature “broken”
voice duetting with a delightful, barely post-adolescent “broken” voice.
Pour un nouveau depart was
recorded in Brazzaville with the remnants of the Nguaka Aye musicians and
includes a re-cut of “Sina Nduku”, one of Dindo’s Viva la Musica hits.
The follow up, “ Duo du Tonnerre” caught father and son back in Paris
where they once again re-recorded “Sina Nduku” and also yet another
excellent version of “Mokili Echanger”. |
| At one time in the mid-nineties it was
thought that Dindo would join his former Viva la Musica
colleague King Kester Emeneya in Victoria Eleison.
In fact the last two times I saw Dindo perform were as a guest during
Victoria Eleison concerts. I also
saw him guesting with Reddy Amisi and at one point, when Reddy was at the height
of his popularity, I wondered if they might eventually team up as a duo;
especially since their voices had worked so well together when Dindo had guested
on Reddy’s Prudence and Ziggy releases.
Then in 1995 at the big Zaïko Langa Langa 25th Anniversary
performance in Paris Dindo performed a guest slot and was actually requested on
stage by the Zaïko animateur if he would consider re-joining the group.
Dindo remained independent until the end: Perhaps musicians of his
quality are destined to lead their own group rather than being a mere member of
a chorus.
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| There is a video of playback footage of
the Soo Wa album entitled L’Ingratitude
ne paie pas (CEFA PF107) which is marginally interesting.
Of far greater significance are three videos of live footage of the group
Nguaka Ayé: |
| 1.
Dindo Yogo Live (FDB 400027).
1991 footage of mostly material from the Ngwaka
Ayé, Ayé Lisusu and Groupe Ngwaka Ayé
cds. |
| 2.
Dindo Yogo – dans sa meilleure
forme – chansons inedites (FDB 400121).
Mostly material from the cd 25 Ans
de Carrière.
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3.
Dindo Yogo – Mokili Echanger –
nouvelle version (Kalim KIV 589). Different
live footage of material from the cd 25
Ans de Carrière.
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All
photos and LP/CD sleeves taken from Martin Sinnock's archive
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