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1978-81
Orchestre
Viva la Musica
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| In 1978 Dindo Yogo and guitarist Huit
Kilos were integrated into Papa Wemba’s Viva la Musica, the group that was at
the time posing the only really serious threat to Zaïko Langa Langa’s
dominance of the burgeoning “youth music” scene.
Papa Wemba, following his period with Zaïko and then with the groups
Isifi Lokole and Yoka Lokole, was taking Zaïre music to new heights of artistic
development. Whilst Zaïko had
certainly “roughed-up” the music and turned it into a youth movement it was
Papa Wemba who was rapidly becoming an icon of the nation’s youth and the
voice of its aspirations. Viva la
Musica’s music was pushing the possibilities of experimentation to its very
limit. Not only could Wemba sing
like a choir-boy but he could also wail and shriek like a banshee on heat.
And he also had a formidable talent for putting together exciting
combinations of vocalists, creating wild harmonies and dynamic rhythms balanced
with some sweet and melodic rumbas. |
| With Viva
Dindo Yogo only recorded a few tracks but he released one classic LP under
his own name Dindo Yogo & Viva
la Musica (VLM 007) featuring the tracks “Keni ya Bolingo”,
“Botika Tembe”, “Sina Ndugu”, and “Ya Gibier”, all recorded in
1981. The album features singers Dindo, Papa Wemba, Esperant,
Emeneya, Lidjo Kwempa, Maray Maray and Jadot le Cambodge.
Guitarists are Huit Kilos, Bongo Wende, Tofula, Safro Manzangi and
bass player Pinos; drummers Patcho Star and Otis Koyongonda; and lokole
(log drum) player Itshiari. Virtually
all of this lineup was, later that same year, to leave Wemba for
Emeneya’s new group Victoria Eleison.
The Viva la Musica dances at the time of this recording are
“Dindon Griffe / Coucou Dindon” and “Rumba Rock Frenchen”, both
showing evidence of the Viva musicians’ interest in European high
fashion, and wild and outlandish dancing.
The songs on this LP have still to be released on cd in Europe but
the first three are available on a, now hard to find, Japanese cd Papa
Wemba & L’Orchestre Viva la Musica (PCD 2007).
This cd also includes the four tracks of the Viva LP Jeune
Premier (Time Production TIP 01) which features Dindo on the superb
song “Signorina”, one of the few Viva la Musica titles to feature a
saxophone, and the 1983 post-Dindo track "Silutadi". |
| Another song, “Sabola Millimu Mawa“,
featured Dindo, Emeneya, Djanana, Fafa de Molokaï and Papa Wemba and appears on
another Japanese compilation cd La Belle
Epoque de Viva la Musica (VAAD 1000). This
tune shows Viva at its most experimental, with chaotic vocals and psychedelic
guitar that sounds more like San Francisco’s Quicksilver Messenger Service
than an African group. As a regular
member of Papa Wemba’s group Dindo appeared on a further LP Franco
présente Papa Wemba à Paris (Visa 1980 – FRAN 007).
The four tracks that comprise this LP
are available on a cd compilation called Papa
Wemba 8ième Anniversaire (EPP 02) and the same four tracks are also on
another excellent compilation Papa Wemba
25 Ans de Succès (ACP 001) which was re-issued as The
Best of Viva la Musica Vol. 1 (Rog’s CD 00295).
Of particular interest on the “Franco présente” LP are two tracks
featuring Dindo, “Aïssa na Zoé” (originally a 1978 7” 45 rpm), and “Ngonda”,
the original version of a classic song from Emeneya Kester. |
| Other appearances of Dindo Yogo whilst
with Viva la Musica can be found on Kester Emeneya & Viva la Musica – Ndako
ya Ndele (Sonodisc CDS 7007) where he features heavily alongside Emeneya,
Wemba and Bipoli on Emeneya’s superb “Dembela”.
This cd also includes Dindo on a 1978 Wemba masterpiece “Eve Paradis”,
a song that features some solo guitar and bass interplay that comes straight out
of the Grateful Dead “improvisational” repertoire – continuing the
experimentation with the psychedelic sound.
Another compilation of late seventies songs, Papa Wemba & Emeneya –
Viva la Musica 1977/78/80 (Ngoyarto NG069) includes Dindo on an
early Viva song “Teint de Bronze” and “Signorina” (taken from the Jeune
Premier LP). |
| A video of the early days of Viva la
Musica, Document Souvenir sur Viva la
Musica – Papa Wemba (Video Plus Production VPP 22 Vol. 1), shows Dindo
alongside Emeneya, Wemba and Bipoli on the track “Ngonda”.
He also appears on the song “Beloti” with Esperant, Debaba and
Emeneya. The same video footage,
taken from Viva la Musica’s earliest appearances on Zaïre television, was
re-issued as Les Merveilles du Passé –
Viva la Musica de Ekumani Papa Wemba (Benedicta 00298).
An essential purchase for anyone wishing to see part of the creation of
the Papa Wemba legend and also some footage of Dindo Yogo in an early part of
his career. |
L to R: Reddy Amisi, Dindo, Safro Manzangi - three veterans of
Viva la Musica (Photo by Martin Sinnock)
All
photos and LP/CD sleeves taken from Martin Sinnock's archive
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