Mangalepa Endurance

Originally released in 2006. Since the early 20th century, the center of modern Congolese music has been the twin cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, but there have long been other hot spots, even outside the two Congolese nations. In the 1970s and '80s Nairobi, Kenya, was home to Orchestre Virunga, Super Mazembe, all the Wanyika bands, and Les Mangalepa. They were all led by Congolese emigr‚s, though most included at least a few local musicians. Mangalepa never actually performed in Brazzaville or Kinshasa, but it had that unmistakable sound: high-energy rhythms, multiple voices, generous with the guitars and horns. From the mid-'70s to the mid-'80s (the period covered by this album), Mangalepa was hugely popular not only in Nairobi but throughout East Africa from Uganda to Malawi and even in eastern Congo.