Post by Yona Maro on Sept 4, 2005 2:35:56 GMT -5
Maquis Original's headquarters are at the Lang'ata Social Hall in Kinondoni, one of Dar es Salaam's more affluent quarters. Ever since they popularized their Kamanyola bila jasho ("dance Kamanyola without sweating") style in the late seventies, Maquis' image has been one of laid-back, easy entertainment, hence, the perception of their dances as ‘civilized’ affairs preferred by a more high-class clientele.
Maquis are not merely a band. They also run a farm and you can buy their produce from Dar es Salaam's main market in Kariakoo. This move to diversification was made, when the Tanzanian government in the late seventies strove to oust 'foreign' bands. To be able to stay, Maquis established themselves as a cooperative society. Chinyama Chianza was its first president, as well as band leader until his death in 1985. (He plays the saxophone here on the title "Mabruki.")
The band was formed in the eastern Zairean town of Lubumbashi in 1970. Its core, including Chianza, had left the Super Teo band, when they could afford to buy their own instruments. In 1972 Maquis was invited to play in Kampala, Uganda. Their journey took them to various towns in Tanzania including Dar es Salaam. It was here that they decided to stay. They never made it to their original destination Kampala.
Other founding members of Maquis include Mbuya Makonga 'Adios', Tshimanga Assosa and Nguza Mbangu 'Viking'. Nguza's hard-driving guitar solos can be heard on "Mpenzi Luta" and 'Mabruki'. He took over from Chianza as president and band leader until 1987, when he left to form his own band Sambulumaa, and later to lead Orchestra Safari Sound. He now leads his own band again, called Achigo. Since Nguza left, Mbuya Makonga, singer and organ player, has been the president of the Maquis organization. Recent band leaders, i.e., those responsible for the music as well as the stage management, have been singer Tshimanga Assosa and bass player Ilunga Mbanza 'Mchafu.'
In the seventies Assosa had left for some time to go to Kinshasa (playing there with such groups as Soki Vangu's Orchestra Bella Bella). Back in Tanzania he joined Orchestra Makassy (Makassy Real Audio), and he composed "Mambo Bado" which was the hit of their 1982 European release Agwaya. In 1983 he rejoined Maquis and has since become one of the group’s leading singers and composers. Assosa composed and sang most of their recent favorites, including "Makumbele" and "Ngalula", the latter winning Maquis a first place in the 1989/90 national band contest. The early nineties saw Assosa leading the band Legho Stars, but public demand brought him back to Maquis in the spring of 1992, and he has since established himself as the band leader again.
"Ngalula" and "Makumbele" also feature guitar prodigy Dekula Kahanga 'Vumbi', 'Dust' as he is called, because of his high-pitched guitar licks. He is considered by many as the outstanding discovery on the Tanzanian scene in recent years. At the time of these recordings, in 1988/89 and into 1990, Kahanga's guitar solos were one of the main attractions of Maquis' live performances. The name 'Vumbi', shouted by Assosa throughout his solos, almost supplanted the official mtindo of Maquis Original called Zembwela-Sendema [58 second Real Media audio clip of Vumbi in action on the song: "Ngalula", 157kb]. Kahanga has since 'retired' to Sweden, but he is still a member of Maquis, and plays with them whenever he is in Dar es Salaam.
The mtindo is the musical performance and dance style associated with each band. Most bands stick with their mtindo, but, every so often, Maquis will introduce a new one. This disc showcases several of their mitindo (plural of mtindo) of the last fifteen years: "Mabruki" is still in the Kamanyola style, an incarnation that is called Sanifu. Nineteen eighty-three saw the introduction of Ogelea Piga Mbizi, 'swim and dive' which aptly describes the movements of the accompanying dance. Then in 1984 came the Zembwela style of slow dancing, represented here by "Mpenzi Luta." Maquis' mitindo have so endeared them to the general public that the names of the these styles feature prominently in everyday speech. These days for example kuZembwela is widely used as a synonym for 'dancing' per se.
Maquis are not merely a band. They also run a farm and you can buy their produce from Dar es Salaam's main market in Kariakoo. This move to diversification was made, when the Tanzanian government in the late seventies strove to oust 'foreign' bands. To be able to stay, Maquis established themselves as a cooperative society. Chinyama Chianza was its first president, as well as band leader until his death in 1985. (He plays the saxophone here on the title "Mabruki.")
The band was formed in the eastern Zairean town of Lubumbashi in 1970. Its core, including Chianza, had left the Super Teo band, when they could afford to buy their own instruments. In 1972 Maquis was invited to play in Kampala, Uganda. Their journey took them to various towns in Tanzania including Dar es Salaam. It was here that they decided to stay. They never made it to their original destination Kampala.
Other founding members of Maquis include Mbuya Makonga 'Adios', Tshimanga Assosa and Nguza Mbangu 'Viking'. Nguza's hard-driving guitar solos can be heard on "Mpenzi Luta" and 'Mabruki'. He took over from Chianza as president and band leader until 1987, when he left to form his own band Sambulumaa, and later to lead Orchestra Safari Sound. He now leads his own band again, called Achigo. Since Nguza left, Mbuya Makonga, singer and organ player, has been the president of the Maquis organization. Recent band leaders, i.e., those responsible for the music as well as the stage management, have been singer Tshimanga Assosa and bass player Ilunga Mbanza 'Mchafu.'
In the seventies Assosa had left for some time to go to Kinshasa (playing there with such groups as Soki Vangu's Orchestra Bella Bella). Back in Tanzania he joined Orchestra Makassy (Makassy Real Audio), and he composed "Mambo Bado" which was the hit of their 1982 European release Agwaya. In 1983 he rejoined Maquis and has since become one of the group’s leading singers and composers. Assosa composed and sang most of their recent favorites, including "Makumbele" and "Ngalula", the latter winning Maquis a first place in the 1989/90 national band contest. The early nineties saw Assosa leading the band Legho Stars, but public demand brought him back to Maquis in the spring of 1992, and he has since established himself as the band leader again.
"Ngalula" and "Makumbele" also feature guitar prodigy Dekula Kahanga 'Vumbi', 'Dust' as he is called, because of his high-pitched guitar licks. He is considered by many as the outstanding discovery on the Tanzanian scene in recent years. At the time of these recordings, in 1988/89 and into 1990, Kahanga's guitar solos were one of the main attractions of Maquis' live performances. The name 'Vumbi', shouted by Assosa throughout his solos, almost supplanted the official mtindo of Maquis Original called Zembwela-Sendema [58 second Real Media audio clip of Vumbi in action on the song: "Ngalula", 157kb]. Kahanga has since 'retired' to Sweden, but he is still a member of Maquis, and plays with them whenever he is in Dar es Salaam.
The mtindo is the musical performance and dance style associated with each band. Most bands stick with their mtindo, but, every so often, Maquis will introduce a new one. This disc showcases several of their mitindo (plural of mtindo) of the last fifteen years: "Mabruki" is still in the Kamanyola style, an incarnation that is called Sanifu. Nineteen eighty-three saw the introduction of Ogelea Piga Mbizi, 'swim and dive' which aptly describes the movements of the accompanying dance. Then in 1984 came the Zembwela style of slow dancing, represented here by "Mpenzi Luta." Maquis' mitindo have so endeared them to the general public that the names of the these styles feature prominently in everyday speech. These days for example kuZembwela is widely used as a synonym for 'dancing' per se.