Orchestre Les Mangelepa - Last Band Standing

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 15 / 4 / 2018

---

Recorded by Guy Morley in Nairobi, 'Last Band Standing' is a highly enjoyable collection of music that typically spurs from East Africa. It is very much an album that John Peel would have have ventured into at great length, Orchestre Les Mangelepa deserve their place next to the great man's treasured albums from the likes of Shalawambe, Misty In Roots, Four Brothers and Thomas Mapfumo. In other words, it is a 'Best Of' re-recorded with little of the original vibrancy gone. Exhilarating licks of snares and powerful breezes of brass support their flowing melodies. With hardly anything in French or English, the words in Lingala will remain a mystery to the average European ear. Orchestre Les Mangelepa will, however, win you over with their own brand in yodelling and delicate snare picking. Think Diblo Diablo for the latter. The album is a mere eight songs, most clocking in at around eight to nine minutes each, and they lead through a recording history spanning almost four decades, which comes from the midst on this vast continent. There are few references to the music from Cameroun, Nigeria or from countries further West. It melts Kinshasa styles like soukous with chimurenga from Zimbabwe with the occasional township beat from further South thrown in. Their rhythms sway as one rides their magic carpet and the complex patterns merge. Fanfare drums fall in line with a popping bass and guitars shuffle into the spotlights. This album was lost in a heap before Christmas. Don't miss out.

Track Listing:-

1 Kanemo
2 Malawi zikomo
3 Mbungu
4 Suzanna
5 Maindusa
6 Mimba
7 Nyako Konya
8 Ma lilly

Band Links:-

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Orchestre-Les-Mangelepa-521744867897561/
http://no-nation.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nonationarts/
https://twitter.com/NoNationArts

Label Links:-

https://instagram.com/strutrecords/
https://twitter.com/strutrecords
https://www.youtube.com/user/strutrecords
https://www.facebook.com/StrutRecords
http://www.strut-records.com/

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg