During his career, Tabu Ley composed up to 3,000 songs and produced 250 albums.
Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu was born in Bagata, in the then Belgian Congo. His musical career took off in 1956 when he sung with Joseph "Le Grand Kallé" Kabasele, and his band L'African Jazz. After finishing high school he joined the band as a full-time musician. Tabu Ley sang in the pan-African hit Indépendance Cha Cha which was composed by Grand Kallé for Congolese independence from Belgium in 1960, propelling Tabu Ley to instant fame. He remained with African Jazz until 1963 when he and Dr Nico Kasanda formed their own group, African Fiesta.[6] Two years later, Tabu Ley and Dr. Nico split and Tabu Ley formed African Fiesta National, also known as African Fiesta Flash. The group became one of the most successful bands in African history, recording African classics like Afrika Mokili Mobimba, and surpassing record sales of one million copies by 1970. Papa Wemba and Sam Mangwana were among the many influential musicians that were part of the group. He adopted the stage name "Rochereau" after the French General Pierre Denfert-Rochereau, whose name he liked and whom he had studied in school.
In 1970, Tabu Ley formed Orchestre Afrisa International, Afrisa being a combination of Africa and Éditions Isa, his record label. Along with Franco Luambo's TPOK Jazz, Afrisa was now one of Africa's greatest bands. They recorded hits such as "Sorozo", "Kaful Mayay", "Aon Aon", and "Mose Konzo". They performed also at the Zaire 74 and therefore are in the documentary film Soul Power.
In the mid 1980s Tabu Ley discovered a young talented singer and dancer, M'bilia Bel, who helped popularise his band further. M'bilia Bel became the first female soukous singer to gain acclaim throughout Africa. Tabu Ley and M'bilia Bel later married and had one child together. In 1988 Tabu Ley introduced another female vocalist known as Faya Tess, and M'bilia Bel left and continued to be successful on her own. After M'bilia Bel's departure, Afrisa's influence along with that of their rivals TPOK Jazz continued to wane as fans gravitated toward the faster version of soukous.
After the establishment of Mobutu Sese Seko regime in the Congo, he adopted the name "Tabu Ley" as part of Mobutu's "Zairization" of the country, but later went into exile in France in 1988.
In 1985, the Government of Kenya banned all foreign music from the National Radio service. After Tabu Ley composed the song "Twende Nairobi" ("Let's go to Nairobi"), sung by M'bilia Bel, in praise of Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi, the ban was promptly lifted. In the early 1990s he briefly settled in Southern California. He began to tailor his music towards an International audience by including more English lyrics and by increasing more international dance styles such as Samba. He found success with the release of albums such as Muzina, Exil Ley, Africa worldwide and Babeti soukous. The Mobutu regime banned his 1990 album "Trop, C'est Trop" as subversive. In 1996, Tabu Ley participated in the album Gombo Salsa by the salsa music project Africando. The song "Paquita" from that album is a remake of a song that he recorded in the late 1960s with African Fiesta.
When Mobutu was deposed in 1997, Tabu Ley returned to Kinshasa and took up a position as a cabinet minister in the government of new President Laurent Kabila. Following Kabila's death, Tabu Ley then joined the appointed transitional parliament created by Joseph Kabila, until it was dissolved following the establishment of the inclusive transitional institutions. In November 2005 Tabu Ley was appointed Vice-Governor of Kinshasa, a position devolved to his party, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) by the 2002 peace agreements. He also served as provincial minister of culture. In 2008, he was said to have fathered up to 102 children, including the French rapper Youssoupha, with different women.
He has been described as "the Congolese personality who, along with Mobutu, marked Africa's 20th century history." He was dubbed "the African Elvis" by the Los Angeles Times.
Tabu Ley Rochereau died on 30 November 2013, aged 76, at Saint-Luc hospital in Brussels, Belgium where he had been undergoing treatment for a stroke he suffered in 2008. He was buried on 9 December 2013 in the Cimetière Acropolic de la N'sele in Kinshasa, DR Congo, after receiving an official mourning ceremony at the Palais du Peuple.
Fetiche
Tabu Ley Rochereau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
reflète la lune à l'horizon écoutez ma prière oh!
Fétiche des ancêtres ramène ma belle a la raison petite lumière
reveille ma belle qu'elle vienne ma pirogue nous attends cette nuit
ce la dernière qu'elle s'en dorme oh ma belle dans la case enfumée de
ses parents le vent est frais ce soir petite lumière danse je
commence a croire au fétiche d'âme ganse nature va s'ouvrir le
reflète une fable et la case va s'ouvrir
Afrique à exaucé ma prière marabout d'
Afrique dans la rivière oooh ooh oooh...
The lyrics to Tabu Ley Rochereau's song "Fetiche" describe a man who is begging for the return of his lover. He is appealing to the spirits of his ancestors and to the powers of the fetiche, or fetish, to bring his beloved back to him. The small light shining on the river reflects the moon on the horizon as he sends up his prayer. The man believes in the power of the fetiche and feels that it will bring his lover back to her senses. He begs for the help of the spirits so that he can be with his love once again.
The man believes that his lover is sleeping in her parents' smoky hut and that the cool breeze of the night is just right for their reunion. The small light shining on the river seems to be dancing, and he starts to believe in the power of the fetiche even more. The man believes that the forces of nature will open up, and the door to the hut will open so that he can be reunited with his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce soir sur la rivière petite lumière
This evening, a small light is shining on the river.
reflète la lune à l'horizon écoutez ma prière oh!
It reflects the moon on the horizon. Listen to my prayer.
Fétiche des ancêtres ramène ma belle a la raison petite lumière
Ancestral fetish, bring my love back to reason, little light.
reveille ma belle qu'elle vienne ma pirogue nous attends cette nuit
Wake up my love, our boat is waiting for us tonight.
ce la dernière qu'elle s'en dorme oh ma belle dans la case enfumée de ses parents
This is the last time she'll sleep in her parents' smoky house, my dear, before leaving with me.
le vent est frais ce soir petite lumière
The wind is cool tonight, little light.
danse je commence a croire au fétiche d'âme ganse
I dance, starting to believe in the soul-binding fetish.
nature va s'ouvrir le reflète une fable et la case va s'ouvrir
Nature is about to reveal a tale, and the house will open up.
c'est ma belle il me semble fétiche de d'Afrique à exaucé ma prière
It is my love, I believe the African fetish has answered my prayer.
marabout d'Afrique dans la rivière oooh ooh oooh...
African marabout in the river, ooh ooh ooh...
Contributed by Charlie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexander LUOBA
on Sacramento
My best song of all time, I really appreciate the Legend Tabu
Adam
on Monsieur Malonga
Can anyone share lyrics for Monsieur Malonga?
I love how this song sounds and would really like to know what it's about. Thanks in advance!
Tony Menzies
on Kimakango Mpe Libala
I would really love to get the lyrics for Aon Aon. It's been a long time favourite of mine. From the 'Dance d'Afrique' LP's