Founded in the early 1969 by D.V. Moanda, Marcelin Delo, Henry Mongombe, Olemi Eshar-Eshar dem'belina and Andre Bita, Zaiko Langa Langa survived into the 2000s (decade), and have been largely popular through the decades. Because of their "rebel" and "hippie" attitude, and their innovative approach to soukous, they became a symbol of the new generations of post-independence Zaire, and are sometimes compared to the Rolling Stones for their appeal on the Congolese youth.
The band has experienced several personnel changes, and a number of prominent soukous musicians have been in their lineup; examples are Bozi Boziana, Dindo Yogo, Evoloko Jocker, N'Yoka Longo and Bimi Ombale. Several soukous band formed as spin-offs of Zaiko Langa Langa; these include Isifi Lokole, Yoka Lokole, Viva La Musica, Langa Langa Stars, Zaiko Familia Dei, Basilique Loningisa, Choc Stars, Anti Choc, and Zaiko Nkolo Mboka. This large group of related bands is sometimes referred to as "Clan Langa Langa" (i.e., "the Langa Langa family").
In 2000, Zaiko Langa Langa were awarded by the Congolese Media Association as the best Congolese musical group of the 20th century.
The band was formed in 1969 with the provisional name "Orchestra Zaiko". The original lineup was composed of Papa Wemba, Mavuela Somo, Evoloko Lay Lay, Teddy Sukami, Oncle Bapius, Zamuangana le meilleur and Manuaku Waku (also known as Pépé Fely) and N'Yoka Longo. The band also had a pop section, which was playing before the soukous section, with Bimi Ombale, Mbuta Matima and Mashakado Mbuta. Moanda, Mongombe, Marcelin, Waku, Longo and Bita were all from a former band called Bel Guide National. They were mostly students coming from upper-class families of Kinshasa.
The sound of Zaiko Langa Langa was revolutionary with respect to the soukous tradition. They adopted a more up tempo beat, abandoned wind instruments and emphasized snare drums and lead electric guitars (and eventually also synthesizers). The percussion rhythms were adapted from traditional Congolese music and the sebene became more prominent. Their vocal lines made a large use of the call and response schemes. Their frenetic stage shows featured a frontline of four singers.
Because of these innovations, they are sometimes referred to as the founders of the "third school" of soukous. The "first school" is probably that of soukous bands of the 1950s, such as Grand Kalle et l'African Jazz and OK Jazz, while the "second school" could be that of Sam Mangwana's African Fiesta. While their "rebel" attitude, which resembled that of the hippie movement, earned them the sobriquet of "Zaire's Rolling Stones".
Zaiko quickly became one of the most popular groups of Zaire, and had a large fan base among Kinshasa's juvenile. In the 1970s, Zaiko's singers Evoloko "Lay Lay" Joker, Papa Wemba, Gina Efonge, Mavuela Somo, Nyoka Longo and Bimi Ombale popularized a dance known as cavacha, also spelled "kavasha, that was a decade-lasting craze in most East Africa.
In 1974, Zaiko Langa Langa were amongst the Zairean bands to be invited to play in Zaire '74, a huge musical event celebrating the Rumble in the Jungle.
In the mid 1970s the band lost some of its most important members. Papa Wemba, Bozi Boziana, Mavuela Somo and Evoloko left in 1974 to create Isifi Lokole; the same year, Papa Wemba, Bozi Boziana and Mavuela abandoned Evoloko after a conflict of leadership in the groupe between Evoloko and Papa Wemba to form Yoka Lokole in 1976. In 1980, guitarist Manuaka Waku also founded his own group, Grand Zaiko Wa Wa. After a brief period of inactivity, the band returned in 1975, and in the following years maintained a prominent position in the soukous scenes, while competing with its own spin-offs such as Isifi Melodia, Yoka Lokole and later on in 1977 Viva La Musica of Papa Wemba after he left Yoka Lokole after another conflict of leadership between him and Mavuela Somo. The outcome of the personnel changes in the band was the establishment of N'Yoka Longo as the new leader, and new entries such as Lengi Lenga, Bakunde Ilo Pablo and Likinga. Zaiko Langa Langa's production of the latter 1970s are particularly sophisticated both in terms of melody and orchestration, and the choreography of the live performance was also richer than it was in the early years. In 1975 too saw the establishment of the longest serving front singers of Zaiko in Nyoka Longo, Bimi Ombale, Lengi Lenga and Likinga Redo who will become for fourteen years the face of Zaiko and impose Zaiko as the ultimate heavy weight of youth music in Zaire. The success of the band was so huge and unprecedented in Zairian music history that all the presonnel that have left the band were queuing to return. In 1977, Bozi Boziana rejoined the group, followed by Mashakado Mbuta and Evoloko in 1980.
Despite new internal quarrels and personnel changes with the departure of Evoloko, Bozi and Djo Mali in 1981 to form Langa Langa Stars, Zaiko Langa Langa were successful throughout the 1980s. The band was touring Europe and Africa regularly and was the first Zairian band to visit Japan. At the end of the decade at the height of their glory and having establish themselves as legends in Zaire, the band experienced another major split, between the two leaders of the group Nyoka Longo and Bimi Ombale. The band was divided in two with every musician choosing his camp between the two leaders who were part of Zaiko since it creation. With Meridjo, Bapius, Matima, Zamuangana who were part of Zaiko from it creation staying with Nyoka Longo followed by Dindo Yogo and the band was called then Zaiko Langa Langa Nkolo Mboka, and was considered as the original Zaiko, to differentiate it from the band of Bimi Ombale which was called Zaiko Langa Langa Familia Dei and had Lengi Lenga, Ilo Pablo, JP Buse and the rest of the musicians that came in the 1980s. Later on, N'Yoka Longo's group reacquired the original name "Zaiko Langa Langa", which has maintained until today. N'Yoka Longo is still the leader of the group.
In 2002, Zaiko performed in the mythic arena Zenith of Paris, France. More than 6.000 fans attended. This was considered by many as the renaissance or rebirth of Zaiko. In fact, as earlier as 1988, Zaiko, being very popular at that time, made plan to perform in Zenith but the great split that occurred in the band stopped it for doing so.
Zaiko spent 6 and half years in Europe (2002–09). Its Headquarters ware based in Bruxelles, Belgium. But the band gave more concerts in France and other countries around Europe. During that time in Europe, Zaiko released three albums: Eureka (2002), Empreintes (2004), Recontres (2006). In the last album, Nyoka Longo invited many former Zaiko musicians like Malage, Beniko Popolipo; and a retired Congolese musician Tony Dee Bokito. He also recruited from Kinshasa, the son of late Dindo yogo, Lola Muana.
During the time the Band was in Europe, Nyoka Longo, in 2006, charged Lola Muana who was then in Kinshasa to form a group that would promote Zaiko music in D.R.Congo. Lola recruited and formed a subsidiary group of Zaiko called Les Ganers de Zaiko. Bapius Muaka, a longtime guitarist bass player who left the group during a minor split of 1999, joined the Ganers too.
The group returned in D.R.Congo in January 2009 with only five musicians: Nyoka Longo, Doudou Adoula, Shou Lay Evoloko, Gege Mangaya and Lola Muana. Other members of the group defected and stayed in Europe where they formed a new band named Les Stars de Zaiko under the leadership of Adamo Ekula. Couple years later, they renamed their new band Zaikas Kolo Mboka.
Since his recruitment in Zaiko, Lola Muana was regarded by many as the principal heir of Zaiko. But in 2009, he was forced to quit the group because of his proposal to have a valid work contract with the group. His request was denied by the President of Zaiko, N'Yoka Longo Mvula Jossart. The son of Evoloko, Shou Lay, who backed Lola's request left the group too. In November 2011, Lola Muana was reinstated in the group.
Zaiko Langa Langa were both influential in their own right and through their many spin-offs. Most of these maintained a strong link to the original formation, and this is often reflected by the names they adopted. The groups that somehow belong to the Zaiko Langa Langa "franchise" are collectively known as the "Clan Langa Langa". This includes:
Isifi Lokole - Papa Wemba, Bozi Boziana, Evoloko Jocker, Mavuela Somo
Yoka Lokole - Papa Wemba, Bozi Boziana, Mavuela Somo
Grand Zaïko Wa Wa (1975–?) - Manuaku Waku who was joined by successful singers like Shimita, Djo Poster among others
Viva La Musica (1977–?) - Papa Wemba, joined by Emeneya Mubiala, dindo yogo
Choc Stars - Bozi Boziana, Tshimpaka Roxy joined by Ben Nyamabo, Karlito Lassa, Defao
L'Orchestre Anti-Choc - Bozi Boziana, joined by Deyesse Mukangi, Jolie Detta, Dodoli, Walingonda, Fifi Mofude, etc.
Langa Langa Stars (1981–1984) - Evoloko Jocker, Bozi Boziana, Tshimpaka Roxy and Djo Mali
TPOK Jazz (1984–1983) - François Luambo Makiadi
Zaïko Langa Langa Nkolo Mboka - N'Yoka Longo, Meridjo, Dindo Yogo, Oncle Bapius, Zamuangana, Nono Atalaku and Matima. They were joined by Malage de Lugendo, Adamo, Baroza, Shiro Shiro,
Zaïko Langa Langa Familia Dei - Lengi Lenga, Ilo Pablo, Bimi Ombale, Beniko Popolipo, Petit Poisson, Djimi Yaba
Zaiko Universel (1999–2000)- Meridjo, Bapius Muaka
Langa Langa Rénové - Evoloko Jocker
Basilique Loningisa - Bimi Ombale
Ngwaka Aye- Dindo Yogo
Les Quatros de Langa Langa, Papa Wemba, Evoloko, Bozi Boziana, Gina Efonge
Les Stars de Zaiko, Now called Zaikas Kolo Mboka, Adamo Ekula, Petit Poisson, Tshanda, Papy Cocaine, etc.
Clan Petrole (1983–1940) - The Best Collections.
Discography
* 1970 : Pauline
* 1972 : L'amoureux decu
* 1973 : Mete la vérité, chouchouna
* 1974 : Liwa ya somo
* 1981 : Sarah Djenni
* 1983 : La Tout Neige
* 1985 : Zaiko Eyi Nkisi
* 1985 : Eh Ngoss! Eh Ngoss! Eh Ngoss!
* 1986 : Bongoville
* 1986 : Pusa Kuna... Serrez! Serrez!
* 1987 : Bongama Kamata Position
* 1987 : Subissez les conséquences
* 1988 : Nippon Banzai au Japon
* 1989 : Jetez l'Eponge
* 1990 : Zaiko Langa-Langa F. D.
* 1992 : L'Autentique Zaiko Langa Langa
* 1993 : Jamais sans nous
* 1993 : Zaire-Ghana (recorded in Accra in 1976, produced by Henri Bowane)
* 1995 : Avis de recherche
* 1995 : Zekete Zekete
* 1996 : Sans issue
* 1996 : Pacha labaran
* 1997 : Papa Omar
* 1997 : Onassis
* 1997 : Muvaro
* 1997 : Le beau temps
* 1997 : Bongo bouger
* 1997 : Bacline Lesson One
* 1997 : Poison
* 2000 : Etumba ya la vie
* 2001 : Legend
* 2002 : Anthologie
* 2003 : Sentiment Awa / Essesse
* 2003 : Eureka!
* 2004 : Empreinte
* Zaire Congo Dance
* Zaiko Langa Langa
* Saisie en Douane... 20 Ans Déjà
* Ici Ça Va... Fungola Motema
* Out of Africa
Zekira
Zaïko Langa Langa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Balobi na tika nzela yango
Nameki na benda nzoto
Kasi motema eko tingama
Ricky Lumbu
J'assume
Wuta lokola okende
Omema molimo na ngai
Ba pasi nakomona
Nako tubela na nani
Pe ya ngai pema nioso
Yango wana oza kosilisa
Bolingo pasi
Kala na ngai
Ekomi lelo
Ba amoureux nioso
Nde ba lela
Na ndenge nako niokwama
Ekoyeba kaka Nzambe
Zekira sala noki okoya ko kuta
Moto basi bakunda
C'est la vérité rien que la vérité
Tuna baye baza na nga elongo
Nabandi kosila nzoto
Noki te okoyoka nga nadangwe
Ndeko ya mwasi yaka kobikisa ngai
Nakeyi kopesa nzoto na losambo
Pasteur akoyeba te eza faute ya l'amour
Zekira
Zekira sala noki okoya ko kuta
Moto basi bakunda
C'est la vérité rien que la vérité
Tuna baye baza na nga elongo
Nabandi kosila nzoto
Noki te okoyoka nga nadangwe
Zeki zeki mwinda ya motema
Na weli fidelité
Famille batuni nga tina na kokondo
Napesa eyano nini
Meka kotekela nga ndambo ya gentil
Napemisa mabanzo
Nasenga nzambe tosala ba promesse
Tofanda réalité
Nakosenga na Nzambe amour apesa nga na yo
Ezongela yo ata na ndoto oh
Zeki zeki mwinda ya motema
Na weli fidelité
Famille batuni nga tina na kokondo
Napesa eyano nini
Meka kotekela nga ndambo ya gentil
Napemisa mabanzo
Nasenga nzambe tosala ba promesse
Tofanda réalité
Naleli pe na tina motema etikali polele
Yo olukaka solution na bika
Wapi Eddy Kashama
Zeki zeki mwinda ya motema
Na weli fidelité
Famille batuni nga tina na kokondo
Napesa eyano nini
Meka kotekela nga ndambo ya gentil
Napemisa mabanzo
Nasenga nzambe tosala ba promesse
Tofanda réalité
The lyrics to Zaïko Langa Langa's song Zekira are about a love that is causing confusion and uncertainty in the singer's life. Zekira, the subject of the song, is a woman who is leading the singer down a difficult path. The lyrics describe the singer feeling lost and unsure about what to do next in his pursuit of her. He is torn between his head and his heart, as his heart wants to follow her but his mind knows better.
Throughout the song, the singer is struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Zekira. He acknowledges the pain and confusion she is causing him, but he cannot seem to let go of his love for her. He pleads with her to be honest with him, so he can understand what her true intentions are. Despite his heartache, he remains loyal to her and is willing to stay by her side no matter what.
The song is a classic example of the Congolese-style Soukous, which originated in the 1930s in Congo. Zaïko Langa Langa, the band that wrote and performed Zekira, is one of the most influential Soukous bands of all time, and the song is one of their most popular tracks. The song was released in 1992, and it quickly became a hit in Africa and Europe. The lyrics were written by Jossart N'Yoka Longo, Zaïko Langa Langa's founder and lead singer, and the music was composed by Dindo Yogo, a renowned Congolese musician.
Line by Line Meaning
Zekira yoka
Call ZeKira
Balobi na tika nzela yango
Ask for directions to her place
Nameki na benda nzoto
Put on your best clothes
Kasi motema eko tingama
But be prepared for disappointment
Ricky Lumbu
A signature from Ricky Lumbu
J'assume
I take responsibility
Wuta lokola okende
Keep moving, like fire
Omema molimo na ngai
My heart is at ease
Nioso mbala moko
Everyone is just jealous
Ba pasi nakomona
They criticize me
Nako tubela na nani
But who else can take my place
Pe ya ngai pema nioso
All my problems are solved
Yango wana oza kosilisa
That is why they envy me
Bolingo pasi
Love hurts
Kala na ngai
Stay with me
Ekomi lelo
It's happening now
Ba amoureux nioso
All the lovers
Nde ba lela
Are watching
Na ndenge nako niokwama
It's up to me to decide
Ekoyeba kaka Nzambe
Only God knows
Zekira sala noki okoya ko kuta
ZeKira is waiting for me there
Moto basi bakunda
People are busy talking
C'est la vérité rien que la vérité
It's the truth, nothing but the truth
Tuna baye baza na nga elongo
They want to know my secret
Nabandi kosila nzoto
They try to bring me down
Noki te okoyoka nga nadangwe
But I won't be defeated
Ndeko ya mwasi yaka kobikisa ngai
My sister is supporting me
Nakeyi kopesa nzoto na losambo
I give my soul to music
Pasteur akoyeba te eza faute ya l'amour
Even the priest knows love is not a sin
Zeki zeki mwinda ya motema
The light of my heart shines
Na weli fidelité
In the name of loyalty
Famille batuni nga tina na kokondo
My family is always in my heart
Napesa eyano nini
What can I give back?
Meka kotekela nga ndambo ya gentil
I try to be kind to others
Napemisa mabanzo
I keep my promises
Nasenga nzambe tosala ba promesse
I pray to God to fulfill my promises
Tofanda réalité
But reality hits
Naleli pe na tina motema etikali polele
I fall asleep with a heavy heart
Yo olukaka solution na bika
You have to find a solution
Wapi Eddy Kashama
Where is Eddy Kashama?
Writer(s): N'yoka Longo
Contributed by Sophia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rickymwamba9681
Notre musique a trois parties: 1) L'introduction: début de l'histoire accompagnée des poèmes. À ce niveau, les gens sont assis.
2) Le développement: Poésie rythmée, le fond de l'histoire. Ici les gens se mette debout en position de danse!
3) La conclusion: Partie dansante. Ici la danse est en ébullition et tout le monde est sur la piste dansante!
Les Ivoiriens et les Nigerians ont avoué qu'ils se sont inspirés de la partie dansante de la musique Congolaise pour en créer leur propre style communément dénommée "Afro Beat", que ce soit la rhumba ou le ndombolo!
@MrNeversweat
Notre musique est unique, c'est bien que nos autres Freres immitent , mais nos metaphores, rhytmes et paroles IL faut etre Luba, Kongo,Ngala, et un peu Swahili pour exprimer CA musicalement, c est trop profond.
Ps Les Kenyans essaient mieu
@chiraboza9116
Beniko me donne envie de devenir guitariste
@mfumukongo9219
@@chiraboza9116 Beniko n'a pas participé dans cet album. Il n'y avait que Baroza, Roxy et Yoto Delta force. Cette chanson par exemple est jouée par Yoto.
@chiraboza9116
@@mfumukongo9219 oui, merci. Je sais ça. Alors dit moi roxy vers les années 95 il était à zaiko?
@mfumukongo9219
@@chiraboza9116 ya Nioch l'avait sollicité de participer dans cet album pour assurer la direction après le décès de Shiro. Et en compensation, l'orchestre l'aidait à l'emmener en Europe pour rejoindre sa famille puisqu'il était bloqué à Kinshasa.
@odipoojana
ZEKI. ZEKI. Fellow Kenyans mpo? Great music indeed.
@michaelnyangi4459
Zaiko Revolutionized Rumba Congolese to the rest of the World. Music of all time.
@jeremiedenga819
Qui est là en décembre 2021,
J'ai des larmes en écoutant ce morceau me rappelant l'époque je pouvais apprécier ce son à côté de mon père qui n'est plus de cette terre il ya 9 ans...
Comme il me manque
Papa 😥😭😭
@basique14
Moi je l'écoute en mars 2022. Condoléances pour papa.