Songs for the Poor Man

Last updated
Songs for the Poor Man
SongsForThePoorMan.jpg
Studio album by
Released30 October 1989
RecordedMay 1989
Studio Real World Studios, Wiltshire
Genre
Length69:24
Label Real World Records
Producer
Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila chronology
Nalilia Mwana
(1988)
Songs for the Poor Man
(1989)
Mambo
(1992)

Songs for the Poor Man is the first studio album and second album overall by Tanzanian soukous musician Remmy Ongala and his band Orchestre Super Matimila, released in 1989 on Real World Records. The album follows Ongala's acclaimed appearances at the WOMAD Tour and WOMAD'S release of Naillia Mwana, a compilation of early music by Ongala, two events which gave Ongala international recognition. Songs for the Poor Man was recorded at the WOMAD-affiliated Real World Studios in Wiltshire over three days in May 1989 with production, engineering and mixing help from David Bottrill.

Contents

The album exemplifies Ongala and the band's move towards a soukous-style sound, while being more sparse and broadened than conventional soukous and adding elements of East African funk, Latin and Caribbean music, as well as making prominent usage of conga parts to double its guitar lines. Ongala's lyrics deal with social issues such as urban poverty in Tanzania and racism. Upon release, Songs for the Poor Man won critical acclaim from critics, praising the album's conviction and passion. Robert Christgau named it the 8th greatest album of 1989, and Tom Moon included it in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die .

Background and recording

Real World Studios in 1990. RealWorldSide.jpg
Real World Studios in 1990.

Although 'Ubongo beat' musician Remmy Ongala, alongside his backing band Orchestre Super Matimila, started to become one of the most famous musicians in Tanzania in the 1980s, his increasing fame failed to parallel with increasing fortune due to a lack of adequate copyright law protection and scam record labels in countries such as Kenya who pressed more copies of a recording by Ongala than they agreed to, keeping the royalties from the extra copies themselves. [1] [2]

Ongala did, however, give a tape of his music to an English friend who was visiting Ongala's native Dar es Salaam and returning to London, who later passed the cassette on, ultimately finding itself at the hands of Peter Gabriel's world music organisation WOMAD. [2] Pleased with his music, WOMAD released a critically acclaimed compilation of his early 1980s lo-fi recordings entitled Nalilia Mwana, which established many of his musical themes. WOMAD also invited Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila to play on the 1988 edition of its annual WOMAD Tour, where audiences greeted his music with enthusiasm. [2]

Although highly popular in East Africa, his new WOMAD performances and album helped him reach European and American audiences. [3] While the band's appearances were acclaimed, the ensemble had to shrink in size when playing live for touring practicality, and were also moving towards a soukous sound, "the brasher, faster modern variant of rumba Congolaise then popular." [1] WOMAD and Gabriel contacted Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila, and Ongala agreed to record a new album, Songs for the Poor Man, for Gabriel and WOMAD's new label Real World Records. By the time of the recording, Orchestre Super Matimila "had become a regular fixture at WOMAD festivals." [1] The album was recorded and mixed at Gabriel's Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, over three days in 1989 during "Recording Week." [4] [2] [5] The album was produced by Ongala with Basil Anderson and David Bottrill, who engineered, mixed and edited the album. [5] Christopher Johns acted as assistant engineer. [5]

Composition

Music

"Rather than relentless Afrodance upmanship, he cultivates a variety that suits Tanzania's folk-friendly cultural policy."

Robert Christgau [6]

At the root of Songs for the Poor Man is the "steady, melodic drive" of the Zaïrean-style of soukous, [7] the "shimmery Afro-pop dance style," [8] and each song on the album is based on the genre's defining interlaced guitar arpeggios. [8] Unlike conventional soukous however, which is brisk and uptight, Songs for the Poor Man broadens soukousbbackbeats while slowing them down, giving them "a touch of professional swagger and a touch of East African funk." [8] According to Bob Tarte of AllMusic, the album's Tanzanian take on soukous "is as restrained as the Zairian form is hedonistic." [9] The music is aided by the inclusion of a "fluid East African guitar style and infectious Tanzanian rhythms." [7]

Music critic Robert Christgau felt the "unbrassy band", consisting of three percussionists, three guitarists, a saxophonist and a bassist, strives in a unique way unlike that of Afro-Parisian music. [6] The up-front conga parts, played by Saidi Salum Jumaine, double the guitar lines and, according to Christgau, "convey an esteem for both tribal difference and East African ways that complements the caring precision of Ongala's singing and the undulating buoyancy of his groove." [6] The music on the album is broad and spacious, and contains elements of Caribbean and Latin music. [7] Ongala's voice on the album has been described as rich, [7] soulful, [7] and weathered. [8] "Kipenda Roho" features a "hard drive" while "Mariamu Wangu", Ongala's "own all-time favourite," is based on the popular "mdundiko ngoma," which originates from Dar es Salaam. [10]

Lyrics

Unlike previous music by Ongala, the album contains songs in both English and Swahili, as opposed to just Swahili. [3] Ongala decided to write and sing some songs in English so that he could reach a wider audience. [1] The album tackles social themes, [9] and features both elegies and sorrowful laments. [8] Author Tom Moon compared the songs to lullabies and felt that "Ongala sounds like one who knows what it's like to be down, and knows, also, that he will not give up." [8] The "steadfastness of women" is one subject on the album, as is reckoning with death, which is dealt with on "Kifo." [8] "Karola" warns listeners to "be careful in a world where you believe there is goodness," [2] while "Kipenda Roho" is an anti-racist song. [2] Although poverty has been described as the album's theme, racism is considered its second most prevalent subject. [2]

The situation regarding development policy in Tanzania in the late 1980s was poor, and the country had entered a prolonged period economic contraction until 1994. In this period, Ongala styled himself as the "voice of the poor man," and this is evident in the lyrics and title of Songs for the Poor Man. [11] Problems affecting the urban poor in particular are addressed specifically on songs such as "Mnyonge Hana Haki" ('The Poor Have No Rights') and a remake of "Sauti Ya Mnyonge" ('Voice of the Poor Man'); in the latter song, Ongala "assumed the character of a poor urban migrant to highlight the daily problems of poverty," with lyrics such as "I sleep on a goat skin/On the floor with bugs and fleas/With no electricity – just a paraffin lamp." [11] One writer elaborated on the lyrics of the song:

"Both the material contrast between rich and poor and the social alienation of the underprivileged are brought to the listener's attention. The sense of social as well as economic inequality comes across as wealth is associated with beauty and contrasted with the humiliation of being poor. The reference to the Kilimanjaro Hotel, one of the most prestigious hotels in the city at the time, locates this character in Dar es Salaam, and the opening phrase ‘Mother – where are you?’ suggests that this ‘Remmy’ is separated from his family; possibly a semi-fictional protagonist but potentially Remmy Ongala himself, given the economic pressures acting on musicians at this time and Remmy's emigration from his homeland." [11]

"Mnyonge Hana Haki" developed the themes of urban poverty, "in which the association of Dar es Salaam with the pressures of liberalization, competition and inequality is made more explicit;" Ongala attacked the belief that town life is "easier, better or wealthier than rural life." [11] One writer noted: "Dar es Salaam is not the 'House of Peace' but of social insecurities such as being dependent upon a landlord. A key point in both ‘Sauti ya Mnyonge’ and ‘Mnyonge Hana Haki’ is that without the extended support network of a village community, those without wealth have no authority to speak for their needs." [11]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Robert Christgau A [6]
Folk Roots (favourable) [12]
NME 7/10 [13]

Songs for the Poor Man was released on 30 October 1989 by Real World Records, [5] and was the sixth release on the label. [14] The album cover features a composite image, created by Rani Charrington, depicting Ongola's face superimposed over a satellite image taken and licensed by the Science Photo Library. [5] Jones/Mouat of Assorted Images are credited for artwork design, Francis Drake for photography and Peter Gabriel for liner notes. [5]

The album was released to critical acclaim. Bob Tarte of AllMusic, while rating the album three stars out of five, was praiseful, saying "Ongala's songs on social themes are delivered with winning conviction." [9] Writing in his Consumer's Guide for The Village Voice , music critic Robert Christgau rated the album a grade of "A." He said: "Isolated culturally and economically by socialist underdevelopment, Tanzanian pop nurtures national treasures more diligently than neighboring Zairean and Kenyan styles," praising the album's musical palette, conga parts, "esteem for both tribal difference and East African ways," and concluding: "Sweet. Strong. Maybe even self-sufficient." [6] Christgau named it the eighth best album of 1989 in his annual list of his favourite albums, curated for the annual Pazz & Jop poll. [15]

In 2004, Songlines ranked the album at number 34 in their list of "50 Essential African Albums." [16] The album features in Tom Moon's 2008 book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die . [8] Describing the album as "passionately sung odes to heal the soul," Moon said the songs "speak, with great empathy, about suffering and poverty, trials [Ongala] knew from personal experience," and felt "the rhythm is entrancing without being overpowering;" he described "Kifo" and "Pamella" as highlights. [8] In his 1992 book Breakout: Profiles in African Rhythm, writer Gary Stewart noted the album's messages were "strong and passionate" and said the record was "music for the brain and for the feet and hips as well." He concluded that "if acceptance [of racial equality] is not yet total, at least this dreadlocked, consciousness-rating African is beginning to get a hearing." [2] In the Rough Guides book World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, the album was described as Ongala's "best international release." [10]

Aftermath

While Songs for the Poor Man helped expand Ongala's international audience, he caused controversy in Tanzania in 1990 with the release of the song "Mambo Kwa Socks" ('Things with Socks'), which called for young men to wear condoms to prevent catching AIDS (the song was released at the height of the AIDS pandemic in Africa); the song was banned on Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam, but "live shows and black market tapes have ensured that his message has spread." [17] In 1992, Ongala and the Orchestre Super Matimila recorded a second album for Real World Records, Mambo, which similarly featured a mix of Swahili and English songs, while also trading in "the laid-back soukous" of Songs for the Poor Man for a rougher dance sound. [18]

Track listing

All songs written by Remmy Ongala except where noted

  1. "Nasikitika" – 6:21
  2. "Karola" – 5:46
  3. "Kipenda Roho" – 6:38
  4. "Sauti Ya Mnyonge" (Bati Osenga) – 8:34
  5. "Kifo" – 9:15
  6. "Usingizi" – 7:48
  7. "Muziki Asili Yake Wapi" – 5:31
  8. "Pamella" – 5:25
  9. "Dole" – 6:56
  10. "Mariam Wangu" – 7:07

Personnel

Performers

Others

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Tanzania</span> History of music in Tanzania

As it is in other countries, the music in Tanzania is constantly undergoing changes, and varies by location, people, settings and occasion. The five music genres in Tanzania, as defined by BASATA are, ngoma, dansi, kwaya, and taarab, with bongo flava being added in 2001. Singeli has since the mid-2000s been an unofficial music of uswahilini, unplanned communities in Dar es Salaam, and is the newest mainstream genre since 2020.

Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian music. The genre developed in the 1990s, mainly as a derivative of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian styles such as taarab and dansi, with additional influences from reggae, R&B, and afrobeats, to form a unique style of music. Lyrics are usually in Swahili or English, although increasingly from mid 2000s there has been limited use of words from Sub-Saharan African music traditions due to the influence of Afrobeats and Kwaito with their dynamics usage of West African Pidgin English, Nigerian Pidgin or other Creole language.

Tanzanian Hip-hop, which is sometimes referred to Bongo Flava by many outside of Tanzania's hip hop community, encompasses a large variety of different sounds, but it is particularly known for heavy synth riffs and an incorporation of Tanzanian pop.

The Sfinks festival is a Belgian festival for world music at Boechout. The festival is held during the last weekend in July.

Imani Sanga is Professor of Music in the Department of Creative Arts, formerly called Department of Fine and Performing Arts, in the College of Humanities at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He teaches courses in Ethnomusicology, Philosophy of Music, Composition and Choral Music. And he conducts the university choir.

<i>Natural Born Killers</i> (soundtrack) 1994 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Natural Born Killers: A Soundtrack for an Oliver Stone Film is the soundtrack to the film Natural Born Killers, produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. It was released on August 23, 1994. It charted at number 19 on US Billboard 200 album charts.

Muziki wa dansi, or simply dansi, is a Tanzanian music genre, derivative of Congolese soukous and Congolese rumba. It is sometimes called Swahili jazz because most dansi lyrics are in Swahili, and "jazz" is an umbrella term used in Central and Eastern Africa to refer to soukous, highlife, and other dance music and big band genres. Muziki wa dansi can also be referred to as Tanzanian rumba, as "african rumba" is another name for soukous.

<i>One World One Voice</i> 1990 compilation album by various artists

One World One Voice is a world music album intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, produced by Rupert Hine in 1990. A video of the entire album was produced for television together with a "Making of" documentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ras Nas</span>

Born in Morogoro (Tanzania), Ras Nas, aka Nasibu Mwanukuzi, is a musician and poet from Tanzania who blends African music and reggae with a dash of poetry. Ras Nas' latest album, Dar-es-Salaam, contains roots reggae, soukous and dub poetry. It is released by Kongoi Productions, KonPro. Dar es Salaam has received a five star review in one of Norway's biggest dailies, Dagsavisen.

Ramazani "Remmy" Mtoro Ongala was a Tanzanian guitarist and singer. Ongala was born in Kindu near the Tanzanian border, in what was the Belgian Congo at the time, and now is the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Orchestra Makassy were an East African soukous band of the late 1970s and early 1980s, consisting of musicians from Uganda and Zaire. In 1975, under the leadership of their principal vocalist Kitenzogu "Mzee" Makassy, the group moved from Kampala, Uganda to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, taking up residence at the New Africa Hotel where they were joined by guitarists and singers such as Mose Se Sengo and Remmy Ongala. One of the band's first recordings was the song "Chama Cha Mapinduzi" praising the Tanzanian independence party, with lyrics based on the words of the country's first president, Julius Nyerere. In 1982, the band moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to record The Nairobi AGWAYA Sessions at the CBS Nairobi studio. Remmy Ongala left the band and stayed in Tanzania where he went on to join Orchestra Super Matimila. Mose Se Sengo left the band in Kenya to start his own band Somo Somo. The Nairobi Agwaya Sessions, produced by London-based Australian engineer, Norman Mighell, has been described as "one of the finest moments of East African rumba". The band broke up in 1984.

<i>Zing Zong</i> 1991 studio album by Kanda Bongo Man

Zing Zong is an album by the Congolese musician Kanda Bongo Man, released in 1991. The album is dedicated to the memory of Soki Vangu and his brother Soki Dianzenza, who were in the earlier Zairean soukous band Orchestre Bella Bella. Both brothers died within a year of each other. "Freres Soki" is a tribute to them, and "Zing-Zong" is a reworking of a Bella Bella hit, "Houleux Houleux". Kanda supported the album with a North American tour.

Jhikoman also known as Jhiko Manyika, is a Tanzanian reggae artist. He has served as an active musician since 1994 and toured extensively in both Europe and Africa. He combines acoustic reggae with African music. Jhikoman sings in English, Swahili, and mother tongue Kinyasa.

Tabora Sound Band, formerly known as Tabora Jazz, is a seminal Tanzanian muziki wa dansi band based in Tabora, Tanzania and led by guitarist Shem Ibrahim Karenga. In the 1970s, their song Dada Asha was a major hit in Tanzania and East Africa. They disbanded in the late 1970s but efforts were made to revive the band. So, by early 1980s, it was active again but disbanded in mid 1980s following damage of the instruments by an electric shock. It was later reformed by Shem Karenga as Tabora Jazz Stars. Kassimu Kaluwona, the rythim guitarist of the former band also joined. The band was based in Dar es Salaam.They mainly played classic songs of the former band, Tabora Jazz Band.

<i>Babeti Soukous</i> 1989 studio album by Tabu Ley Seigneur Rochereau and Afrisa International Orchestra

Babeti Soukous is a 1989 studio/live album by DR Congolese soukous musician and pioneer Tabu Ley Rochereau and his band the Afrisa International Orchestra. Recorded for the duration of only one night as a live studio session at Real World Studios, Wiltshire, England in 1989, the album was one of the four albums released to establish Peter Gabriel's world music label Real World Records, and was one of the first recordings Rochereau created after exiling to France in 1988. Rochereau used the album as an opportunity to re-record highlights from the previous 20 years of his career.

Benard Michael Paul Mnyang'anga better known by his stage name Ben Pol, is a Tanzanian singer and songwriter from Dar es salaam, Tanzania. On January 5, 2024, Ben Pol released his highly anticipated third album 'Flamingo', which Simulizi Na Sauti's music critic, Enky Frank described the album as an educational package for love, lifestyle and daily activities

Kasaloo Kyanga was a Congolese musician, guitarist, and composer. Kyanga's compositions, including the hit song "Masafa Marefu", composed with Tancut Almasi Orchestra, continue to be performed by musicians. His other hit songs include "Nimemkaribisha Nyoka", "Butinini", "Kashasha", and "Kambwembwe".

<i>Majurugenta</i> 1993 studio album by Ghorwane

Marjurugenta is the debut album by Mozambican marrabenta band Ghorwane, recorded in August 1991 at Real World Studios but not released until September 1993 by Real World Records. The band had built up a reputation in their native country throughout the 1980s for their unique urban dance musical style and politically conscious lyrics, pulling from genres such as marrabenta and xigubu. After being denied visas to play at a European festival in 1987, it soon became possible for the band to play the world music-celebrating WOMAD festival in 1990. While on their trip to the festival, the band were approached by the WOMAD-affiliated Real World Records to record their debut album.

Leila Sheikh or Sheikh-Hashim was a Tanzanian journalist, women's rights activist and blogger. She was a founder member of Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA) and became TAMWA's Executive Director in 1996.

<i>Man from Kinshasa</i> 1991 compilation album by Tabu Ley Rochereau

Man from Kinshasa is a compilation album by the Congolese musician Tabu Ley Rochereau. It was released in 1991. Rochereau supported the album with a North American tour.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Remmy Ongala". Telegraph. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stewart, Gary (1 April 1992). Breakout: Profiles in African Rhythm . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp.  39–40. ISBN   978-0226774060 . Retrieved 16 May 2017. ongala songs for the poor man.
  3. 1 2 Pareles, Jon (16 January 2011). "Remmy Ongala, Tanzanian Musical Star, Dies at 63". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  4. Harris, Craig. "Artist Biography by Craig Harris". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Songs for the Poor Man (liner). Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila. Real World Records. 1989.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Christgau, Robert. "Remmy Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Songs for the Poor Man". Real World Records. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Moon, Tom. "Songs for the Poor Man". 1,000 Recordings. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Tarte, Bob. "AllMusic Review by Bob Tarte". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  10. 1 2 Broughton, Richard; Ellingham, Mark; Trillo, Richard (25 November 1999). World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East . Rough Guides: Rough Guides. p.  689. ISBN   978-1858286358 . Retrieved 16 May 2017. ongala songs for the poor man.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Hilhorst, Sean (3 November 2009). "Remmy Ongala: Capitalist transition and popular music in Tanzania 1979–2002". Journal of African Cultural Studies. 21 (2): 105–126. doi:10.1080/13696810903259319. S2CID   144933083.
  12. "fRoots Reviews Index: O". fRoots. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  13. Dalton, Stephen (18 November 1989). "Remmy Ongala – Songs for the Poor Man". NME .
  14. "SONGS FOR THE POOR MAN REMMY ONGALA". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  15. Christgau, Robert. "Pazz & Jop 1989: Dean's List". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  16. Songlines magazine 2004
  17. "Tanzania's Musical Star, Remmy Ongala Passes On". Africa Resource. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  18. Tarte, Bob. "Mambo - Remmy Ongala". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2017.