Zacharie Elenga | |
---|---|
Birth name | Zacharie Elenga |
Also known as | Jhimmy |
Born | Brazzaville |
Genres | Soukous Rumba |
Instrument(s) | Guitar |
Zacharie Elenga was a virtuoso guitarist and one of the founding fathers of modern Congolese music. His unique style of playing led him to be popularly known as Jhimmy the Hawaiian, or simply Jhimmy.
Born in Brazzaville to a Congolese father and a mother from the Ubangi-Shari territory of Central African Republic, Zacharie Elenga initially had plans for the priesthood, but it is said that he had a fiery temperament and he was likely expelled from seminary by the priests. [1] Subsequently he found employment, as a stenographer with the firm Solbena, a workshop that manufactured shirts, and was owned by Greek brothers Gabriel and Moussa Benathar. [2] The Benathar brothers were proprietors of a number of businesses in the Belgian Congo and fortuitously they decided to launch the Opika recording company in challenge to the monopolistic Ngoma record label.
In 1947, Elenga had been living in the Usoke Street area near Leopoldville’s city center, and it was there that he met Paul Mwanga. The two formed a musical collaboration named, “Groupe Jhimmy na Mwanga” (The Jhimmy and Mwanga Group), [3] with Elenga playing rhythm guitar and Mwanga contributing vocals. The Benathar brothers had found ready stars in the Zacharie Elenga and Paul Mwanga duo, and they were signed almost as soon as Opika’s doors opened in 1949. Elenga had a unique way of stringing his guitar, choosing to replace the D string with a second E string, and picking the notes with his thumb and forefinger in a style that he called, “Hawaiian.” Further, Zacharie Elenga named himself after American country legend Jimmy Rodgers, who he admired, [4] but spelling Jhimmy with an “h.” Hence he came to be known amongst his fans as Jhimmy the Hawaiian.
While at Opika, Jhimmy joined a quintet including Paul Mwanga on vocals, Georges Doula, Albert Yamba-Yamba, and Francois ‘Gobi’ Boyimbo on guitars, and Etienne ‘Baskis’ Diluvila on percussion. In his first recording at Opika, “Ondruwe,” Jhimmy introduced the foxtrot to the Congolese public. [5] This record with the song “Henriette” on the reverse side, featured Paul Mwana’s fine voice singing solo, but it was Jhimmy’s innovative playing style and advanced, harmonious composition that had substantial influence on other performers of the time. Between the years of 1950 and 1952 Jhimmy saw great success in his musical career, with popular fame reaching as far west as Gabon. He was even featured in a short film of the time, which was shown in Europe, called Jhimmy Chante (Jhimmy sings). [6] In 1952, Jhimmy collaborated on some recordings with another Opika performer named Joseph Kabaselle, but these were to be the swan songs of his career and shortly after this he slipped into obscurity, never to record again.
Congolese music is one of the most influential music forms of the African continent. Since the 1930s, Congolese musicians have had a huge impact on the African musical scene and elsewhere. Many contemporary genres of music, such as Kenyan Benga and Colombian Champeta, have been heavily influenced by Congolese music. In 2021, Congolese rumba joined other living traditions such as Jamaican reggae music and Cuban rumba on UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list.
Soukous is a genre of dance music originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, with faster dance rhythms and bright, intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo, song structures and longer dance sequences.
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Joseph Athanase Tshamala Kabasele, popularly known as Le Grand Kallé, was a Congolese singer and bandleader, considered the father of modern Congolese music. He is best known for his role as leader of the band, Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz, in which capacity he was involved in a number of noted songs, including Indépendance Cha Cha.
Congolese rumba, also known as African rumba, is a dance music genre originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. With its rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, Congolese rumba has gained global recognition and remains an integral part of African music heritage. In December 2021, it was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
Antoine Wendo Kolosoy, known as Papa Wendo, was a Congolese musician. He is considered the "doyen" of Congolese rumba, a musical style blending traditional Kongolese rhythm and son cubano.
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The first communities of the Greeks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were established prior to Belgian colonization. The Greek presence reached a peak in the 1950s when many Greeks fled Egypt following the revolution of 1952. The Greek communities organized their own schools and churches and Greeks were active in trade, fishing, transport, coffee growing and the music industry. Also, a small group of Greek Jews emigrated to the Congo in the early 20th Century.
Ngoma was one of the first record labels intended to provide local African music to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The name Ngoma came from the Kikongo word for drum. The label was created in 1948 by the Greek businessman Nicolas Jéronimidis, and was active until 1968. Its catalog included many known artists at that time including Camille Feruzi, who is said to have popularized rumba during the 1930s, Antoine Wendo Kolosoy, one of the biggest names of all-time in Congolese music, the Angolan Manuel d'Oliveira, Léon Bukasa, Antoine Mundanda, Paul Mwanga and Albert Luampasi, the guitarist who is said to have taught the famous Congolese musician François Luambo Makiadi (Franco) his first guitar chords.
Pépé Felly Manuaku, also known as Pépé Fely is a Congolese rumba guitarist, songwriter, producer, arranger, bandleader and lyricist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He has been described as the foremost Congolese solo guitarist of his generation. He is a founding member of the iconic groups Zaïko Langa Langa, Les Ya Toupas and Grand Zaïko Wawa. His style of guitar is the last style officially credited as a "School" or Genre of guitar following the styles "Fiesta" created by "Le Docteur" Nico Kassanda and "Odemba" created by "Le Sorcier" Franco Luambo Makiadi. He is credited with establishing the guitar as the lead instrument in contemporary Congolese music introducing Synthesiser, Bouzouki, Advanced Guitar effect pedal techniques, new arrangement and recording techniques.
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