CHE IN THE CONGO, ELECTRIC GUITARS AND THE INVENTION OF AFRICA

Articulating Luambo’s centrality to our knowing of selves and worlds – e no easy o! But we keep trying. Mudimbe told us of the colonial library. Sure. There are many more inventions. Luambo completed his own coding work in the ten-year interval between the landing of Bill Alexandre’s Gibson guitar in Kin and the infiltration, via Dar, of Victor Dreke’s contingent of Afro-Cuban soldiers in 1965. Luambo’s intervention is known today as the sebene.

This mix responds to a query about “learning to listen”. It features solos by Franco Luambo Makiadi, Pepe Felly Manuaku, Bansimba Baroza, Diblo Dibala, Dally Kimoko, Flamme Kapaya, Sarah Solo, Japonais Maladi and Kimbangu Solo; and commentary by Ray Lema.

Listen here:

Photograph by Depara