They were the dance band of the mid to late 1970s right through the 80s to the early 90s
By 1978 the band was really going strong. They had had a HUGE hit with the song “Kasongo”, and others followed “Sala Keba”, “Shida” and “Mwane Mazembe”. Every song they recorded was a hit. Every time they appeared on stage the band was bigger and better in every sense, and although Loseke Pauni had returned home, other Congolese songsters joined. Kasongo wa Kanema, Lovy Loagomba, Loboko Pasi, Didope Atei, Fataki Lokessa, Rondo Kondolo, Ntalu Nkatu. Even Madjo Maduley and Okello Jose from Les Kinois joined in on stage. Like Franco and T.P.O.K. Jazz Super Mazembe had a presence and sound that drove the young generation (read ‘young girls’) ecstatic. One leading girl’s high school earned the nick-name ‘The Super Mazembe Girls High School’. Their shows were given the title the ‘M-Shock-Show’, corrupted to read and sound ‘Mushosho’ and this became their signature style. Their ‘Mushosho’ was known for shrill lead guitars and fast danceable rhythms.
Sadly tragedy was to hit the group, Bukalos died in 1989, Kasongo Songo Ley in 1990, Repok Kayembe in 1991. Lovy Longomba died in a car accident in 1996 and band leader Longwa Didos passed away in 1999. The death of Longwa was the end for the group. He had held a fatherly and benign reign over his ‘Mazembe’ boys since the beginning and unlike many other groups of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and even into the 90s, the band never had major break-ups or disputes and they stayed true to their ties with Mike Andrews and A.I. Records to the very end.