Orchestra Super Mazembe under the leadership of Didos Longwa Mutonkole became the kings of the Kenya dance floor from 1976 but it took a long ladder to reach up there. The originals were Longwa, Dodo Doris, Kilame Katele, and Kassongo Songoley, who, as teenagers, formed themselves into a little band called Oshi Jazz. Their parents were all from the copper mining fraternity living near Lumbumbashi (Shaba Province) Congo DRC, so they had the funds to help start their own youngsters with drums and guitars that would start off “Oshi Jazz”. By 1970 “Oshi Jazz” were beginning to get a name around the Lumbumbashi area, but they needed a bigger sound, like the stars in Kinshasa (Veve, Franco, Tabuley) so in came Bukalos Bukasa, Atie Jo, and Kayembe Rapok. They changed name to “Orchestra Super Vox” and were soon THE band in the whole of Shaba Province. It wasn’t too long before “Super Vox” was wanted all over the border, in the clubs and pubs of Zambia’s copper belt. By 1973 they were ready to storm capital Lusaka and along came entrepreneur Nashil Pichen Kazembe, Here was a Zambian who knew everything big, and could get them the big venues. He took his personal name (Kazembe) mixed it with the big, soccer team of Shaba (T.P Mazembe) and “Orchestra Super Mazembe” was born.
Nashil had his hits in his native language (Bemba) with Mazembe. Mazembe had hits (in Lingala and Kiswahili) in their own right, Pichen decided the Big City of the whole East Africa was ready for them, and April 1975 they were on the bus to Nairobi, Kenya.
Initially they struggled, skipping from club to club, but only appearing at the well known ‘Park Inn’ or ‘Hallions’ on rare occasions. They had signed a recording deal with EMI East Africa but under Nashil Pichen management were not flexing their own muscles.
EMI East Africa collapsed, and A.I Records welcomed them into their fold A.I.R Recorded ‘Kassongo’, ‘Shida’, ‘Mwana Mazembe’ all in the Lingala Sound, that Franco and Tabuley had put to a SAUTI YA BAND KUBWA. They never looked back. Every Super Mazembe song was a hit, still is a hit. A.I Records brings you their first album of Mazembe hits. There are more to come, just stay with us.