Le Grand Kalle: His Life, His Music

Joseph Kabasele, better known as Le Grand Kalle, was a Congolese singer and bandleader, and his dance¬band were the first to introduce the electric guitar into Congolese music. Many of the finest musicians of the Congolese rumba genre performed at some time as a member of Kalle’s Orchestre African Jazz – notably singer Tabu Ley Rochereau (who recently passed away), influential guitarist Docteur Nico and Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.

This is a double CD that chronologically documents Kallé’s musical career from his fi rst recording in 1951. The packaging is in the format of a CD-sized book with 104 pages of English and French text. It’s an authoritative and thoroughly enjoyable account of a musician whose career coincides with the bumpy history of a nation seeking independence. He was a friend and confi dant of revolutionary politician Patrice Lumumba; and Kallé’s nationwide popularity as a musician led to him heading a delegation of musicians fl own to Brussels in 1960 to perform during the series of round table conferences that led directly to independence. In addition to the fascinating text this compilation includes several previously unavailable early versions of key Kallé performances – all mastered to a high quality that lets the music sparkle. Kallé’s music was diverse and cosmopolitan: Congolese rumbas; Latin merengues, boogaloos and chachachás; and even nods towards jazz and rock’n’roll. All are included here with anthemic songs like ‘Independence Cha Cha’, ‘Table Ronde’, ‘Parafi fi ’, ‘African Jazz Mokili Mobimba’ and ‘Jamais Kolonga’ taking pride of place.