Musicatelama

Guitarist, composer and occasional singer Mose Fan Fan is one of the few survivors of Congo’s Orchestre OK Jazz to still be performing and recording in the classic rumba style popularised by bandleader Franco. Whilst Fan Fan’s tenure as an OK Jazz sideman in the late 1960s and early 70s was comparatively short, he subsequently led his own group, Somo Somo, in Tanzania and then England, and also played with Remmy Ongala and Orchestra Makassy. His latest venture is a bit of a career retrospective, on which he reprises some of his significant songs – notably ‘Djemelase’, originally from OK Jazz and ‘Mosese’, from Makassy. Lead vocalist on this album is Malage de Lugendo, ex-OK Jazz and Zaiko Langa Langa. Joining Malage is Nzaya Nzayadio, another superb singer originally from Lipua-Lipua, subsequently Choc Stars. The two singers’ exceptional pedigrees ensure that Fan Fan’s songs are given the full vocal expression that they deserve.

Fan Fan has used his credibility and influence to pull together a fine set of musicians. London-based guitarist Fiston is a veteran of Samba Mapangala’s Virunga group as well as working consistently with Congolese musicians in the UK. Together they recreate the OK Jazz guitar sound effortlessly – when Malage’s sublime voice rings out it is at times hard to believe that this is not OK Jazz back in the 80s. There’s also the spectacular addition of a vintage OK Jazz horn section that includes Dele Pedro and Verckys Kiamuangana. It’s great to hear Fan Fan still turning out beautiful guitar licks and still leading a stellar line¬up of old-school Congolese musicians.