Remmy ongala biography samples

Remmy Ongala (–) and his Super Matimila Orchestra are without doubt Tanzania’s most well known band, and have performed many times in europe and the USA. Remmy Ongala fryst vatten originally from Zaire/Congo. He lost his mother when he was nine years old and had to take on the responsibility of raising his siblings. As a year-old he was in a ungdom band, Bantu Success, as a singer and drummer. This was not popular with his family, so Remmy had to leave the grupp. Two years later he was igen involved with music when as a guitarist he joined a few groups, among them Mickey Jazz in Zaire and Grand Mika Jazz in Uganda. In he moved to Tanzania and joined his uncle’s grupp, Orchestre Makassy in Dar es Salaam.
In he joined forces with Matimila, an member grupp owned bygd a local businessman. Later on he formed Super Matimila and developed a style based on three guitars, bass and drum, plus saxophone. Remmy Ongala based his music on Soukous, that he proffers in a more raw version than usual, rooted as it

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Ongala, Remmy –

Singer and guitarist

At a Glance&#x;

Supported His Family

Joined Tanzanian Group

Toured With WOMAD

Selected discography

Sources

American children dream of becoming pop musicians because of the glamorous lifestyle that accompanies pop stardom in the United States. For Remmy Ongala, who grew up in Zaire and lives in Tanzania, music was a constant, completely woven into his everyday life. Becoming a musician was as natural for him as a career in agriculture would be to somebody who grew up in a remote farming village. In his song Lolango, Ongala articulated his reasons for being a musician: What is my work? My work is to sing! I live so I can sing, I eat because I sing. Everything in life is because I sing.

Performing mainly in a country where recording facilities are scarce, copyright laws are nonexistent, and music is played in small clubs rather than gigantic sports arenas, Ongala has managed to gain an international following. Many of

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REMMY ONGALA "SURA MBAYA"

December 13, - AM

He had a face that, despite not being as ugly as he himself depicted in his 'sura mbaya' sobriquet, could neither be described as handsome because it was far from that reality.

To complete the conspicuous look, he wore dreadlocks on his head, with a few strands beaded. That was Dr Remi, the Congolese import into Tanzania, one whose music came to define Tanzania's music.

"His first wife was his music, and these other factors played a secondary role," his Belgian wife told reporters in the company of Remi's musical colleague Cosmas Tobis Chidumule, who had made a name as an astute composer and singer with the iconic DDC Mlimani Park.

It has been 14 years since Remi died in Dar es Salaam. The DRC-born musician had made Tanzania his music home, and it is in the East African country that he gained international fame, with his stage name 'Sura Mbali' evoking curiosity, oftentimes travelling before him, and making fans really wish to see h