JB Mpiana- Ndombolo (sound file, information, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the Congolese video "Ndombolo" by JB Mpiana. Information about JB Mpiana is provided in this post as well as information and comments about the "ndombolo" dance. Two bonus J.B. Mpiana's ndombolo videos are also included in this post.

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to JB Mpiana for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all others who are featured in these examples and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT JB MPIANA
From http://forum.afromix.org/posts/list/15/2744 page 1 (bottom comment), repeated on page 2; 04/06/2007 Subject: Re:Happy BirthDay JB Mpiana!
"JB Mpiana - Place and date of birth: Kananga, June 02 1967"
-snip-
This is a six page blog thread that contains happy 40th birthday greetings to JB Mpiana. However, most of that blog thread consists of criticism of or gossip about JB [the person] or comments that unfavorably compare his music to other contemporary Congolese singers.

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From the Wikipedia page for JB Mpiana [Translation page from French to English; This content is largely given "as is" but with some clarifying words added by me or substituting for the poor English translation are given in brackets. A comment about ndombolo is given in italics to highlight it.]
"Jean-Bedel Mpiana wa Tshituka [also known as] JB Mpiana is a [Congolese] singer-songwriter. He was the president and singer [of] Wenge Musica BCBG 4x4 All Terrain until its breakup in December 1997. This shows in 1997 with his first solo album, Young and the Restless , especially with the title track " Ndombolo, "the Congolese very rhythm dancing" Ndombolo "is a dance in the streets of Kinshasa to the year 1996*...

Born in Kananga, he lived in Kinshasa from [his childhood]...and in 1981 he founded with friends Wenge Musica , a group where he remained until 1997.

Today, [he] is one of the greatest musicians artists from Africa, but also the richest, very popular in his country Congo - Kinshasa, he was named best singer by the Congolese press for the 6th time in 2008.

...JB Mpiana singer released his [first] solo album 1 in 1997 and the [Young and the] Restless, composed of 10 [songs].[That album] very festive [uptempo] beat[s] and sold over 150,000 copies (gold record). One of the tracks of this album, "Ndombolo "will be a great success and cross borders. It will be understood in the African and European clubs. This album gave his name to a very festive dancing Congolese music, ambience and assimilated: the ndombolo . This album gave acclaim to JB Mpiana . Before this album, Wenge Musica was considered a group that was dancing and moving, but JB Mpiana with this album it is discovered as a writer through rich texts. With Young and the Restless, he received the award for best singer for the 2nd time, best song and best album. This is commonly called ndombolo , his 1 title, followed by Young and the Restless, the title which gives its name to the album. Other songs: Lone Rider ft. Papa Wemba , I love you, Duplex, Masuwa Bana Lunda, Top Model, Patcho Council Papito . Success caused tension in Wenge Musica and December, it was divided....

In August 2004, the band released Wenge BCBG Anti-Terro registered in South Africa . On this occasion, JB Mpiana receives for the fifth time the award for best singer of the Congo, equaling the record held by his idol Papa Wemba. However, in 2008, he [received] this award again and actually [he] is the only one to have received six times the price of the best singer of the Congo . During his career, he has received more than 25 gold palms in Congo..."
-snip-
"Kin" was given on that page and I thought it was a typo. I've now learned [from reading it elsewhere] that "Kin" is a colloquialism for "Kinshasa", the capital of the Democratic Republic Of The Congo.

*This comment indicates that the dance that came to be known as "ndombolo" existed before JB Mpiana's record with that title.

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INFORMATION ABOUT NDOMBOLO [DANCE]
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soukous#Ndombolo
"Soukous is a genre of dance music[1] that originated from Cuban Rumba music in the Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1940s and gained popularity throughout Africa.

Soukous is known as Congo in West Africa and Lingala in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania after the Lingala language of the lyrics. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, where Congolese music is also influential, it is still usually referred to as Rumba. It mixes the kwasa kwasa with the fast tempo zouk style and Congolese rumba. It is also an individual dance...

The fast soukous music currently dominating dance floors in central, eastern and western Africa is called soukous ndombolo, performed by Dany Engobo, Awilo Longomba, Aurlus Mabele, Koffi Olomide and groups like Extra Musica and Wenge Musica among others.

The hip-swinging dance to the fast pace of soukous ndombolo has come under criticism amid charges that it is obscene. There have been attempts to ban it in Mali, Cameroon and Kenya. After an attempt to ban it from state radio and television in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2000, it became even more popular. In February 2005, ndombolo music videos in the DR Congo were censored for indecency, and video clips by Koffi Olomide, JB M'Piana and Werrason were banned from the airwaves."

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From http://www.le-bema.com/en/story/jb-mpiana-ndombolo-dance-horse
"Cofounder of Wenge Musica, a leading group of Congolese music from the late '80s, the singer JB Mpiana wished to defend his star status with his double album Seriously, who serves as a platform to launch a new choreography called the dance of the horse."
-snip-
I'm assuming that "a new choreography called the dance of the horse" refers to "ndombolo". I wonder if that what "ndombolo" means or if that is a poor translation of the French to English of another word. Contrast that definition with this meaning for "ndombolo" that was given by a commenter in the YouTube comment thread for a sound file of that record:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjeGWlUFYM0 [I've written that definition in italics by mean to highlight it.]
Jsemanda, 2010
"What are they singing about? Can someone translate what "Ndombolo" means. Thanks"

reply

Joseph Mastaki, 2010
"GENERIQUE OYO EBUKA ZAMBIE MOBIMBA PE PRESIDENT FREDERICK CHILUBA ABINA NA KATI YA LUSAKA..... OK I WILL TRANSLATE FOR YOU: NDOMBOLO IS IN CONGOLESE DIALECT IT'S MEANS: "RAMPANT WALK " just like a crocodile walks... Congolese Music will always be the best.... forever"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Jb mpiana- Ndombolo



selino bwatshia, Uploaded on May 11, 2009

Generique feux de l'amour
-snip-
Google Translate gives the English meaning of as "Generic and the Restless". However, the correct English translation is probably "The Young And The Restless" which is the title of JB Mpiana's first solo album.
-snip-
Here's two [additional] comments from that sound file:
Yvonne Nagawa, 2011
"What does Ndombolo Ya Solo mean ?"

franciso7, 2011
in reply to Yvonne Nagawa
"@Ydott That means : "The true Ndombolo" which is the name of the dance."

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BONUS VIDEOS OF NDOMBOLO DANCING

Example #1: JB Mpiana à l'olympia Show avec les Enfant [Google Translate: JB Mpiana in olympia Show with Children]



MAESTRO CHRIS MUGLER, Uploaded on Mar 4, 2010 Le petit frere de Alain Mpela [Google Translate: The little brother of Alain Mpela

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Editor's note about Example #2 - Some may consider this portions of this video to be somewhat risque, but it's far less "nasty" than some other videos of ndombolo dancing that can be found on YouTube.

Example #2: J B MPIANA LIVE AVEC LA NOUVELLE DANCE "ROTA ROTA"



KEYES MILAMBO Uploaded on Oct 24, 2011

YA LOLO SHUAMI ( YS Production ) , Présente: JB MPIANA LIVE A KINSHASA PRÉSENTATION DE LA NOUVELLE DANCE ( rota rota ), .......
...... BIENTÔT DANS VOS BACS.

Google Translate: from French to English "YA LOLO SHUAMI (YS Production) Presents: JB MPIANA LIVE A KINSHASA PRESENTATION OF THE NEW DANCE (rota rota) .......
SOON IN YOUR ...... BACS.
-snip-
"SOON IN YOUR BACS" probably means something like "for sale soon".
-snip-
I'm assuming that "Rota Rota" is a form of the ndombolo dance. If that's correct, then there have been other ways of doing ndombolo or other spin-offs of that dance.

The dance segment from 7:57 to around 8:09 might be considered a good representative clip of the female dancers performing that dance.

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