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REVIEW OF KOFFI'S V12 ALBUM

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:51:00 +0000

Koffi released V12 around 1995 as he emerged as a leader in the Congolese and African music landscape. The following is a review of different aspects of V12 that will hopefully help you understand it better and perhaps appreciate it more. We will be looking at the recording, artistic aspects, quality of songs, and themes explored by the album.

Label and Recording

Koffi worked on producing the album with Sonodisc, a company with a good record track in African music production. Koffi and the team recorded V12 at Studio Plus XXX in Paris, and Koffi surrounded himself with clever sound professionals like Hilaire Kashal, aka Maika Munan, and Yves Delaunay. Quartier Latin band helped with back vocals and some animation sessions. Sonodisc released V12 in CD, Vinyl, and audio cassette formats.

Cover and Accessories

The front cover mainly pictures Koffi’s partial face and naked torso in the sky. Koffi has his face slightly bent forward. There is a big V12 mark written from the middle to the bottom of the cover, overridden by a “Koffi Olomide” text that seems to be speeding from somewhere in the background. The cover is very colorful and leaves you wondering whether there is a hidden message.

The CD album came with a pamphlet with song lyrics and black-and-white shootings of Koffi and other participants. This was common prior to the digital music age, but still a very nice addition.

Quality and Arrangements

V12 has 11 high-quality songs with a clever balancing of sound layers. You can clearly hear voices and instruments. A sound song alignment alternates well between Ndombolo Sebenes and sweet love songs. The arrangement team used distinctive intros for most songs, giving them unique identities. The intros bring a sense of creativity to the album. They also bring nuances to the song sections, making them rich and dynamic, instead of linear.

Songs Themes

Throughout V12, Koffi mainly explores his most preferred theme, love, and praise for women. Certain songs escape that main theme though. Sometimes Koffi sings about distress, sad infancy, and his miseries. In other songs, he talks about jealousy and praises himself and his band.

Andrada, the first song starts with a mass-like incantation by Koffi and his Quartier Latin band. The choirs quickly transition to a more conventional but still soft and catchy tune. Malembe is repeated at the beginning of Andrada. It is a Lingala word for slow which is quite ironic for an album named V12. Koffi talks to somebody presumably envious, or just jealous of him. He gives him pieces of advice in the process. He tells them to go slowly in life and not rush to success. All of this, of course, blends into a Sebene session at some point, setting up the tone and style for the rest of the album.

Next comes Parking Ya Ba Baba, perhaps one of his most personal songs ever.
Koffi describes his infancy’s misery and poverty. Indeed, Koffi reveals being born with a hand stuck to his cheek for instance. This was usually considered a bad sign. Similar melancholic episodes of Antoine’s life flow through the song. Luckily the faster tempo at the end makes the song more joyful and less monotonous.

Koffi then begs Chantou for some love and later praises a queen from Fouta Djalon.
The following song Dossier du Jour wraps praises for Koffi and his Quartier around usual sayings and advice, ending in Sebene animation.
Five well-distilled love songs like Aspirine, Zokere, and Bambino complete the album. Koffi begs for love and praises the woman he considers the best in these songs. These became the signature song references for most Koffi fans.
Which one is your signature tune? (Food for thought).

V12 Concept and Overall Meaning
There is no general story across V12, other than character V standing for “Votre” in French, which translates into “yours” or “for you”. V12, therefore, appears like a gift from Koffi to his audience. The more direct meaning though might come from the badges on some luxury brand vehicles, as a reference to wealth, exclusivity, and all that goes along with it. On that note, one of the last scenes of the first song’s video clip features a 600 model like a Mercedes Benz car, which Kinshasa people called V12 at that time.

As you can see, V12 is a quasi-perfect Congolese album. It is a must for someone who would like to discover Congolese music.

Overall, V12 gets our Excellent badge, and you should listen to it as soon as you can. In case you already know it, go through it again; it never hurts.

By Rudent Obande

Jabulani Radio Livestream

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Track History

OLIVER MTUKUDZI PLAYLIST

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 22:38:00 +0000

OLIVER MTUKUDZI PLAYLIST

Here are some of the greatest hits by Oliver Mtukudzi

1978 Ndipeiwo Zano (re-released 2000)

1979 Chokwadi Chichabuda

1979 Muroi Ndiani?

1980 Africa (re-released 2000)

1981 Shanje

1981 Pfambi

1982 Maungira

1982 Please Ndapota

1983 Nzara

1983 Oliver's Greatest Hits

1984 Hwema Handirase

1985 Mhaka

1986 Gona

1986 Zvauya Sei?

1987 Wawona

1988 Nyanga Nyanga

1988 Strange, Isn't It?

1988 Sugar Pie

1989 Grandpa Story

1990 Chikonzi

1990 Pss Pss Hallo!

1990 Shoko

1991 Mutorwa

1992 Rombe

1992 Rumbidzai Jehova

1992 Neria soundtrack

1993 Son of Africa

1994 Ziwere MuKobenhavn

1995 Was My Child

1996 Svovi yangu

1995 The Other Side: Live in Switzerland

1995 Ivai Navo

1997 Ndega Zvangu (re-released 2001)

1997 Chinhambwe

1998 Dzangu Dziye

1999 Tuku Music

2000 Paivepo

2001 Neria

2001 Bvuma ("Tolerance")

2002 Shanda soundtrack

2002 Vhunze Moto

2003 Shanda (Alula Records)

2003 Tsivo ("Revenge")

2004 Greatest Hits Tuku Years

2004 Mtukudzi Collection 1991–1997

2004 Mtukudzi Collection 1984–1991

2005 Nhava

2006 Wonai

2007 Tsimba Itsoka

2008 Dairai (Believe)

2010 Rudaviro

2010 Kutsi Kwemoyo (compilation)[9]

2011 Rudaviro

2011 Abi'angu ("Duets of My Time")

2012 Sarawoga — Sarawoga laments the losses that the legend has had to endure in his life, not least the loss of life. Thus he has been left 'alone' in a sense, hence the title Sarawoga (left alone).

2014 Mukombe Wemvura

2016 God Bless You – The Gospel Collection

2016 Eheka! Nhai Yahwe

2018 hany'a ("Concern")

TPOK JAZZ PLAYLIST

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 22:24:00 +0000

TPOK JAZZ PLAYLIST

A small fraction of the hundreds of records and albums released by TPOK Jazz during the thirty-seven and a half years of the band's existence include:

TPOK Jazz Discography June 1953 – December 1993

1956 On Entre OK On Sort KO-François Luambo Makiadi

1962 Cheri Zozo-Makiadi

1965 Ngai Marie Nzoto Ebeba-Makiadi

1966 Chicotte-Makiadi

1969 Celine-Youlou Mabiala

1969 Marceline-Makiadi

1969 Mado-Céli Bitshou

1969 Je Ne Peux Faire Autrement (Ma Hele) - Simaro Lutumba

1970 Gaby Ozali Coupable-Lola Chécain[21]

1970 Mokili Matata-Bitshou

1971 Georgette-Makiadi

1971 Radio Trottoir -Lutumba

1972 Dje Melasi-Mose Fan Fan

1972 Lufua Lua Nkadi-Sam Mangwana

1972 Zando Ya Tipo-Tipo - Michel Boyibanda

1973 AZDA - Makiadi

1973 Nganda Ma Campagne-Chécain

1973 Zando Ya Tipo-Tipo - Boyibanda

1973 Où Est le Sérieux? - Makiadi

1974 Luka Mobali Moko-Mangwana

1974 Kinzonzi Ki Tata Mbemba-Makiadi

1974 Mabele-Lutumba

1974 Monzo-Josky Kiambukuta

1975 Baninga Tokola Na Balingaka Ngai Te-Chécain

1975 Bomba Bomba Mabe-Makiadi

1975 Bondowe-Mayaula Mayoni

1975 Alimatou - Makiadi

1975 Bisalela-Lutumba

1975 Bodutaka-Lutumba

1975 Camarade Nini Akobomba Ngai Sango-Makiadi

1975 Kamikaze-Mabiala

1975 Ledi-Mabiala

1975 Falaswa-Makiadi

1975 Nakoma Mbanda Na Mama Ya Mobali Ngai-Makiadi

1975 Nioka Abangaka Mpe Moto -Makiadi

1975 Mbongo-Lutumba

1975 TP OK Jazz Presence Na Ngai-Lutumba

1975 Oko Regretter Ngai Mama-Lutumba

1975 Toboyana Kaka-Chécain

1975 Nioka Abangaka Mpe Moto-Makiadi

1976 Bokolo Bana Ya Mbanda Na Yo Malamu-Makiadi

1976 Liberté-Makiadi

1976 Tosambi Bapeji Yo Raison Na Quartier-Makiadi

1977 Lisolo Ya Adamo Na Nzambe-Daniel Zitan Ya Ntesa

1977 Mabe Yo Mabe-Ndombe Opetum

1977 Sala Lokola Luntadila-Chécain

1977 Libala Ya Bana Na Bana-Chécain

1978 Nabali Misele-Mayoni

1980 Tokoma Ba Camarade Pamba-Makiadi

1980 Arzoni-Makiadi

1980 Mamba-Lutumba

1981 Bina na Ngai na Respect-Zitan

1982 Farceur-Makiadi

1982 Faute Ya Commerçant-Lutumba

1982 Tangawusi-Papa Noel Nedule

1983 Missile-Josky Kiambukuta

1983 Non-Makiadi

1983 Tu Vois? (Mamou)-Makiadi

1984 Makambo Ezali Bourreau-Makiadi

1984 12,600 Letters to Franco-Makiadi

1984 Candidat Na Biso Mobutu-Makiadi

1985 Bourreau des Cœurs-Dénis Bonyeme

1985 Mario-Makiadi

1985 Boma Ngai Na Boma Yo To Bomana-Madilu System

1986 Celio-Makiadi

1986 Testament Ya Bowule-Lutumba

1987 Attention Na Sida-Makiadi

Feel free to comment on the many other records like Les Reumers.
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