Yes, Mobutu’s Zaire had music; what about Museveni’s Uganda?

By 1975, neighbours were scavenging on what was left of the carcass of Uganda’s economy. Kenya’s attempt to develop Kisumu as an industrial hub had an eye on exports to Uganda.
Mobutu also tried to turn Kisangani into a manufacturing hub with an eye on Uganda. There was Sozaplast (Societe Zairoise de Plastique), Saza (Savon Zairoise), Sotexik (Societe Texitile du Kisangani) and many others. Ugandans smuggled coffee to Zaire and returned with cheap cotton fabrics made by Sotexik, soap made by Saza, plastic shoes made by Sozaplast. But we also imported music.
In 1980, I spent third term holidays at my uncle’s place where I controlled the radio. It is this radio that grew my interest in music and public affairs. I would not miss Radio Uganda newsreaders Collins Bolingo Anyoli (his son was a workmate at The New Vision) and Armstrong Gatete (I was later to meet him in Kigali after the war).
And, of course, I would not miss the music, most of which was Zairoise. I developed interest in Lingala (as a language), the lyrics of the songs, the singers and always dreamed about the life in Kinshasa and Zaire. I was later to live in Kinshasa for a short time. I have been to some of the major cities of Zaire. I have been to Sotexik (in Kisangani) and I have been to the vaults of the central bank’s currency centre in Lubumbashi (we were investigating whether a certain East African president was paid in gold by president Laurent Kabila).

**************

The Facebook debate was about who was (is) the all-time greatest personality in Congolese music? For me, even if you woke me up at midnight, my answer is always ready: The greatest is Seignuer Tabu Ley Rochereau of l’Orchetre Afrisa Internationale.
Second place is taken by Joseph ‘Le Grand Kalle’ Kabaselle of l’Orchestre African Jazz (father of Congolese music as we now know it) and the third is guitarist and band leader Franco Luambo Makiadi (of l’Orchestre TPOK Jazz).
In fourth place is Verkys Kyamwangana Mateta (yes, that one of l’Orchestre Veve and Editions Veve production house) while fifth place is taken by Simaro Massiya Lutumba (the man who musically held together Franco’s TPOK Jazz.
I place Antoine Wendo at number six. You probably never heard of this one, but he is the grandfather of Congolese music as we know it now. He recorded in the 1940s and had several run-ins with the Belgian colonial administration and the church. Why? Mbu his music was turning people away from the church. Koffi Ollomide, in spite of himself, is reluctantly ranked at number seven.
**************

Music in Mobutu’s Zaire was the repository of the national conscience. It was a national institution; which is why it has been the subject of academic study. From Antoine Wendo in the late 1940s to today’s neophytes like Koffi Olomide and Pegguy Tabu (Tabu Ley’s son), you can read the country’s history through her music.
When Mobutu declared Patrice Lumumba a national hero in 1967, Franco Luambo Makiadi released Lumumba Hero Nationale. Tabu Ley Rochereau released Jean Baptiste, whose import was that Mobutu was not even worthy declaring Lumumba a national hero.
In 2021, Mr Museveni will have ruled his country longer than Marshal Mobutu ruled Zaire. Mobutu’s Zaire gave us music and an attempt to feed on the carcass of Uganda’s economy. What has Museveni’s Uganda given us? Where is the attempt to make Gulu a manufacturing hub to feed South Sudan’s import needs? Where is Museveni’s attempt to make Kasese an industrial city to take advantage of the vast Eastern DRC’s import needs?
Mr Bisiika is the executive
editor of East African Flagpost.