Sam Mangwana

Sam Mangwana ranks among the final surviving masters of Zairean rumba, also known as soukous. He previously performed with Tabu Ley Rocherau's Africa Fiesta and Franco's TPOK Jazz before guiding the genre away from the sharper edges favored by those earlier bands. The Washington Post noted that "While his former employers were the masters of the relentless, springy, soukous music of Central Africa, Mangwana employs a lighter, more acoustic, more Caribbean, sound." During Mangwana's 1999 New York appearance the New York Times described the material in comparable terms, stating, "It was gentle-spirited music, perfect for the dancers moving through the soupy summer air." A Smithsonian Institution concert in Washington, D.C., likewise highlighted his understated delivery when www.salsamundo.com wrote, "In a program rich with influences from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, The Congo, and Cuba, Mr. Mangwana sang in a rich, weathered tenor about serious issues of oppression and liberation, yet the delightful and engaging lilt of his music conveys optimism and the triumph of love." Born to parents from Angola who had moved to Kinshasa, Mangwana has performed throughout most of his life. After receiving formal training with the Salvation Army chorus, he began working professionally while still in his mid-teens. At seventeen he took the roles of lead singer and arranger with Tabu Ley Rocherau's Africa Fiesta. Over the next decade-plus he also made occasional appearances alongside L'Orchestre Tembo, Vox Afrique, and Franco's TPOK Jazz. In 1976 he established his own ensemble, the African All Stars, and scored his breakthrough single in 1986 when "Maria Tebba" emerged as a major soukous success. Across the ensuing twenty-plus years he has carried his distinctive soukous approach onto global stages. The 1999 United States tour featured African All-Stars guitarist Dizzy Mandjeku together with OK Jazz Band guitarist Papa Noel. The following year saw the release of Sam Mangwana Sings Dinu Vangu.