ORCHESTRE NEGRO SUCCES
Leon "Bholen" Bombolo [far left] and singer Hubert "Djeskin" Dihunga recruited sax player André Menga from African Jazz. From Orchestre Bantou came Belgian rhythm guitarist Jean Dinos. Other members were singers Gaspard "Gaspy" Luwowo, bassist Alphonse 'Le Brun" Epayo, and drummer Samy Kiadaka. Bavon and Bholen were the principal songwriters and guitarists. Bholen was as ugly as Bavon was handsome, so they made a striking pair on stage in their smart suits. The band was hugely popular, especially among the youth of Kinshasa. In 1968 the newspaper Etoile du Congo credited them with inventing the soucous. (But note the soukous tracks recorded at the same time by Negro Band in Paris.)A decade younger than the members of OK Jazz, Negro Succès spearheaded a youth movement that threatened to unseat the supreme OK Jazz with street-slang lyrics and a hip fashion sense adapted equally from Bollywood and Wild West movies featuring Wild Bill Hickock and Buffalo Bill Cody. Decades ahead of Michael Jackson, this "Hindu-Bill" youth also started bleaching their skin in defiance of the Authenticité movement being prompted by the Mobutu regime. Equally outrageous were the Trio Madjesi, who had a string of hits and an afternoon TV show, designed to keep the kids off the streets after school!
Negro Succès was not related to either Negro Band or Mando Negro Kwala Kwa. Ronnie Graham, in THE WORLD OF AFRICAN MUSIC VOLUME 2, mentions groups called Conga Negro, Negro Fiesta, and OD Negro. To confuse things further there were groups called Vox Negros and Vox Africa, and in West Africa a group with the grandiose title Super Negro Bantous!
But tragedy struck on 5 August 1970 when Bavon was killed in a car wreck. Rumours flew that Franco had traded his younger brother's soul to the devil for his supernatural talent on the guitar. Tshimanga Assossa (who went on to found Maquis Original in Tanzania) and young Nyboma also sang with the group until Bavon's death. Dercy Manduiangu was brought in to replace Bavon on guitar but a year later the band folded. There's a gentle dreaminess to their sound, wonderful honking sax solos and guitar occasionally reminiscent of Docteur Nico. But Bavon could also play like his brother Franco, and despite the seeming rivalry with OK Jazz it is possible Franco and Bavon made guest appearances on each other's session. On one of their biggest hits, "Libanga na Libumu," which means "a stone in the stomach," Negro Succès cop some serious James Brown style.
Sonodisc devoted two LPs and two CDs to Orchestre Negro Succès. Then there are scattered tracks on various Sono compilations and the Ngoyarto CD which has some overlap with the Sono material. Currently the only thing in print is probably the EAST OF AFRICA compilation on DAKAR SOUND, which also contains tracks from African Jazz, African Fiesta and African Team. WARNING: the two discs Legende des deux Frères W.A.M.1 & 2 that feature Franco and Bavon have made-up song titles that are in fact just songs lifted off other CDs.
José Nzolani and Serge Diantantu tell one version of the story of the origins of Negro Succès:
"Contrary to popular belief it was not Victor ("Vicky") Longomba who was behind the creation of Orchestre Negro Succès in 1961 but in fact it was four friends, Kiyunga "Djeskain", Armando Brazzos (from OK Jazz), Johnny Pinnock & Léon Bombolo aka "Bholen" who were the founders. They needed a headliner so they asked Vicky Longomba who had just come back from the Table Ronde conference in Belgium with Joseph Kabasele. Vicky did not see eye to eye with Kabasele and so agreed to join the new band at a Kinshasa bar known as Quist. Their debut was marked by mud-slinging with rivals OK Jazz. Bholen and Franco nearly came to blows. But the new band needed material, so they approached the head of "Ecodis maison bleu" who was associated with the Belgian branch of the Decca label, but then Vicky returned to OK Jazz and the new material was withdrawn. Bholen thought about going back to work in an office, then at the last moment agreed to go on a European tour with Orchestre City Five."
"Bavon Siongo known as Bavon Marie Marie was born 27 May 1944. His elder brother, Franco, wanted him to study and become a doctor. But Bavon wanted to be a musician and worked for a while with José Kayenge in Les Noirs. One day Franco showed up at the home of Kayenge and smashed three guitars. Bavon moved to Boma to avoid the rage of his brother, where in 1963 he met Dino Vangu, still in school, but gigging at the Tati-bar with Orchestre Coeur de Lion. Dino then accompanied Bavon on solo guitar at the Sida-bar. There they met Michelino who also lived in the Kitomesa district of Matadi. (Later Michelino would join Nico in African Fiesta Sukisa.) In Boma Bavon was replaced on solo guitar by Ozo, while Dino Vangu remained on accompaniment. Among the singers was a certain Windi.
"Early in 1966 with the split of African Fiesta, Rochereau wanted Bavon to replace Nico in his formation with Roger. However despite their friendship Rochereau thought better of hiring Franco's brother and discovered Claude Gustave Vangu aka "Guvano" from the Orchestre Diamant Bleu instead."
"Gigging briefly with Orchestre Jamel, based in Dendal, the still-unknown Bavon was recruited into Orchestre Cobantou of Dewayon as second lead guitarist (alongside Papa Noel), but he had limited exposure and so quit to return to his brother. Franco approached Bholen and told him he would give him instruments and material on condition he took his brother along. Bholen gladly agreed and the two formed a partnership with a musical style that bridged both camps of African Fiesta and OK Jazz."
"Bavon died tragically, alongside Marie-Josée, in a car crash on 5 August 1970. He was replaced by Dercy Mandiangu, and the band had further successes like "Nelly ya Moro" until they broke up in 1973. Bholen died in December 2007."
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Peter Toll argues that Vicky Longomba did have a hand in the creation of the band, as he was the proprietor of Quist. The translation of the French text is "Vicky Longomba quits African Jazz to manage the dancing-bar Quist on Itaga which he rents." But, he adds, a discussion of who founded Negro Succès is futile. "According to the article in Le Potential (the source for Nzolani's story), the musicians went to see Vicky because they wanted to start a new band. After they had a talk, Negro Succès was created. To me it means that at least Vicky was one of the founders. Also, I believe, if it wasn't for Vicky, Negro Succès would not have come into existence in 1961. And when Vicky went back to OK Jazz in 1962, it basically signaled the end of Negro Succès. It was only thanks to Franco that Bholen could revive the band in 1964. But more about that later. Nzolani's article jumps about, so, let me try to put some events in historical order:
1932: Vicky Longomba is born.
1936: Bholen Bombolo is born. (Both were older than Franco - to me, Negro Succès was of the same generation as OK Jazz)
1956: Vicky and Franco start OK Jazz. That same year Bholen joins Vedette Jazz.
1959: Bholen joins OK Jazz. He replaces Franco who spends a few months in prison, which left Vicky in charge of the band.
1960: Problems arise between Franco and Vicky who is kicked out of OK Jazz. Together with Brazzos, Vicky joins African Jazz for the trip to Brussels. Franco recruites as new singers Kwamy and Djeskain Dihunga. After the return of African Jazz from Europe, Brazzos rejoins OK Jazz. Vicky stays with African Jazz. However, he cannot get along with Grand Kalle and leaves. He becomes club owner at Quist, Bowane's old bar on Avenue de l'Itaga.
1961: Brazzos, Bholen and Djeskain want to start a new band with Pinock (singer with Rock'a Mambo). They talk with Vicky and soon they start performing as Negro Succès at Quist. Bholen is designated chef d'orchestre, the other band members are: Djeskain, Gaspy and Pinock (vcls), André Menga (sax), Alphonso Epayo (bass) and Samy Kiadaka (tumba). However, Brazzos doesn't stay long and goes back to OK Jazz. He is replaced by Jean Dinos from Orch. Bantou. That same year, Bavon starts his first band with a few friends under the name Les Cousins Bleus.
1962: Problems between Bholen and Vicky who returns to OK Jazz. Stuck without equipment or a venue to play, Negro Succès starts sinking. Also in 1962, Bavon joins Orch. Cubana Jazz with his friends, Empompo Loway and Amba Zozo.
1963: Family problems between Franco and Bavon who runs off to Boma where he plays with Coeur du Lion. When Franco's family finally accepts Bavon's choice for a career in music, he returns to Kinshasa where he joins Orch. Jamel. Meanwhile, Bholen joins Orch. City Five and leaves for Belgium.
1964: Bavon joins Orch. Cobantou but not for long, he leaves dissatisfied. Bholen returns from Europe and approaches Franco for equipment to resurrect Negro Succès. Franco agrees to help on the condition that Bavon will be part of the new formation. On Dec. 15, 1964, Negro Succès with Bavon and Bholen on board play their first gig at the Vis-à-Vis club in Matonge. Other members are: Djeskain, Gaspy, Flujos and Jojo (vcls), Alphonse Epayo (bass), Mogo (rhythm gtr), Fredos (tumba), Maproco and Bosmin (sax).
1965: Problems between Bholen and Djeskain who leaves with some members to form a new band, Super Negro. Three new singers to join Negro Succès are Amba Zozo, Bijou and Rocky.
1966: Record contract with Editions Tcheza which provides the band with their own equipment. Empompo Loway joins.
1967: Muana 15 Ans becomes Negro Succès' first big hit, followed by Lucie and Malou. The band signs a record deal with Editions Boboto and travels to Belgium for recording. Moro Maurice joins.
1969: A number of Negro Succès including Bavon and Empompo Loway went on tour to Kenya. Several musicians, among them Dieudos Makwanzi and Kalembi Kajos, decided to stay and they started a band called Les Noirs. As for Loway, after returning to Congo, he joined Tabu Ley."
--Thanks Peter!
