Soki vangu biography

L'Orchestre Bella Bella (also known as Frères Soki & l'Orchestre Bella Bella or simply Bella Bella; sometimes written Bella-Bella) was a prominent DR Congosoukous band that formed in the early 1970s. It was led by the Soki brothers ("Les frères Soki" in French).

With Shama Shama and Lipwa Lipwa, it was one of the bands that popularized a smoother, softer style in the soukous scene. The band was a starting ground for many successful musicians, including Nyboma and Pepe Kalle.

History

The band was founded in 1969 by the Soki brothers, Maxim and Emile Soki. Its lineup included guitarists Johnny Roger and Jean Bosco. Emile, who was only 16 when Bella Bella started, became a teen idol of the youth of Kinshasa. Since their early years, the band recorded several hits, such as Baboti bapekisi, Sylvie, Alexandrine, Mwasi ya moto, Luta, Lina, Mandendeli, Mbuta, Bipale ya pembeni, and Sofele.

Around 1972 the band experienced drastic changes in its lineup and internal quarrels, that eventually led to one the Soki brothers, Emile, leaving the band for a while to create a spin-off group called Bella Mambo. In the same period, Pepe Kalle joined Bella Bella for a few years, in order to earn the money he needed to buy instruments for his own band Empire Bakuba. Nyboma joined at the same time. With Kalle as a replacement for Emile, Bella Bella managed to keep their leading position in the soukous scene, with hits like Mbuta, Kamale, Kimbundi, Lipua Lipua and Sola.

In 1973 Emile quit Bella Mambo and rejoined his brother in Bella Bella. In the same year, the Soki brothers created their own recording label, Allez-y frères Soki, which released two major hits of their career, Bienvenue Doudou and Sentina. Both were written with the contribution of Dizzy Mandjeku. These two singles were incredibly successful, and brought several talented musicians to ask the Soki brothe

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Biography

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Classified alongside Zaiko Langa-Langa as one of the “youth bands” challenging established stars such as Franco and Rochereau, the band proved an instant success, not least for Soki Dianzenza’s charismatic stage presence. Although the brothers had formed the band under the patronage of Charles Pierre Loukelo’s Editions La Musette, they transferred their allegiances to Verckys Kiamuangana, signing to his Editions Veve label in 1971.

Verckys recruited two young singers for the band, Kabasele Yampanya, better known now as Pepe Kalle, and Nyboma Mwan Dido, who song on Mbuta, the band’s smash hit of 1972. The tensions between the brothers were evident, however. In 1972 Soki Dianzenza left to form Orchestra Bella Mambo, but reconciled with Soki Vangu the following year. By then, Bella Bella had split from Verkys to set up their own Editions Allez-y Freres Soki (Let’s Go, Soki Brothers) label, with Nyboma and Kinzunga Tonton Ricos quitting the band to form Orchestra Lipua Lipua. Despite these upheavals, in 1974 the band was at the peak of its powers, scoring hit after hit. Success, though, failed to satisfy the mercurial Soki Dianzenza who ran a parallel career with Orchestra Bella Mambo for a while before quitting Bella Bella for the second time in late 1975.

In 1979 the brothers were back together as Bella Bella, joined briefly by vocalist Kanda Bongo and guitarist Diblo Dibala, who had both worked with Soki Dianzenza in Bella Mambo. The reconciliation didn’t last long as Bella Bella finally dissolved in 1980.

Soki Dianzenza died on May 4, 1990, at the age of 35; two weeks later, in Germany, Soki Vangu passed away at 42 years old.

Besides the Soki brothers, , according to an article in La Conscience, Bella Bella’s early 1970s

line-up included: Emmany Shaba Kahamba, bass; Kinzunga Tonton Ricos, lead guitar; Dino Vangu, lead guitar; Bissikita, rhythm guitar; Kayembe, mi-solo guitar; Nkuka Nono, drums, Kialungila, saxophone; Michael, saxophone; Domain, trumpet;