"Pure balm, he makes you wonder again why African music still awaits its Marley moment of global breakthrough." -- Nick Hasted, The Independent (UK)
Born in Matadi, Congo, Samba Mapangala moved to Kinshasa in the early 1970s, to pursue his secondary education. Inspired by legendary Congolese vocalists Tabu Ley Rochereau and Soki Dianzenza, it was there that Samba began his singing career.
Samba's early years included stints in the groups Bariza, Super Bella Bella and Super Tukina. It was while touring in Eastern Congo in 1975 that Samba and other musicians separated from Bikassy Bijos' Orchestra Saka Saka. Recruited by a Ugandan promoter, Samba and his comrades set up camp in Kampala. There, they formed Les Kinois, with Samba as lead vocalist.
In 1977, Les Kinois shifted their base to Nairobi, where they made their first recordings on 7" vinyl with Melodica Records. Hits like the original Malako, Sunday, Christmas and Sigana Mar Anyango rang out over the airwaves.
Les Kinois gave way to Orchestra Virunga in 1981, with Samba as bandleader and lead vocalist. 1982 saw the release of the "Disco Time" LP, which included Malako Disco, Virunga and other hits. Released internationally as "Virunga Volcano", this album has been recognized in "World Music: 100 Essential CDs" by Simon Broughton.
Samba Mapangala and Virunga churned out the hits throughout the 80s, with such memorable numbers as Mabiala, Kimotho, Sister Ali, and, towards the end of the decade, the mega-hit Vunja Mifupa.
The 90s saw Samba recording and performing with various manifestations of Virunga. Album releases included the critically-acclaimed "Feet on Fire" in 1991, "Karibu Kenya" in 1995 and "Vunja Mifupa" (released in Kenya as "Confusion") in 1997.
In 1997, Samba toured the United States, backed by an all-star lineup of veteran musicians from Virunga, and other Nairobi-based bands. The late John Ngereza of Les Wanyika was part of the tour. Joining the group in Boston for a unique and memorable performance was the late Fadhili William, a/k/a "Mr. Malaika".
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Following the 1997 tour, Samba set up residence in Maryland, where he currently lives with his family. Though far in distance from his fan base, Samba remains close at heart. His album "Ujumbe", released in 2001, was intended as a special message to his fans. This album contained the hit Dunia Tuna Pita, which was the impetus for Samba's 2004 tour of Tanzania.
The Song and Dance album was released in 2006 on Virunga Records featuring Bopol Mansiamina and other great members of Orchestra Virunga. They promoted the album and reprised many other great hits from his repertoire during a U.K. tour in March 2006. Read and hear more about it at Song and Dance on CD Baby.
Virunga toured the U.S. and Canada in the summer of 2007, and then traveled to England to perform at the prestigious WOMAD festival.
2008 brought the release of African Classics on the Sheer Sound label out of South Africa. The internationally distributed album features selections from Samba's many past hits, plus three tracks never before available outside of East Africa. He recorded a song in praise of Barack Obama, "Obama Ubarikiwe," during the presidential election campaign, a digital-only free download that became an international hit and attracted much media coverage.
2009 was a very busy year for Samba: he performed at the Inaugural ball for the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC, headlined the Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar and two concerts in Nairobi, and appeared at Kennedy Center, Washington DC, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia and Lincoln Center, New York City, as well as the Richmond (Virginia) Folk Festival. In cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, he recorded a song, "Les Gorilles des Montagnes" to raise awareness of the endangered mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in Congo. Samba Mapangala & Virunga Live on Tour, a digital-only album, was also produced and released in 2009. Interviews and features on him were broadcast by Radio France Inter, BBC and National Public Radio in the US, and the Afropop Worldwide website.
