Orchestre Bella Bella

about

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 Congo soukous 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. 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. 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

top songs

albums

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African Pearls Congo Pont sur le Congo

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Congo Sevens Vol. 1

Orchestre Bella Bella, vol. 5 : 1969-1971

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Anina la fille de mon coeur

1969/1971 Vol. 5

Bella Bella 26

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Edition Veve

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Pont Sur Le Congo

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l'Afrique Danse 360.085

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45 days of Music from Digging4gold.tumblr.com

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Edition Veve 1969-1978

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African Pearls: Congo - Pont Sur Le Congo

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