Léon Bukasa began his career in Lubumbashi in 1949, alongside Henri Kaseba (elder brother of Albino Kalombo). He began recording for the Ngoma label in 1950.
The Dictionnaire Des Immortels de la Musique Congolaise Moderne notes: “A distinguished songwriter and composer, Léon Bukasa—whose voice was both captivating and emotionally stirring—left behind an impressive discography, remarkable both in quantity and quality.”
Guitarist Papa Noël (Antoine Nedule Montswet) was only sixteen at the time of this recording.
Albino Kalombo, who we hear on saxophone, was born in Élisabethville (now Lubumbashi) in Katanga. After playing clarinet in a brass band, he moved to Léopoldville (Kinshasa) in 1954, learned the saxophone, and was then recruited by Ngoma Records. It is said that he even taught Léon Bukasa himself how to play saxophone.
This tune, with a title translated as “Lady Sultani”, appeared on the 1996 German CD release “Ngoma, The Early Years, 1948-1960”.
Recorded in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo on October 28, 1957.
Released as Ngoma 1824.
Credits:
Léon Bukasa – guitar
Papa Noël – guitar
Albino Kalombo – saxophone
Sources:
Dictionnaire Des Immortels De La Musique Congolaise Moderne, Jean-Pierre François Nimy Nzonga, Bruylant-Academia, 2010.
The flip side can be heard at:
https://youtu.be/lLVUwBlLS5Y