Kenya: Orchestre Les Mangelepa hit gets remastered for vinyl

The offering features a remastered version of 'Nyako Konya' as well as remixes by French house and disco producer Yuksek, Dutch producer Umoja and Canadian-American DJ Uprood Andy. The restoration and remastering of the original track wa done by French sound engineer Nicolas Thelliez.

Composed and recorded in 1978, 'Nyako Konya' employs the zebola beat, which originates from Zambia. The song was an instant hit and shot Les Mangelepa to fame across East Africa. Other well-known hits released by the band include 'Kanemo, 'Suzanna', 'Mimba' and 'Embakasi', among many others. 

With a career spanning more than 40 years, the band has toured Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2016, the band played in Germany and showcased at the World Music Expo (WOMEX) in Katowice, Poland.

The original band comprised 10 Congolese members. Today, some have passed away while others relocated to other countries. Founding members who are still playing with the band are Kabila Kabanze, Vivi Kalenga Nzaaza and Macky Luthulu Kaniki.

The band’s latest album, Last Band Standing, was released in 2017 and was given four out of five stars by The Guardian reviewer Robin Denselow.

Listen to and order the Nyako Konya reissue here.