Tabu Ley finally speaks: I’m on the path to recovery

As Tabu Ley pointed out during the interview, other former members of his Afrisa International are singer Faya Tess, who also lives in Paris, guitarist Nseka Huit Kilos, Dodo Munoko, Wawali Bonane and Mekanisi Modero — all of whom live in US. Those from Tabu Ley’s group who remained in Kinshasa include guitarist Master Mukonkole, who was in the Africa International group that visited Kenya in 1995.

The celebrated Tabu Ley was admitted to hospital in July, last year, from a suspected heart ailment. Initial reports from Kinshasa had also indicated that he had suffered a suspected mild stroke. It was an anti-climax for the singer, coming only a month after he was feted at an international music award ceremony in Havana, Cuba.

When his condition initially worsened, he was hospitalised at Limete, Kinshasa, before being flown to Europe for specialised treatment. Late last year, he was flown back home to Kinshasa at his own request to see his family, only to be flown back to Paris earlier this year when his condition worsened again.

Political strongman

The man, who earlier in his career, was popularly known as Pascal Rochereau Ley Siegneur until political strongman Mobutu Sese Seko’s cultural revolution in the 1970s, and simply became Tabu Ley, is going through the most difficult period of his life. One can imagine the pain he is going through, unable to practise his real passion — music.

Tabu Ley’s story is incomplete without a mention of Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi’s name. The two were for decades the pillar of Congolese music in an interesting rivalry that culminated in the release of one of the best collaboration songs ever on the continent — Lisanga ya Banganga.

angaira@nation.co.ke