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Songs for the Poor Man
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Songs for the Poor Man
Songs for the Poor Man is the first studio album and second album overall by Tanzanian soukous musician Remmy Ongala and his band Orchestre Super Matimila, released in 1989 on Real World Records. The album follows Ongala's acclaimed appearances at the WOMAD Tour and WOMAD'S release of Naillia Mwana, a compilation of early music by Ongala, two events which gave Ongala international recognition. Songs for the Poor Man was recorded at the WOMAD-affiliated Real World Studios in Wiltshire over three days in May 1989 with production, engineering and mixing help from David Bottrill.
The album exemplifies Ongala and the band's move towards a soukous-style sound, while being more sparse and broadened than conventional soukous and adding elements of East African funk, Afro-Latin and Caribbean music, as well as making prominent usage of conga parts to double its guitar lines. Ongala's lyrics deal with social issues such as urban poverty in Tanzania and racism. Upon release, Songs for the Poor Man won critical acclaim from critics, praising the album's conviction and passion. Robert Christgau named it the 8th greatest album of 1989, and Tom Moon included it in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.
Although 'Ubongo beat' musician Remmy Ongala, alongside his backing band Orchestre Super Matimila, started to become one of the most famous musicians in Tanzania in the 1980s, his increasing fame failed to parallel with increasing fortune due to a lack of adequate copyright law protection and scam record labels in countries such as Kenya who pressed more copies of a recording by Ongala than they agreed to, keeping the royalties from the extra copies themselves.
Ongala did, however, give a tape of his music to an English friend who was visiting Ongala's native Dar es Salaam and returning to London, who later passed the cassette on, ultimately finding itself at the hands of Peter Gabriel's world music organisation WOMAD. Pleased with his music, WOMAD released a critically acclaimed compilation of his early 1980s lo-fi recordings entitled Nalilia Mwana, which established many of his musical themes. WOMAD also invited Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila to play on the 1988 edition of its annual WOMAD Tour, where audiences greeted his music with enthusiasm.
Although highly popular in East Africa, his new WOMAD performances and album helped him reach European and American audiences. While the band's appearances were acclaimed, the ensemble had to shrink in size when playing live for touring practicality, and were also moving towards a soukous sound, "the brasher, faster modern variant of rumba Congolaise then popular." WOMAD and Gabriel contacted Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila, and Ongala agreed to record a new album, Songs for the Poor Man, for Gabriel and WOMAD's new label Real World Records. By the time of the recording, Orchestre Super Matimila "had become a regular fixture at WOMAD festivals." The album was recorded and mixed at Gabriel's Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, over three days in 1989 during "Recording Week." The album was produced by Ongala with Basil Anderson and David Bottrill, who engineered, mixed and edited the album. Christopher Johns acted as assistant engineer.
"Rather than relentless Afrodance upmanship, he cultivates a variety that suits Tanzania's folk-friendly cultural policy."
At the root of Songs for the Poor Man is the "steady, melodic drive" of the Zaïrean-style of soukous, the "shimmery Afro-pop dance style," and each song on the album is based on the genre's defining interlaced guitar arpeggios. Unlike conventional soukous however, which is brisk and uptight, Songs for the Poor Man broadens soukousbbackbeats while slowing them down, giving them "a touch of professional swagger and a touch of East African funk." According to Bob Tarte of AllMusic, the album's Tanzanian take on soukous "is as restrained as the Zairian form is hedonistic." The music is aided by the inclusion of a "fluid East African guitar style and infectious Tanzanian rhythms."
Music critic Robert Christgau felt the "unbrassy band", consisting of three percussionists, three guitarists, a saxophonist and a bassist, strives in a unique way unlike that of Afro-Parisian music. The up-front conga parts, played by Saidi Salum Jumaine, double the guitar lines and, according to Christgau, "convey an esteem for both tribal difference and East African ways that complements the caring precision of Ongala's singing and the undulating buoyancy of his groove." The music on the album is broad and spacious, and contains elements of Caribbean and Latin music. Ongala's voice on the album has been described as rich, soulful, and weathered. "Kipenda Roho" features a "hard drive" while "Mariamu Wangu", Ongala's "own all-time favourite," is based on the popular "mdundiko ngoma," which originates from Dar es Salaam.
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Songs for the Poor Man
Songs for the Poor Man is the first studio album and second album overall by Tanzanian soukous musician Remmy Ongala and his band Orchestre Super Matimila, released in 1989 on Real World Records. The album follows Ongala's acclaimed appearances at the WOMAD Tour and WOMAD'S release of Naillia Mwana, a compilation of early music by Ongala, two events which gave Ongala international recognition. Songs for the Poor Man was recorded at the WOMAD-affiliated Real World Studios in Wiltshire over three days in May 1989 with production, engineering and mixing help from David Bottrill.
The album exemplifies Ongala and the band's move towards a soukous-style sound, while being more sparse and broadened than conventional soukous and adding elements of East African funk, Afro-Latin and Caribbean music, as well as making prominent usage of conga parts to double its guitar lines. Ongala's lyrics deal with social issues such as urban poverty in Tanzania and racism. Upon release, Songs for the Poor Man won critical acclaim from critics, praising the album's conviction and passion. Robert Christgau named it the 8th greatest album of 1989, and Tom Moon included it in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.
Although 'Ubongo beat' musician Remmy Ongala, alongside his backing band Orchestre Super Matimila, started to become one of the most famous musicians in Tanzania in the 1980s, his increasing fame failed to parallel with increasing fortune due to a lack of adequate copyright law protection and scam record labels in countries such as Kenya who pressed more copies of a recording by Ongala than they agreed to, keeping the royalties from the extra copies themselves.
Ongala did, however, give a tape of his music to an English friend who was visiting Ongala's native Dar es Salaam and returning to London, who later passed the cassette on, ultimately finding itself at the hands of Peter Gabriel's world music organisation WOMAD. Pleased with his music, WOMAD released a critically acclaimed compilation of his early 1980s lo-fi recordings entitled Nalilia Mwana, which established many of his musical themes. WOMAD also invited Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila to play on the 1988 edition of its annual WOMAD Tour, where audiences greeted his music with enthusiasm.
Although highly popular in East Africa, his new WOMAD performances and album helped him reach European and American audiences. While the band's appearances were acclaimed, the ensemble had to shrink in size when playing live for touring practicality, and were also moving towards a soukous sound, "the brasher, faster modern variant of rumba Congolaise then popular." WOMAD and Gabriel contacted Ongala and Orchestre Super Matimila, and Ongala agreed to record a new album, Songs for the Poor Man, for Gabriel and WOMAD's new label Real World Records. By the time of the recording, Orchestre Super Matimila "had become a regular fixture at WOMAD festivals." The album was recorded and mixed at Gabriel's Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, over three days in 1989 during "Recording Week." The album was produced by Ongala with Basil Anderson and David Bottrill, who engineered, mixed and edited the album. Christopher Johns acted as assistant engineer.
"Rather than relentless Afrodance upmanship, he cultivates a variety that suits Tanzania's folk-friendly cultural policy."
At the root of Songs for the Poor Man is the "steady, melodic drive" of the Zaïrean-style of soukous, the "shimmery Afro-pop dance style," and each song on the album is based on the genre's defining interlaced guitar arpeggios. Unlike conventional soukous however, which is brisk and uptight, Songs for the Poor Man broadens soukousbbackbeats while slowing them down, giving them "a touch of professional swagger and a touch of East African funk." According to Bob Tarte of AllMusic, the album's Tanzanian take on soukous "is as restrained as the Zairian form is hedonistic." The music is aided by the inclusion of a "fluid East African guitar style and infectious Tanzanian rhythms."
Music critic Robert Christgau felt the "unbrassy band", consisting of three percussionists, three guitarists, a saxophonist and a bassist, strives in a unique way unlike that of Afro-Parisian music. The up-front conga parts, played by Saidi Salum Jumaine, double the guitar lines and, according to Christgau, "convey an esteem for both tribal difference and East African ways that complements the caring precision of Ongala's singing and the undulating buoyancy of his groove." The music on the album is broad and spacious, and contains elements of Caribbean and Latin music. Ongala's voice on the album has been described as rich, soulful, and weathered. "Kipenda Roho" features a "hard drive" while "Mariamu Wangu", Ongala's "own all-time favourite," is based on the popular "mdundiko ngoma," which originates from Dar es Salaam.