Coco Malabar

Description.

Coco Malabar (aka Nicolas Tumba) was born in the Democratic Congo (ex Zaire) and resides now in Brussels. He is a non-typical artist who doesn’t wish to be a prisoner of the traditional Congolese music but prefers instead to be influenced by all types of cultures.

This original creative fever which is cross-border was already very noticeable in his first CD ( “ Dienda “ – Contrejour ).

Music has always been a part of Coco’s life. As a child he was a member of the local church choir. This is where he got acquainted with the guitar, the first chords and harmonies. His father listened a lot to Myriam Makeba, who left a deep mark on him. Then came Fela Kuti, le grand Kallé, etc.

Coco calls his musical style afro-pop, afro-rock or afro-groove. This style is the result of multiple influences that he collected from Africa and from Europe. Although the African source is unmistakable, sound treatment and arrangements are closer to rock and even punk.

Africa’s dignity is a major theme in Coco’s work. He is more than fed up with the recurring image of Africa as a beggar’s continent. He wants to see a strong Africa with a view to the future.

Video of Ye Imama

Songs (pre-listen and download)

1. 1Tabla Rasa Audio Teaser
   Résumé du CD avec des extraits de Tabla Rasa, Democrassia, Ye Imama, Mokili, et Mambeta //// A summary of the CD with excerpts from Tabla Rasa, Democrassia, Ye Imama, Mokili, and Mambeta
2. 2Tabla Rasa (Cut 2min)
   On écrit une nouvelle page //// A new page is being written
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3. 3Bana Kongo (Cut 1mn)
   De grâce, pour l'intérêt suprême du Pays, conduisons nous en adultes responsables. Pourquoi le coltan enrichit-il tout le monde mais pas les congolais ? //// Please, for the love of the country let us all unite. Why does coltan make everyone roih, but not the congolese ?
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4. 4Mokili (Cut 1mn)
   Rien ne sert à maudire le monde, cherches et trouves ta voie //// It is useless to curse the world, search and find your own way.
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5. 5Ye Imama (Clip) (Cut 2 min)
   C'est l'histoire d'un rêveur qui ne pense qu'à elle, qui ne chante qu'elle. //// It is the story of a dreamer who only thinks about her, who only sings about her.
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6. 6Revolte Face (Cut 2mi,)
   La liberté d'expression installée dans ses meubles //// Freedom of speech has settled
7. 7Kipanda Story (Cut 2 min)
   La moitié de l'histoire du Congo n'est pas racontée //// Half of Congo's story is never told
8. 8Sela Yamba (Cut 2 min)
   Le soleil est allé se coucher et les congolais en ont marre de ces tribulations //// The sun has set and the congolse are fed up with these tribulations
9. 9Nansha Bambe (Cut 2 min)
   Blues d'un Afro, miné par le stress de la vie en Occident //// Blues of an afro-man, destroyed by the stress of living in Europe
10. 10Gueule de Loser (Pasha Enda) (Cut 2 min)
    On y est, on affronte la réalité, on n'attend pas l'avenir comme un train en gare //// We are here, we face reality, we are not waiting for the future as in a train's station
11. 11Democrassia (Cut 2 min)
    La démocratie dépendrait-elle d'une culture, d'une géographie ? //// Would democracy depend from a culture or a region ?
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12. 12Love I Need (Cut 2 min)
    Adaptation de la chanson de Jimmy Cliff avec couplet en kiswahili. //// An adapatation of Jummy Cliff's song with some verse in kiswahili
13. 13RootsRockers (Cut 2 min)
    Du brut, du cru, du non-formaté revendiqué /// Raw and crude, dangerously no-format
14. 14Neno Moja (Cut 1 min)
    Au commencement était la parole (chanson pour les naïfs) /// First there was the word (a song for the gullibles)
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15. 15Mambeta (Cut 1 mn)
    Je fais mon truc comme je le sens ; mon ABCD n'est pas le vôtre, ce n'est pas grave. (Le refrain est une mélodie du groupe folklorique Kintueni de Kinshasa) //// I am doing my stuff as I feel it. My ABCD is not yours but it doesn't matter (the chorus of this song is by the traditional folk group Kintueni from Kinshasa)
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16. 16Orchestre Toubab : Article 16 (Bonus track) (Cut 3 min)
    Un soukous humoristique avec Yannick Koy et Coco Malabar à l'animation //// A humurous soukous track with Yanniick Koy and Coco Malabar performing the animation.
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