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Saturday, September 10, 2022

How Congolese Soukous Guitarist Burkina Faso (Mboka Liya) Got His Stage Name & Other Information (with YouTube videos & sound file)


Odhis Jahburu, Feb. 9, 2013
 
Burkina Faso! Burkina Faso! Mboka Liya!!! live with JB and Wenge BCBG -snip- A commenter wrote that this performance may have occurred in 2006. **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams presents four YouTube videos and one sound file of the very highly regarded Congolese So
ukous guitarist Burkina Faso (Mboka Liya). The summary statements from some of these YouTube videos/sound files present some historical information about how Burkina Faso including got his nickname.

 (Unfortunately, there isn't a Wikipedia page on Mboka Liya as of September 10, 2022 although he is mentioned in a few other Wikipedia pages such as 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenge_Musica .)

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Burkina Faso (Mboka Liya) for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who published these showcased videos/sound files on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. **** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE Here's a brief excerpt about the African nation named "Burkina Faso" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso :

[Burkina Faso] "is a landlocked country in West Africa [that is] bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest. It has a population of 20,321,378.[10] Previously called Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè (/bɜːrˈkiːnəbeɪ/ bur-KEE-nə-beh), and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.

The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established powerful kingdoms such as the Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as President."...

-end of quote-  https://www.britannica.com/place/Burkina-Faso indicates that "The name Burkina Faso, which means “Land of Incorruptible People”.
-end of quote-

Based on what I've read*, musician Malembe Chant gave the Congolese guitarist Vincent Kasongo the nickname "Burkina Faso" because Kasongo [had come] "fresh from the village" shortly before Malembe Chant happened upon him playing his guitar in the streets. Burkina Faso is a small, poor West African nation that Malembe Chant obviously considered "country" * compared to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

To support this position about why the now very highly regarded Congolese guitarist was given the nickname "Burkina Faso" and is also called "Mboka Liya", according to Google translate the Lingala meaning for "mboka" is "country". Google translate from Lingala to English doesn't give any results for "liya" or "lia". ("Mboka Liya" is also given as "Mboka Lia").

*One meaning for the adjective "country" to describe people is "people from rural areas who aren't sophisticated (cosmopolitan) like people from the city". Read the information about how Vincent Kasongo was given the name "Burkina Faso" in the summary for the sound file that is immediately below.

Additions and corrections are very welcome.

**** SHOWCASE YOUTUBE SOUND FILE - 🎸Bourkina Faso Mboka Liya🎸 Wenge Guitar Melodies 🎶(1990's-2000's)🎶



Afro World Musique
🎶, Sep 13, 2017 [This sound file is slightly more than 2 hours in length).

FEATURING THE BEST OF MBOKA LIYA!!! Good Congolese Music!!

Helloooo! Bonjour!! Holla!!!!! Welcome to the volume of Sebenology, this time featuring the talented Bourkina Faso Mboka Liya! In 1986 at Kingasani, he was a cabri seller. One day, he will be surprised by Malembe Chant (musician of victoria Eleison) playing guitar. He was invited by Malembe Chant to join his band Select Musica where he mentored the young musicians of his neighborhood Kisangani but Serge Kasongo refused, according to him he risked being ridiculed by the Kinois as he came fresh from the village and his accent "Lingala" was not Kinois.

After being convinced by Malembe Chant, Serge Kasongo will join select Musica where he will be christened Burkinafaso Le Mugu Mugamba by Malembe Chant.    

Under the supervision of Malambe Chant, Burkinafaso will become a great guitarist in Kingasani before being known throughout the city of Kinshasa. 

When he opted to play in a large orchestra, he preferred Choc stars of Ben Nyamabo. He is from Bandundu, his whereabouts, some say Bayanzi, some say Muyaka, its a never-ending mystery lol.  In the mid-late 1990's, he started "le pigeon voyageur" he went back in forth between Defao's Big Stars (Amour Interdit, Sala Noki, Les Carlots, Amour Scolaire) and Wenge BCBG (Titanic, Zenith, Olympia, T.H., Pentagone, Boston Live, Abidjan Live). He also played with Bozi Boziana's Anti Choc at a couple time (Ma Raison d'Etre; Heros Ya Congo).

Around 2000, he left Wenge BCBG for Wenge Maison Mere de Werrason and was featured in the successful Bercy concert. Atalaku Bill Clinton Kalondji was enthusiastic by his style that he coined specific animations just for him on "Terrain Eza Mine" (2000). Burkina and Maison Mere participated couple of concerts related to the release of Werrason's solo album "Kibuisa Mpimpa/Operation Dragon" (2001) where he plays on Operation Dragon generique, Annie and Le Vent de Soir. In 2004, he will return to Wenge BCBG and be featured on Anti Terro and featured in some concerts. Again "Le Pigeon Voyageur", he's always looking for some projects to work. Currently settled in London, England, he accompanies artists on concerts such as Kanda Bongo Man, Renato Mundele (also played with Defao), Jeannot Bell (check out the channel Soukous Congo), Nzaya Nzayadio (also was in Choc Stars), etc. Plesir!"...

**** SHOWCASE YOUTUBE VIDEO #2: THE CRAFT OF SOUKOUS GUITAR BY BURKINA FASO MBOKA LIYA

Stv Pro, July 5, 2012

This is 1:40 Hour tutorial DVD, 20 gruelling Exercises plus lots of professional advice ,In this tutorial DVD Mr Mboka is demonstrating slowly how he played those famous solo guitar (licks) Burkina Faso whose real name is Vincent Kasongo Kiamfu. One day while playing guitar Malembe Chant saw him and invited him to join his band Select Musica. Malembe Chant finally convinced him and he joined the band, Malembe baptised him Burkina Faso Mugu Mugamba. It is well-known Master of the Congolese music. Later he joined Choc Stars and with them he made his first recording, it was Debaba's song Pafuti. He also played for a while with Anti Choc and Defao & Big Stars and he recorded the song ( L'Amour Scolaire in 1992).As well as Madilu System , Gataux Beven and Many More ... In 1994 Fataki Tabou left Wenge Musica 4x4 for Viva la Musica and Burkina Faso left Big Stars to replace him, Mbokaliya and Alain Makaba were two top class guitarists . When Wenge split he joined Werrason in Maison Mere but later re-joined JB Mpiana in BCBG. Burkina Faso had already played songs like Kapita, Pacte du vin, Nazareth and many others of JB Mpiana and BCBG while he was with Select Musica, these songs were later sold to JB Mpiana's band by a former member of Select Musica called Senado, an older brother of Chai Ngenge. Being restless he also left JB Mpiana and created his own band Wenge Tout Terrain which he left in the middle of the recording of a maxi single to join Nouvelle Ecriture as a third guitarist. For his band members this was a big disillusion and his fans were angry as well, they hoped he would not last long with Papa Wemba. With wengeBCBG he played on some songs on " feux de l'amour" and also some important concerts in Europe and USA , Canada and Africa . Now Burkina Faso is based in London- England as freelance session and Private guitar teacher. -snip-
I reformatted this summary to increase its readability.

****
SHOWCASE YOUTUBE VIDEO #3: Seben Burkina Faso

MAT A DIT ET TOI?, Jun 16, 2018

**** SHOWCASE YOUTUBE VIDEO #4: 👉BURKINAFASSO MBOKALIYA : MES ŒUVRES PARLENT À MA PLACE💥


Papy Masuta HD, Oct 21, 2020

nous poursuivons notre rubrique sur les artistes dont le role a parfois été ignoré. j'aimerais aujourdhui vous parler d'un autre soliste pas comme les autres, au nom de Serge Kasongo Mbokaliya, plus connu sous le pseudo de Burkinafaso. C'est l'un des plus grands solistes guitaristes de la RDCONGO de la génération wenge musica 4x4 en 1994, viva la musica, proche de choc stars, anti choc, big stars, wenge bcbg, wenge maison mére, minzoto wela wela etc, abonnez-vous gratuitement sur papy masuta hd. -snip-
Google translate from French to English:
"we continue our column on artists whose role has sometimes been overlooked. Today I would like to talk to you about another soloist like no other, in the name of Serge Kasongo Mbokaliya, better known under the pseudonym Burkinafaso. He is one of the greatest guitar soloists of the DRCONGO of the wenge musica 4x4 generation in 1994, viva la musica, close to choc stars, anti choc, big stars, wenge bcbg, wenge maison mére, minzoto wela wela etc, subscribe for free on papy masuta hd. "
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