Indépendance Cha Cha

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"Indépendance Cha Cha"
African Rumba by Le Grand Kallé
Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz
Released January 27, 1960 (1960-01-27) [1]
Language French, Kikongo and Tshiluba
Length 03:05
Writer Roger Izeidi

"Indépendance Cha Cha" was a song performed by Joseph Kabasele (Le Grand Kallé) from the group African Jazz in the popular African Rumba style in 1960 (the so-called "Year of Africa") to celebrate the imminent independence of the Belgian Congo.

Political context

As a prominent Congolese cultural figure, Le Grand Kallé was chosen to accompany the Congolese delegation to Brussels, Belgium for the Congolese Round Table Conference on Congolese independence.

Hotel Plaza in Brussels where the song was first performed

Song

The song was written on the January 20, 1960 [2] and first played at the Hotel Plaza in Brussels on January 27, 1960, when Le Grand Kallé was in Belgium at the "Round Table Conference" on Congolese Independence.

The song itself was an appeal for unity in the post-independence Congo, both through its combined use of the languages of Belgian and French Congos, as well as the appeal for unity amongst Congolese political factions, including Asoreco, ABAKO, CONAKAT, Cartel, Front Commun, MNC, PDC, UGECO, ABAZI and PSA which all participated in the Round Table talks and which are all explicitly mentioned in the song.

A remake was made by Belgian-Congolese musician Baloji.

Reception

Indépendance Cha Cha struck a chord with the popular mood in Africa, particularly in Francophone countries, many of them made independent in 1960-1, and was adopted as "the song of the new revolution."[3] It was particularly popular in the newly independent French Congo and Belgian Congo because it used the national languages of both countries.[3]

The Belgian Congo received its own independence on June 30, 1960.

In the 2000 film Lumumba, Indépendance Cha Cha is performed in one of the scenes.

See also

  • "Table Ronde", another song by Le Grand Kallé about Congolese independence.

References

  1. ↑ "(Music) "Independance Cha Cha" - The African Independence Anthem - Dibussi Tande: Scribbles from the Den". Dibussi.com. 2010-01-01. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
  2. ↑ Indépendance cha-cha - NZOLANI
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 ""Indépendance cha-cha" - Libération". Liberation.fr. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 

External links

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