Thursday, June 20, 2019

Ripoff Alert!



For some time now, a dubious operation called "Kipepeo Publishing," apparently based in Kenya, has been peddling on Amazon CDs made from MP3s downloaded, for free, from this site and others. Moos's Global Groove in particular has also been a prominent victim.

Now, I want to emphasize that neither I, nor Moos, nor any of our fellow African music bloggers own the rights to this music. We digitize old LPs that are long out of print, we clean up the sound quality as best we can, scan the covers and labels, etc. because we love the music and want to share it with others. Obtaining these recordings often entails considerable expense, travel and so forth (Moos in particular spends thousands of dollars at record fairs digging up these gems). In return we don't expect remuneration, but recognition and gratitude are appreciated.

We don't have much legal recourse against these shysters, of course. As I say, we don't own the rights to the music. It's disappointing to see Amazon party to this fraud, and supposedly there is an appeals process, which some people have already utilized, to little avail apparently. For my part, I see no point.

Here's a suggestion: If you're scanning Amazon for some classic African sounds and you see something you're interested in from this "Kipepeo Publishing," do a little internet search. There's a good possibility you'll find it for free here or on some other site. Save your money!

Friday, June 14, 2019

The Ladies of Missema, and Pamelo Mounk'a too!



The all-female Gabonese choral group Missema was founded in the 1970s, apparently with some official sponsorship, with the purpose of promoting Gabon's President and kleptocrat-for-life El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba and the ruling Parti Démocratique Gabonais. This is well-illustrated by today's musical offering, Omar Bongo 20 Ans (Missema Productions M 2005, 1986).

What makes this LP extra-interesting to me is the presence of Pamelo Mounk'a, an outstanding star of the '80s music scene in Congo-Brazzaville. Here Pamelo contributes not only his considerable vocal talents but his arranging skills and apparently many of the backing musicians. Omar Bongo 20 Ans is therefore a worthy and overlooked entry in Mounk'a's stellar discography.

Sadly Pamelo Mounk'a passed away, too young, on January 14, 1996. Omar Bongo managed to weather the political changes sweeping Africa in the early '90s, hanging on to power through hook or crook before dying of cancer on June 8, 2009. He was then succeeded in office by his son Ali Bongo.

Missema too have managed to hang on, at least until the last decade, and continue their praise-singing ways, as exemplified by this video:



Missema - Mbela Bongo


Pamelo Mounk'a w. Missema - Missema 10 Ans

Missema - Keli Bongo

Missema - Au Gabon la Vie est Belle

Missema - Josepha

Missema - Liboue la Bossi

Download Omar Bongo 20 Ans as a zipped file here.