African Fiesta

African Fiesta was a groundbreaking Congolese soukous band formed in 1963 by the legendary Tabu Ley Rochereau and guitarist Dr. Nico (Nicolas Kasanda), who broke away from Joseph Kabasele's African Jazz to create their own sound blending rumba, Cuban rhythms, and innovative guitar styles like the "mi-solo." The group quickly became one of Zaire's (now DR Congo) hottest acts, with Tabu Ley's smooth vocals and Nico's wild, genre-bending solos—think Hawaiian guitar echoes and thumb piano imitations—pioneering what would evolve into soukous.

Things heated up until 1965 when Tabu Ley split off to start African Fiesta National, leaving Nico to lead African Fiesta Sukisa, which dropped killer tracks on the Sukisa label from 1966-1975, featuring vocalists like Josky and Chantal that still blast on Congolese airwaves today. Sam Mangwana was a key early member before jumping ship too, and the band's short run left a massive legacy in African music.

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