Catalogue       Group                                                       A side/B side                                                        Year

Number

EMB 1          Orch Conga International               Nalibala Oyo Pts 1 & 2

EMB 2          Orch Conga International               Mwana Mpuka Pts 1 & 2

EMB 3          ?

EMB 4          Orch Conga International               Balola Motema Pts 1 & 2

EMB 5          Orch Conga International               Senga Ngai/Sepela

EMB 6          ?

EMB 7          Orch Conga International                Bolobo Pts 1 & 2

EMB 8          Ba Cherie Bondowe                        Mwadema Ya Papa Pts 1 & 2

EMB 9          Orch Conga International                Eensoni Pts 1 & 2

EMB 10        Orch Conga International                Olinga Olingate Pts 1 & 2

EMB 11        Orch Conga International                Nayoki Lisolo Nayo Pts 1 & 2

EMB 12        Orch Conga International                Nasuana Mpoya Mobali Pts 1& 2

EMB 13        Orch Conga International                Moto Libanga Pts 1& 2

EMB 14        Orch Conga International                Ngai Nalingi Ye Pts 1& 2

EMB 15        Orch Conga International                Bokilo Na Ngai Pts 1& 2

EMB 16        Orch Conga International               Pasi Ya Mokili Pts 1 & 2

EMB 17        Orch Conga International                Likambo Clera Te/Banga Makambo 

EMB 18        Orch Conga International               Muana Muaba Pts 1 & 2

EMB 19        Orch Conga International               Motorola Pts 1 & 2

EMB 20        Orch Conga International               Sakina Pts 1 & 2

EMB 21        Johnny Bokelo                               Bokilo Senga Pts 1 & 2

                   & Conga International

EMB 22        Orch Conga International                Bina Basi Pts 1 & 2

EMB 23        Orch Conga International                Kisita Bolingo Pts 1 & 2

EMB 24        Orch Conga International                Moninga Oboyi Ngai Pts 1 & 2

EMB 25        Orch Conga International                Ntunti Pts 1 & 2

EMB 26        Orch Conga International                Buana Minapenda Pts 1 & 2

EMB 27        Orch Conga International                Nabeleli Yo Pts 1 & 2

EMB 28        Orch Conga International                Limbisa Ngai Pts 1 & 2

EMB 29        Orch Conga International                Se Maloba Pts 1 & 2

EMB 30        Orch Conga International                Nabazi Mingi Pts 1 & 2

EMB 31        Orch Conga International                Mamanga Naleli Pts 1 & 2

Distributed by Melodica, a label dedicated to productions by Johnny Bokelo, younger brother of Dewayon and one of the seminal figures of Congolese music. All but one of the tracks are by Bokelo’s band Conga International.

The exception is EMB 8 by the female vocallist Ba Cherie Bondowe, who is presumably backed by Conga International. Her name could be a reference to Manuel D’Oliveira’s song, Cherie Bondowe, or to Mayaula Mayoni’s 1975 composition, Cherie Bondowe, for OK Jazz, a song that fell foul of Congolese censors for its description of life from the point of view of a prostitute.

This discography leans very heavily on one compiled by Adoyo and posted on the Africambiance forum, www.africambiance.org

Adoyo places these singles as being from 1976-77 and since he seems to know more about Bokelo’s recordings than anyone else on the planet, I’ll go with that.

Bokelo also had singles out in Kenya on ASL, Editions Mwana Mama and Playa Sound.