Catalogue       Group                                                       A side/B side                                                        Year

Number

Distributed by AIT yet bearing the EMI logo, Editions Mazembe was dedicated to releasing singles by one of Kenya’s most popular bands between 1977 and 1986.

The story of the band’s arrival in Kenya from the Congo via Uganda is documented in Trevor Herman’s sleevenotes for the reissue of Giants of East Africa (Earthworks/Sterns, 2001), an essential release.

Why Na Bimaka carries a catalogue number that doesn’t follow the sequence is unclear. It may be that the number rather than the prefix indicates the true sequence of release.

In February 2011, AIT very kindly forwarded me a copy of their master catalogue. While it is not a complete record of the company’s releases, I was startled to discover that it contained details of a further 12 singles by Orch Super Mazembe, who I thought were one of East Africa’s most fully documented bands.

EMA 7-6       Orch Super Mazembe                     Kasongo Pts 1 & 2                                    1977

EMA 7-8       Orch Super Mazembe                     Samba Pts 1 & 2                                       1977

EMA 9          Orch Super Mazembe                     Naleki Na Ba Zone Pts 1 & 2

EMA 10        Orch Super Mazembe                     Amina Pts 1 & 2

EMA 11        Orch Super Mazembe                     Aleisia Pts 1 & 2

EMA 12        Orch Super Mazembe                     Libala Nde Lisano Pts 1 & 2

EMA 13        Orch Super Mazembe                     Mwana Mazembe Pts 1 & 2                        1977

EMA 14        Orch Super Mazembe                     Shida Pts 1 & 2                                         1977

EMA 15        Orch Super Mazembe                     Sala Keba Pts 1 & 2

EM7-16        Orch Super Mazembe                     Na Bimaka Pts 1 & 2

EMA 17        Orch Super Mazembe                     Izabella Pts 1 & 2                                      1978

EMA 18        Orch Super Mazembe                     Ndona Pts 1 & 2

EMA 19        Orch Super Mazembe                     Kingo Mwambe Pts 1 & 2

EMA 20        Orch Super Mazembe                     South View Pts 1 & 2

EMA 21        Orch Super Mazembe                     Naleli Libota Pts 1 & 2

EMA 22        Orch Super Mazembe                     Okova Pts 1 & 2

EMA 23        Orch Super Mazembe                     Atia Jo Pts 1 & 2

EMA 24        Orch Super Mazembe                     Kazembe Pts 1 & 2

EMA 25        Orch Super Mazembe                     Longwa Pts 1 & 2

EMA 26        Orch Super Mazembe                     Lovy Pts 1 & 2

EMA 27        Orch Super Mazembe                     Anna Pts 1 & 2

EMA 28        Orch Super Mazembe                     Yo-Mabe Pts 1 & 2

EMA 29        Orch Super Mazembe                     Biwela (Christmas) Pts 1 & 2

EMA 30        Orch Super Mazembe                     Ndeko Pts 1 & 2

EMA 31        Orch Super Mazembe                     Nanga Pts 1 & 2

EMA 32        Orch Super Mazembe                     Mokano Pts 1 & 2

EMA 33        Orch Super Mazembe                     Ilena Pts 1 & 2

EMA 34        Orch Super Mazembe                     Lokeke Pts 1 & 2

EMA 35        Orch Super Mazembe                     Salima Pts 1 & 2

EMA 36        Orch Super Mazembe                     Mwana Nyiau Pts 1 & 2

EMA 37        Orch Super Mazembe                      Nganyiemu Pts 1 & 2

EMA 39        Orch Super Mazembe                     Presto Pts 1 & 2

EMA 40        Orch Super Mazembe                     Prekete Pts 1 & 2

EMA 41        Orch Super Mazembe                     Zulfa Pts 1 & 2

EMA 42        Orch Super Mazembe                     Rosy Pts 1 & 2

On April 1, 2013 Sterns released Mazembe@45rpm Vol 1, a CD/download featuring nine Editions Mazembe recordings restored and remastered by Doug Paterson. Titles on the CD are EMA 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22. You can read Doug’s sleevenotes for the disc on his East African Music website and order a copy of it from Sterns.