Music | 18 years later, the Lingala Influence on our music still lives on

"Natamboli na mokili yo, oh! /

Nzambe, pesa ngai nguya. Nakobala mwasi kitoko" – Jaribu (Fille ft Samie Rich, 2016)

"Natomoni miso na ngai na likolo namoni te, lokola yo" – Ujuwe (David Lutalo, 2015)

"Mo, motema. Motema na ngai /

E-leli yo, mingi /

Elingi mingi, nakokende/

…

Linga ngai, Cherie /

Linga ngai, oooh!" – Mutima (Keko ft. Charmant Mushaga, 2014)

"Nalingi mwasi kitoko, kobina na ye tonight" – Pretty (David Lutalo, 2014)

"Ma big big God-o /

Tango nyonso azali Nzambe kitoko /

Tango, tango nakoyemba nakokanga, eeeh /

Afanya na nakembo /

...

Big big God-o

Maboko likolo, likolo, likolo likolo /

Likolo, likolo, likolo,likolo,likolo / " – Big God-O (G-Way ft. Cooper, 2013)

"Olobi ndenge nini, bana Congo, bapewe fasi" – Beyi Kali (Jose Chameleone, 2004)

These and many others highlight the heavy prevalence of Lingala undertones in most of today's local music.

Did they say they were doing away with anything Congolese in our music? Looks like the influence just won’t go down without a fight, seeing as our artistes still smuggle in a few Lingala lines in some of their songs (Okay, guys like Charmant aren’t exactly ours. We just "import" them from DRC).

Once in a while. you’ll have artistes go full circle with the instrumentation and all (Ragga Dee’s Muziki and Daxx Kartel’s Lyomboka).

Probably this is the point where we have to give credit to our Naija "brodas" for doing some bit of genre reinvention, albeit the fact that it is, also, almost getting overdone.

Some still manage to sound a bit fresh though – like "Rihanna" (Awilo Longomba's collabo with Yemi Alade) – while others have already become too monotonous.

DJ Coublon – the Nigerian producer responsible for songs like Applaudise (Iyanya), Marry Me (Frankcee), Laye and Woju (Kiss Daniel, both), springs to mind.

You listen to one song and you’ve listened to them all.