Veteran Congolese musician Kiamuangana Verckys recovering from mild stroke

Veteran Congolese musician and producer Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys is still recuperating from a mild stroke he suffered a few months ago.

According to some of his Kinshasa-based counterparts, the seasoned saxophone player has been an outpatient at his residence on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

 Speaking to Saturday Nation on Friday, guitarist Sedjokha Tshomba said Verckys, the former president of the giant Congolese music union (SOCADA) had been put on home care amidst concerns by his fans and colleagues about his health condition.

“His condition has improved gradually now under the care of a personal doctor with emphasis on his physiotherapy alongside other health recovery aspects,” Sedjo said.

The flamboyant 78-year-old Verckys, during a private visit to Nairobi in February 2019, had expressed his desire to continue seeking musical royalties for his fellow musicians.

The SOCODA musical union he previously headed is now under Zaiko Langa Langa band leader Nyoka Longo Jossart.

Some of the leading Congolese music bands of the 1970s like Orch Lipua Lipua, Orch Les Kamale, Orch Shama Shama, Orch Bella Bella, Orch Kiam, Zaiko Langa Langa were among those who produced their music through Vercky's Veve Production labels.

 His Orchestra Veve is famous for hit songs like Lukani Ndona, Kalala and Mwana Mburu.

Verckys, who previously traversed between DR Congo and Europe, has a large family of 32 children who live in Africa and Europe. Two of his children, Ancy and Daniel, have followed in his footsteps in music.

Notably, Ancy, who is based in England, did a cover version of her father’s Nakomitunaka song which stirred controversy upon its release back in 1972. The song got her father into trouble with the powerful Catholic Church in DR Congo for its lyrics, which were perceived as a “depiction of black people as satanic and whites as angels”.

 The lead vocals on the original song were done by legendary singer Pepe Kalle Yampanya.

 Earlier in 1968, Verckys had fallen out with the legendary Franco Luambo Makiadi and his TP OK Jazz over parallel music productions that resulted in him forming the Orch Veve band.

Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys