Swedish-based Congolese musician Vumbi Dekula Kahamga is back with a new album titled Congo Guitar. The seven-track album which was launched online on Friday last week features instrumental tracks in various nationalities.
Speaking to Saturday Nation earlier this week, Dekula said he was elated with the positive response that the new album had received and was looking forward to stage shows at various spots across Europe and beyond to popularise it.
“It was mainly through the requests of my fans that I chose to record the songs dominantly in guitar work," he said.
Vumbi Dekula Kahamga.
Photo credit: Pool
The album has been produced through a collaboration between Hive Mind Records (England) and Sing-A-Song Fighter label. Notably, it was in 2019 when he started working on some of the tracks on the new album.
However, his main producer was Karl Jonas Winqvist, a Swede whom Dekula lauds for having been supportive especially when it came to arranging the drums machine programmation. Dekula played all the guitars through track recording, while. Emma Nodenstam played the piano. The tracks on the album are “Afro Blues” by Maamajacy Zanzibar Kinshasa and Vällingby, Congo Yetu, and Zuku. Weekend and UN Forces.
To most of his fans in Sweden and elsewhere, Dekula has excelled as an accomplished guitarist, composer, singer and producer, who regularly performs at the Little Nairobi Club in Stockholm...
Dekula, who relocated from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Sweden in 1991 is also best remembered as a solo guitarist with the Dar-based Maquis Original band.
After Nguza left the Maquis band in 1987, Dekula rose to be the main solo guitarist with the group. Notably, he played the solo guitar on Tshimanga Assosa’s Ngulala hit song that was released in 1988.
During his initial years in Sweden, he teamed up with others like other African music stars who were based there like Ugandan-born Sammy Kasule and Gaby Nkomba Kababa (formerly of the legendary Dar-based Safari Sound band).
”Our ambition is to keep African music alive in Sweden and neighbouring countries, “ Dekula said.
