One of the icons of Congolese music in particular and African music in general, Michel Boyibanda, known as Vieux Bobo, an agronomist student in Mouindi, in Niari, but was unable to continue his studies. He was disoriented by the destiny that brought him on the path to success, namely music. Michel Boyibanda, a singer in his spare time, met Franklin Boukaka, a great distinguished artist-musician in Dolisie in 1958 and joined Franklin Boukaka’s “Negro Band” orchestra. He thus began his musical career when he was only 20 years old. In this orchestra he sings “Kourand tata wa biso“. Five years later, in 1963, he left “Negro Band” for management problems and joined the orchestra “Les Bantous de la Capitale” thanks to the sponsorship of Jean Serge Essous. In this orchestra created on August 15, 1959, Michel Boyibanda did not stay long. However, he left behind a masterpiece, the song “Masuwa Enani”, which brought glory to music lovers of the time. Soon after, he joined the “OK” orchestra. Jazz” on advice and proposal from Mujos to the boss of the said orchestra, Luambo Makiadi Franco Unfortunately, he left in 1967. Five years later, in 1972, Michel Boyibanda returned to “OK Jazz” which this time became “Tout-Puissant OK. Jazz” in Kinshasa.
Because of the various adventures marked by disappointments, Michel Boyibanda returned to his native Congo in 1977. And in 1978, he set up the orchestra “Les Trois Frères” with Loko Massengo and Youlou Mabiala. Thanks to the President of the Republic at the time, Jacques Joachim Yhombi Opango, the orchestra was able to purchase musical instruments. Unfortunately this orchestra will only last eight months. Youlou Mabiala having left, Michel Boyibanda and Loko Massengo set up another orchestra which they called “Rumbayas”. As luck would have it, the “Rumbayas” orchestra will not take time either, Michel Boyibanda will then launch into a solo career and put together “Ebuka Système”. Michel Boyibanda, known as Vieux Bobo, has a laudatory repertoire with songs such as: “Say goodbye”, “Valente York”“No sense allowed At kumbi 12”, “My daughter is coming to see”, “You’ve reached M’Bemba”, “Love on the way back or Eyes on the road”, “Essous how to start”, “Mbinzo Nzete talks to the motorcycle”, “Ata and Yebi”, “Diallo”, “Nana”, “Sloppy”.
Patron Jean Pierre Ngombé reacts to the death of Michel Boyibanda
Reacting to the death of the man he considers his great, the gentleman, Jean Pierre Ngombé, wrote this beautiful tribute. “A great singer among the great singers of the two Congos, Michel Boyibanda, son of the Sangha, always fascinated me with the way he stood on stage when he sang. He never froze in front of the microphone. Always moving like James Brown, the Black American. I delighted in seeing him sing while dancing. His slender stature and his always jovial demeanor made him a handsome man, nay, a gentleman. He could have been a singer of international stature like some of his colleagues were, but artistic marketing was not in the dance, his dance. When I talk about Boyibanda, I also think of Nedule Noël, aka Papa Noël, child of Makotimpoko, as well as Youlou Mabiala, child of Poto-Poto, the neighborhood where I was born.he said.
For him, these three Congolese are true ambassadors. “These three Congolese were in the heyday of the OK Jazz orchestra in Kinshasa at the time when Luambo Makiadi, known as Franco, masterfully directed one of the greatest orchestras in the two countries of the legendary Rumba. Boyibanda went quietly to the other side of the great river, where everything is revealed in broad daylight and makes us realize that life is woven with many vanities. Yes “Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas!” » May your soul rest in peace, my big BOB! You whom I knew and whose talent I admired. Go ! I implore divine mercy for you so that the door to the celestial Kingdom may be wide open to you. Jean-Pierre Ngombé, Mwana Poto-Poto »he concluded. Remember that Michel Boyibanda suffered a stroke for the first time in 2015.
