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Shiko Mawatu - Musician from Zaire

Article Index Shiko Mawatu - Musician from Zaire Page 2 Page 1 of 2 Shiko Mawatu Shiko Mawatu grew up in a family where music came naturally. His father was an accomplished accordion player and his two brothers Bunda Mawatu and Rocky Lisasu sang for the Simba Band in Kinshasa. With a musical upbringing, Shiko Mawatu experienced many musical influences in his native city of Kinshasa, Congo. In his early teens, he exercised his writing ambitions by collaborating with Veve Verckys Kiamuangana, the famous Congolese producer & musician who had discovered Shiko as a young talent. Still in his teens, he formed the band “Le Paty – Bana Ngenge” with his friends Aziza and Tofolo, both gifted musicians in their own right. They collaborated and performed Shiko’s originals at local venues for years. He, then, decided to pursue a solo career to better express his talent as an arranger, songwriter, and singer. Shiko Mawatu - Kimbanda Nzila - Generique Copyright vEsti24 Later, he discovered a talent and singer Vonga Aye and together, they began working with the famous saxophonist Empopo Loway to form a band with Vonga Aye as their female lead vocalist. They all worked with the guitar legend Dr. Nico Kasanda Wa Mikalayi, who then took them to Europe to record their first album, “Bonbon Kojak.” The success Shiko had achieved as a guitar player, a songwriter and an arranger had put him on the map in the musical community of Kinshasa, well before the European trip. Upon his return to Congo, Shiko discovered Malage De Lugendo, who later became Franco Luambo Makiadi’s protégé and Zaiko Langa Langa’s main vocalist. Mawatu continued his streak of discovering new talents such as Deese Mukangi and many others along his musical journey through life. He returned to Europe in 1990 in search of new influences and collaborations with other gifted musicians. He performed with Theo Lolango and an American, David Hoffman in Rome, to experiment with new sounds and techniques. In 2000, The Soukous Stars, comprised of legendary artists like Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Canta Nyboma, Shimita Diego and the Professor Ngouma Lokito retained his services as a lead guitar player and also as music director for the group. However, this famous songwriter did not perform or record his original materials with Soukous Stars but gave them the best of himself, non-the-less. Mawatu decided to make 2007 a year of his original songs on record for the first time ever. Embracing an effortless eloquence and cocoa butter smooth persona, Shiko Mawatu and his original songs have brought back the true meaning of Congo Rumba. Like his musical spiritual godfather Franco Luambo Makiadi, this Kinshasa native combines magical fingers on his guitar and an incredible writing style that captures the vibe of vintage Congo Rumba without being old fashioned. On his debut solo album entitled Kimbanda Nzila, his experience, maturity and amazing talent come through loud and clear! “It’s always been my goal to try and bring back real Congo Rumba,” Shiko says. “When I was younger, it was all about the inner feeling. From the first time I ever stepped into a studio, my dream was to pick-up where the Grand Master Franco Luambo Makiadi left off.” While Shiko Mawatu’s aspirations might have seemed like a lofty ambition, the longevity of his career, his experience and patience are testaments to the purity of his vision. Prev - Next >>

 

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