Diblo Dibala

**Diblo Dibala** (born 9 August 1954), often known simply as **Diblo**, is a Congolese soukous musician, known as "Machine Gun" for his speed and skill on the guitar.

He was born in 1954 in Kisangani. He moved to Kinshasa as a child, and aged 15 won a talent competition which led to him playing guitar in Franco's TPOK band. Dibala remained with the group for only a short period, going on to play with Vox Africa, Orchestra Bella Mambo and Bella Bella, in which band he first played with Kanda Bongo Man.

In 1979, he moved to Brussels, and in 1981 he joined Kanda Bongo Man's band in Paris. Their first album, *Iyole* (1981), was a success. Diblo became a sought after session guitarist, working with Pepe Kalle and many other soukous musicians.

In the mid-1980s, he formed his own band, Loketo (meaning 'hips'), with singers Aurlus Mabele and Mav Cacharel. A few years later, that band broke up, and in 1990 he formed a new group, Matchatcha, which is still active after a number of personnel changes.

## Links to Kershaw

John Peel and Andy Kershaw in the early 90's, on learning Diblo was making an appearance at Stern's African Records, raced there to get his autograph.  He repaid the compliment by giving name checks to both of them on 'Matchatcha Wetu.' Peel explained more on this on Peel Out In The States (Program 7) series, which was broadcast to college radio stations in the United States:

> *"Another gig that I've been to in the recent past, and one of the very best that I've been to in my entire life, featured Matchatcha with the guitar player Diblo Dibala from Paris. I'm not a dancing man, to be perfectly honest with you, cos I haven't really got the figure for it, but on this particular occasion I was dancing away like nobody's business, and the high point of the entire magical evening came when he played a new song from the new LP, called O.K. Madame, and the song is called Matchatcha Wetu, and what is particularly significant about this, and this is egotistical of me, I admit it in advance, but if you listen very carefully to this record, one minute and fifteen seconds into it, Diblo goes "Andy Kershaw" (that's the name of one of my colleagues at the radio station I work for in London), BBC, John Peela." You have to listen very carefully to catch it, but believe me, to hear Diblo singing your name on stage is one of the greatest things that's happened to me in my entire life."*
>
>

Diblo did a session for Kershaw's show in 1992, which carried on to Peel's show later the same night.

## Sessions

1. Recorded: 1992-07-19. First Broadcast: 08 August 1992

* Matchatcha Wetu / Bolingo / Mondo Ry / Merci Papa

2. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 05 March 1995

* 'Olivca Grid' / Fleur D'Amour / Fodi / Soupou

## Other Shows Played

1991
* 10 November 1991: La Joie De Vivre (CD - Mondo Ry) Jimmy's Production

1992
* 01 March 1992: unknown
* 21 March 1992: Laissez Passer (CD - Laissez Passer) Afric Music
* 11 July 1992: Otieno (CD - Laissez Passer) Afric Music
* 19 December 1992: Laissez Passer (CD - Laissez Passer) Afric Music

1993
* 17 April 1993: 2ème Dance (CD - O.K. Madame) Afric Music
* 01 May 1993: Chicago (album - O.K. Madame) Afric Music
* 20 November 1993: Matchatcha Wetu (CD - O.K. Madame) Afric Music

1994
* 01 January 1994: Matchatcha Wetu (CD - O.K. Madame) Afric Music
* 14 May 1994: Boum-Tonnerre (CD - Best Of Diblo Dibala Matchatcha) Afric Music

1996
* 01 September 1996: C'est L'heure De Bouger (CD - My Love) Atoll Music
* 22 September 1996: Petit Cadeau (CD - My Love) Atoll Music

1997
* 16 June 1997: Laissez Passer (CD - Best Of Diblo Dibala Matchatcha) Afric Music
* 15 December 1997: Vouma (LP - Best Of Diblo Diabala & Matchatcha) Afric Music

1999
* 29 July 1999: Matchatcha Wetu (CD - OK Madame) Afric Music
* 04 November 1999: Diblo'Serie (CD - Pas Moi) JPS
* 16 December 1999: Mayele (CD - Pas Moi) JPS

2004
* 31 October 2004: Matchatcha Wetu

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs