The Heart of Rumba Guitar

Santana Mongoley is affectionately known in DR Congo and most of Africa. Solo guitarist, producer, composer, singer and bandleader. A leading light and an innovator of modern African dance music that is Santana Mongoley. Santana came to musical prominence in DR Congo as a precocious weedy teenaged boy age about fifteen. At sixteen years of age he was the lead guitarist with the famous orchestra LIPUA-LIPUA one of the top and trend setting bands that sprang up from the legendary saxophonist and record producer Verckyis Kiamwangana Mateta’s stables. After leading Lipua-Lipua, Santana Mongoley went on to form his own band Lemba-Lemba,and later on to form VIVA LA MUSIC with PAPA WEMBA a relationship that is still going . No Papa Wemba recording is completed without Mongoleys guitar licks. Santana Mongoley’s style is the marrying of what is called “JAZZ FOLKLORIQUE AFRICAN”, African heartland meets Trad-Jazz. Mongoley is a guitarist’s GUITARIST. One of the finest DR Congo has produced in the fame of the late Dr Nico of African Fiesta and Franco of OK Jazz. A contemporary of Kanda Bongoman, Pepe Kalle, Sam Mangwana. Koffi Olomide, Vata Mombassa and Quatre Etoiles. Mongoley left DR Congo in the mid eighties, toured West Africa with different musicians for a while, then he travelled to Switzerland, where he spent five years and took part in Minister of Culture relations many sponsoring of African and Scandinavian exchange in music. From Switzerland Santana travelled to Paris where he lived for short while, working with different musician to broaden his knowledge. This guitarist has supplied Papa wemba , Lita Bembo, Super Bella-Bella, and Victoria Eleison to mention a few. Santana Mongoley now resides in UK and has assisted famous musicians on tour here. He continue to broaden his music knowledge by playing with diffent musicians, Mongoley has recently produced an album entitled SAVE YOUR LIFE ROBERTINO. Santana did all work on this album, with help from member of his present group LES ZAZA