Album lore

Songs for the Poor Man, issued in 1989 on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, gathers Remmy Ongala and his Orchestre Super Matimila at an energetic crossroads of rumba congolaise and champeta. The ten tracks—among them “Nasikitika (I Regret),” “Sauti Ya Mnyonge (The Voice Of The Underdog),” and “Kifo (Death)”—lay down propulsive rhythms and call-and-response vocals characteristic of soukous, with a Tanzanian sensibility that reflects Ongala’s roots.This album carries a lively, dance-inviting spirit that belies its weighty themes. Ongala’s lyrics address social concerns with a directness that earned him respect across East and Central Africa. The grooves, buoyed by the tight interplay of Orchestre Super Matimila’s guitars and percussion, maintain a steady momentum throughout. As an artifact, Songs for the Poor Man stands as a testament to late-’80s African urban music, bridging Congolese rumba’s lineage and coastal Tanzanian styles within the global reach of Real World’s catalog.

Album lore

Songs for the Poor Man, issued in 1989 on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, gathers Remmy Ongala and his Orchestre Super Matimila at an energetic crossroads of rumba congolaise and champeta. The ten tracks—among them “Nasikitika (I Regret),” “Sauti Ya Mnyonge (The Voice Of The Underdog),” and “Kifo (Death)”—lay down propulsive rhythms and call-and-response vocals characteristic of soukous, with a Tanzanian sensibility that reflects Ongala’s roots.This album carries a lively, dance-inviting spirit that belies its weighty themes. Ongala’s lyrics address social concerns with a directness that earned him respect across East and Central Africa. The grooves, buoyed by the tight interplay of Orchestre Super Matimila’s guitars and percussion, maintain a steady momentum throughout. As an artifact, Songs for the Poor Man stands as a testament to late-’80s African urban music, bridging Congolese rumba’s lineage and coastal Tanzanian styles within the global reach of Real World’s catalog.