Ahamat Salet Rougalta (known musically as Maître Hamed
Gazonga) was born May 27th, 1948 in N’Djamena (then Fort
Lamy), Chad. As a young man he worked as a
bookkeeper. When he was 21 he decided to become a musician. Together with
several others he created L’Orchestre Saltanat Africa but before long he left
them & formed his own band L’International Challal. Hamed drew his
inspiration from the folk music of all the regions in Chad.
Maitre Gazonga recorded one of my favorite Afro-musique
albums, Les Jaloux Saboteurs. It was recorded in the JBZ studio
in Abidjan
around 1984. It only contains four songs, but they are all tremendous. All the
songs feature the great guitar playing of Nigayo Issa & a fantastic horn
section. During the song "Koysse," Hamed says just before the
beginning of the sebene (the sebene
is a kind of instrumental bridge typically executed on the electric guitar
& is a characteristic element of the Congolese rumba) “Les amis, c’est pas
le temps de dormir, allez tout le monde debout” (loosely translated as“
Friends, it ain’t the time for sleeping, so get up off of your asses”), then off
the band goes again playing a very wild racy rumba.
As you might expect from a country located in the
geographical center of Africa, the musical
influences run the gamut: from soukous to highlife, mbalax, even Ethiopian
funk. Back in 2005 a lot of people were raving about "Les Jaloux
Saboteurs," the tune that opened the compilation Golden Afrique Vol. 1.
Ahamat ‘Hamed Gazonga’ Rougalta died on the first of April
2006, of apparent heart failure.
On Les Jaloux Sabateurs, L’International Challal are: Maitre Gazonga – vocals; Nigayo Issa – lead guitar; Mamboué Maurice – rhythm guitar; Kabiné Traoré – trumpet; Beugré Edouard – tenor saxophone; Niamké Louis – bass; & Téoquer Léon – drums, with Rastayou & Saleh – backing vocals.
Maître Gazonga & L'International Challal – Les JalouxSaboteurs, Tangent TAN LP 7003, 1984.
decryption code in comments
A1 Le Jaloux Saboteurs
A2 Koysse
B1 Fatoumata Kante
B2 Kelina
Get up off yr ass & enjoy,
NØ