The Independence Cha Cha
How did the Wall Street Crash come to influence a song about Congolese Independence, which then went onto become an anthem for the whole of Africa?
It鈥檚 1960 and as part of a wave of independence that is sweeping across the African continent, Congolese musician, Le Grand Kall茅, records The Independence Cha Cha. It goes on to become the first truly pan-African hit song, created from a flow of African, Caribbean and European musical influences across the centuries that include the shadows of slavery, the invention of the gramophone and the Wall Street Crash. Simon Zagorski-Thomas talks to musician and musicologist Sara McGuinness about the song鈥檚 origins and the lasting impact of Congolese music.
Produced by Rami Tzabar for 91热爆 World Service.
Image: Record label artwork, 91热爆
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- Sat 2 Mar 2019 05:50GMT91热爆 World Service except East and Southern Africa & South Asia
- Sun 3 Mar 2019 15:50GMT91热爆 World Service East and Southern Africa
- Sun 3 Mar 2019 22:50GMT91热爆 World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet & Europe and the Middle East only
- Mon 4 Mar 2019 04:50GMT91热爆 World Service South Asia