RC 260815SAfm
Saturday, 15 August 2026
Music of Africa marked Central African Republic independence day with a history segment on colonial rule and full independence, then celebrated Awilo Longomba, Simon Chimbetu and La Tigresse Sidonie.
- 03:51
Central African Republic history dominated the first hour: French colonial exploitation in Ubangishari, Barthélemy Boganda’s rise, and full independence on 13 August 1960 under David Dako.
- 03:47
French rule was described as brutal labour extraction: locals were forced to gather rubber and ivory, work plantations, and suffered famine, disease and deaths under company control.
- 04:15
Awilo Longomba was profiled as a Kinshasa-born drummer turned sukus superstar, with breakthrough 1990s hits like ‘Coupe Bibamba’ and collaborations with artists including Wizkid and Davido.
- 04:31
Simon Chimbetu was presented as a key Sungura pioneer from Zimbabwe whose Dendera sound mixed guitar, storytelling and social commentary; he died in 2005 after a road accident.
- 05:00
La Tigresse Sidonie was highlighted as a leading Baoulé voice from Côte d’Ivoire, known for blending proverbs, social commentary and modern bolé music since her 1990s breakthrough.