Dr. Nico - Biography
Dr. Nico was the popular stage name of Nicolas Kasanda wa Mikalay (July 7, 1939 — September 22, 1985), a profoundly gifted guitarist from the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) who was wildly influential as a performer and a composer, an innovator whose accomplishments received rapt appreciation throughout Africa, and beyond. While “Dr.” Nico had considerable formal education, he was also a musical prodigy, and was performing professionally by the age of 14. He and his brother Dechaud soon joined their nation’s preeminent band, Grande Kalle et l’African Jazz, under the tutelage of its titular leader, Joseph “Grand Kalle” Kabaselle. The sound was an invigorated, Africanized version of jazz, but Nico’s furiously inspired style of finger picking and fondness for Cuban rhythms would push the ensemble’s sound towards the new terrain of African rumba. Cuban rumba grew from the religious incantations and propulsive drum beats nurtured by African slaves, but in the 20th century, New World music repaid the loan, with interest. Nico and other African artists appropriated elements of Caribbean sounds, and started to forge a bold amalgamation. After a decade with Kabaselle and Grande Kalle et l’African Jazz, Nico left in 1963 and started his own ensemble with l’African Jazz singer Tabu Ley Rochereau, and named it L’Orchestre African Fiesta (also African Fiesta Sukisa). Although Nico’s tenure with the group was brief, it led to the development of soukous, the vigorous offshoot of African rumba that would sweep the continent in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, Nico faded from the limelight, but not before a generation of prominent rock ‘n’ roll musicians — including Jimi Hendrix — sought him out and cited him as an influence.
There are a number of captivating recordings from Dr. Nico’s employ with Grande Kalle et l’African Jazz. A fascinating glimpse at the nascent stages of Nico’s career can be had with the double-disc set, Merveilles du Passe, Vol. 1: 1958-1960 (2006 Syllart Production). Tracks like “Africa Bola Nngomi,” “Naboyi Vie Ya Nbanga” and “Naweli Boboto” spin through wonderful inflections of Caribbean nuance, while retaining a distinctive Congolese identity. However, Dr. Nico’s most aggressive, assertive and influential moments come in the 1960s. Any number of selections from his original African discography can be found in digital versions, with some degree of persistence. Some highlights include: Le Eternel Docteur Nico/L’Orchestre African Fiesta: 1966/1967/1968 (1994 Sukisa); L’African Fiesta Vol. I (1994/1999 Sonodisc); Tu Ma’s Decu Chouchou (1967-1969); and the similarly contemporaneous Nico & L’African Fiesta, 1967-1969 (1998 Sonodisc). As with other icons of Afro-pop (the breathtakingly convoluted discography of Fela Kuti immediately springs to mind), there is bound to be a degree of overlap and repetition to be had when investigating Dr. Nico’s oeuvre, but intrepid persistence will pay dividends.
Finally, anyone mesmerized by Dr. Nico should check out his performance compiled on the African Pearls series, Congo 70: Rumba Rock (2009 Discograph), then proceed through some of the exhilarating examples of rumba-, rock- and highlife-infused grooves that made the Congolese music scene such a vivid and crucial component of world music history. Thanks in large part to Dr. Nico., soukous continues to enjoy vast popularity on dance floors across Africa and much of the Francophone world. Soukous sprawled in the 1980s, making its way to discotheques throughout Europe and the UK, and crossing the Atlantic once more, in yet another bout of cross-pollination with Latin American beats. Its joyous gyrations continue to evolve, and synthesizers, studio wizardry and aspects of electronic are all familiar in the present-day descendants of African rumba, but the rhythms are just as infections and gripping as ever. The beats are more frenetic and the lyrics are (according to prim critics) more wantonly lascivious, but of course that only increases the music’s audience, and its enduring, agile appeal.
