Diblo Dibala is famous for his impressive lead guitar skills. He was born in Kisangani, Congo. At the age of six, Diblo moved to Kinshasa. He started playing guitar at the age of twelve and within three years, he almost beat out Franco, the Congolese “Sorcerer of the Guitar,” in a guitar competition. Franco was so impressed with the young guitarist that he brought him into his T.P.O.K. Band. Diblo only stayed with the group for a few years before moving on to Vox Africa, Orchestra Bella Mambo, and Bella-Bella. He left Zaire in 1979, heading to Brussels and then Paris, where the soukous scene was hopping. Diblo hooked up with Kanda Bongo Man, which got him a lot of attention and made him an in-demand session musician. He has continued playing guitar in a number of groups and sharing stages with the likes of Juan Luis Guerra and David Byrne.
This virtuoso, known as the “Machine Gun” for his lightning speed, will be at SOB’s on Sunday, July 15th with his famous dancers. He plays MoMa Nights for the Soukous Show from the Republic of Congo on Thursday, July 19th. Don’t miss this master in action. Check out the great video for “SP Diblo,” which appears to be a soukous version of the fight scene in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” except instead of Van Halen wailing on guitar, it’s Diblo Dibala who is laying down the riffs.
Be First to Comment