ROCHEREAU TABU LEY - Interview

I learnt yesterday of the death of my childhood, my midlife, my greying age true idol - SIEGN . I AM IN MOURNING. I have been playing cassette tapes, 45 RPM, 33 LP and videos of all the music of this gift to Africa for two days now. I spoke with him when he was in California about coming to Cedar Hill to play during our summer music events. He and his agent David, were kind enough to send me an early release of MUZINA plus personal pictures. Unfortunately, we could not get a contract together on time because of schedule conflicts. I promised him,(GOD FORGIVE ME), that BEFORE I die, I will meet him. SO, in my bucket list, my wife has already set a fund for me to go meet him in 2015!!!! I am in and out of Africa and really wanted to go to Congo when he was the Mayor or administrator of Kinshasa - again conflicts stopped me. So I seat before this computer crying for a guy I never met. But You know what? I met him. I met him when I left Africa as a teenager for America with a couple of 45 RPM records in 1972 - I still have them in front of me now as I type. Taxi Bus Toyota, Ekeseni, En avant KDL, Mokolo na ko koufua - His anthem, and cassttes of his double album from Olympia and the 33 that contained greats like Mosolo, song+song=songisongi, Christina, etc, etc. My first catalog orders were from France in 1973 of all his music I had heard only over the radio. I played them over our College radio station for two years. And today, ask my 7 kids plus others i have raised here who my favorite is - they all know, its, "Rochereau" Well my brother, this promise I will keep - SEE YOU SOON! (not too soon though) Thanks for keeping me company over the years.