The year before, it was Ivorian singer Monique Séka who was recognised as the princess of Afrozouk with her track Missounwa. But in 1990, Oliver Ngoma, from Libreville, with the help of Cape Verdean producer Manu Lima, released his debut album Bane, whose eponymous track was to become an essential hit of zouk “made in Africa”, and rejoined the throne. The album contains other hit tracks such as Alphonsine and Icole. Also featuring Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Miguel Yamba, Ballou Canta… Oliver Ngoma would go on to release three more albums, each of which was widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, before passing away too soon in 2010.
Bane – Oliver N’Goma, 1990
