Nene Tchakou

Real names Nene Mbendi Mandosa. born in 1957, in Bas Congo region in the town of Banana. MUSIC CAREER. Nene's music journey begun very early on as a teen in a group of youngter whos parents were working with the army. Bella Nigrita is the first proffessional group he joined around 1973 composing his first song at this time. In 1981 joined the then popular outfit Langa Langa Stars as a guitarist as his reputation started growing...on stage going by the name 'Tchakou' (parrot) the name that come to be his title. At the same time doing rounds with another group Minzoto Wella Wella, a group that his comrade Ngouma Lokito used to work with.. in 1983 joining Grand Zaiko Wawa under the patronage of Felix Manuaku one of the best and fastest solo guitarist of the 3rd generation..in this group he found another of his best friend Henry Lukombo Nzambi later to be known as Shimita. By the mid 1980s The wave of Congolese musicians migrating to Paris through West Africa was taking another big momemtum..this is the time he joined a session group named International ZaiStar based in Nigeria releasing one album..the journey led him to Paris. THE PARISAN SOUKOUS ERA.. On 5th May 1989, in a Paris hotel several session musician come together and announced the formation of an outfit they named Soukous Stars led by Lokassa Ya Mbongo an ace Rythmist of the Afrisa and African All Star fame. Nene was one of the original member of this new outfit, becoming the second resident solo guitarist of the group. He participated in most of the future albums of the group ever. SESSION WORK. Apart from the group work, Nene is probably best known in the Soukous world as a session guitarist having worked with all the top Soukous musicians of the 1990s. SOLO VENTURES There are 3 solo albums on record under his name. (pic Right) . Its in 2002 that he moved to Stockton, California to start working as an arranger with the Label Rowa Records... He died on January, 28th 2022.