More football results

The Real Sounds, sometimes also The Real Sounds of Africa, are a twelve-piece Congolese group based in Harare, Zimbabwe since the 70s. Their line-up consists of J. Kabange (drums), K. Kalenga (vocals, trumpet), J. Kavund (vocals), G. Motombo (vocals), G. Mumba (vocals, guitar), M. Mwandwe (vocals, guitar), S. Illunga (sax), J. Kumwamba (sax), S. Llunga (sax), J. Malosa (bass), B. Pompom (guitar), M. Sanga (conga, trumpet). i dunno whether they have first names, but this style of listing looks more like a football team, which, as we'll see, is definitely more appropriate.

Mixing rhumba and soukous from their native land with the mbira-influenced guitar rhythms unique to Zimbabwe, the Real Sounds achieved critical and popular success both at home and abroad. Riding the Zimbabwean craze created by the Bhundu Boys in the mid-80s, the band toured the UK and released their 1987 album Wende Zako. This European exposure led to a collaboration with Norman Cook on his album. Cook produced their 1990 album 7 Miles High. [information from Music of Zimbabwe]

From Wende Zako comes the amazing "Dynamos vs. Tornados", a commentary on a football match between arguably Zimbabwe's (then Rhodesia)'s most popular team, Dynamos F.C., and State House Tornadoes, a team established by football-mad former President Canaan Banana,¹ also a registered referee and occasional player.

Alternately tense and joyful, it's fully thirteen and a half minutes long, the commentary sections riding over insistent, lilting, guitar rhythms, bursts of buoyant horn riffing providing a respite every now and again. It's possible this song is way more fun than actually being at the match itself.

mp3: The Real Sounds – "Dynamos vs. Tornados"

¹ Later Chibuku Shumba; even later (some time between 1975 and 1980), re-emerging as the Black Aces.