One Sexy Volkswagen!!

[Njamlik]

The sweetest popular songs are inspired by the curvature of the female body. Through the ages men have mined deep into their souls to find words and melodies in praise of a woman, resulting in melancholic heart-rending tunes that cut right into our lives and instantly make the listener feel as if he's the one suffering the pangs of longing and desire.....

Until Franco's Azda:



In our youthful ignorance, we never knew that this wonderful song was just an extended commercial imploring Les Kinois to go and buy themselves a Volkswagen at the Azda dealer. All those call-and-response choruses are not telling us of a lady's unmatched beauty and grace, but poring lavish perfume on a German car. I'd be very jealous if I were called Clara!

NJL

[5thGLG]

NJL, I've written a couple of times here and elsewhere on AZDA because I simply got a mixture of disappointment and mirth when I realised what was hidden behind this tune I sooo loved! Most hilarious of course is the way they wantonly pronounce "VW" (in French V double U)...vey wey (that wey...is way off)! I love the way they enumerate the different car makes! This song from wot I read, came out long before half the folks in here were born, or were at least just beginning to learn how to talk! (my generation), but it live on for years and i think last time I heard, it was Mwakwere singing it in Bunge à Capella! But I love!

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/1/8/fran ... -jazz-azda

ecorded: Kinshasa, 1973


RATING: 93/100 (learn more)
When this song was released in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1973, few paid attention . . . at least initially. But over time, it spread across Africa and into Europe, where it introduced many new listeners to the sound of the now legendary Franco and his band TPOK Jazz. Many assumed that this gently lilting performance was a love song. But A.Z.D.A. was actually the acronym of a Volkswagen dealership with outlets located in a number of Zairean cities. When the band starts singing Vay-way, vay-way, vay-way, vay-way vay-way, a chant that takes up about half of this lengthy track, they are simply relying on the local pronunciation of VW.

Yet there is much to savor in this song beyond the astute product placement. "AZDA" sounds deceptively simple, but the structure is intriguing. An odd call-and-response serves as the centerpiece and "hook" to the tune, and is based on a lopsided repeating five-bar structure. The call is one bar of solo vocal with four bars of harmonized response�not a pattern that you would find in Western commercial music, but it works in this context. This peculiar interlude kicks in around the two minute mark, and seems to go on forever (actually three minutes of official iPod time). When it finally ends, we get a taste of horns�but only a taste: few recordings bring along so many musicians for so little work. Then comes dessert, an electric guitar solo. But instead of the single note lines one would encounter in the West, we are treated to some classic Congolese guitar: a kaleidoscope of sound built on pinging, open chords, sometimes little more than two notes, played strong and bright. The energy level picks up, and even the hornplayers decide they need to put in some more work in order to earn those free Volkswagens (24 musicians in the band reportedly got a free car). They come back from their break in time for the fadeout as we approach the eight minute mark. Don't tell the AZDA folks, but this song is a Cadillac, pure and simple.

[Terminator]

I must say I have never heard that song. Still somehow I can tell its from a different epoch and its a classic. How do we manage to do that?

[Njamlik]

NJL, I've written a couple of times here and elsewhere on AZDA because I simply got a mixture of disappointment and mirth when I realised what was hidden behind this tune I sooo loved! Most hilarious of course is the way they wantonly pronounce "VW" (in French V double U)...vey wey (that wey...is way off)!

Dada 5th.,

I have confessed it here before that the first time I ever heard the song, we were the younguns peeking into the steamy daytime illegal party going on with our bigger brother (born thug!!) in the mix. We heard the throbbing choruses through the square wire mesh of an apartment in the East.....The song will always invoke the idea of lost virginity...Some of the girl in there didn't make it back out whole....

Now, this is what I call a savvy musical write-up!!

When this song was released in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1973, few paid attention . . . at least initially. But over time, it spread across Africa and into Europe, where it introduced many new listeners to the sound of the now legendary Franco and his band TPOK Jazz. Many assumed that this gently lilting performance was a love song. But A.Z.D.A. was actually the acronym of a Volkswagen dealership with outlets located in a number of Zairean cities. When the band starts singing Vay-way, vay-way, vay-way, vay-way vay-way, a chant that takes up about half of this lengthy track, they are simply relying on the local pronunciation of VW.

Yet there is much to savor in this song beyond the astute product placement. "AZDA" sounds deceptively simple, but the structure is intriguing. An odd call-and-response serves as the centerpiece and "hook" to the tune, and is based on a lopsided repeating five-bar structure. The call is one bar of solo vocal with four bars of harmonized response not a pattern that you would find in Western commercial music, but it works in this context. This peculiar interlude kicks in around the two minute mark, and seems to go on forever (actually three minutes of official iPod time). When it finally ends, we get a taste of horns but only a taste: few recordings bring along so many musicians for so little work. Then comes dessert, an electric guitar solo. But instead of the single note lines one would encounter in the West, we are treated to some classic Congolese guitar: a kaleidoscope of sound built on pinging, open chords, sometimes little more than two notes, played strong and bright. The energy level picks up, and even the hornplayers decide they need to put in some more work in order to earn those free Volkswagens (24 musicians in the band reportedly got a free car). They come back from their break in time for the fadeout as we approach the eight minute mark. Don't tell the AZDA folks, but this song is a Cadillac, pure and simple.

The only thing I could add is that Franco's signature solo guitar sound involved what we call 6th. intervals, two notes six tones apart played in rapid melodic phrases. Nobody has ever equalled the Maestro.

NJL

[Njamlik]

I must say I have never heard that song. Still somehow I can tell its from a different epoch and its a classic. How do we manage to do that?

Termie,

Sitting in the lonely Zamunda morning and listening to the birds, one gets melancholic and raids the vault for memories of the sweet past. You won't beluieve how pleased I am to know that you got your first dose of Azda. Soon, Cherie Bondowe, another tune full of memories even though we didn't understand a word of the lyrics.....



Africa is rich!!

NJL

[5thGLG]

NJL, I've written a couple of times here and elsewhere on AZDA because I simply got a mixture of disappointment and mirth when I realised what was hidden behind this tune I sooo loved! Most hilarious of course is the way they wantonly pronounce "VW" (in French V double U)...vey wey (that wey...is way off)!

Dada 5th.,

I have confessed it here before that the first time I ever heard the song, we were the younguns peeking into the steamy daytime illegal party going on with our bigger brother (born thug!!) in the mix. We heard the throbbing choruses through the square wire mesh of an apartment in the East.....The song will always invoke the idea of lost virginity...Some of the girl in there didn't make it back out whole....

Now, this is what I call a savvy musical write-up!!

When this song was released in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1973, few paid attention . . . at least initially. But over time, it spread across Africa and into Europe, where it introduced many new listeners to the sound of the now legendary Franco and his band TPOK Jazz. Many assumed that this gently lilting performance was a love song. But A.Z.D.A. was actually the acronym of a Volkswagen dealership with outlets located in a number of Zairean cities. When the band starts singing Vay-way, vay-way, vay-way, vay-way vay-way, a chant that takes up about half of this lengthy track, they are simply relying on the local pronunciation of VW.

Yet there is much to savor in this song beyond the astute product placement. "AZDA" sounds deceptively simple, but the structure is intriguing. An odd call-and-response serves as the centerpiece and "hook" to the tune, and is based on a lopsided repeating five-bar structure. The call is one bar of solo vocal with four bars of harmonized response not a pattern that you would find in Western commercial music, but it works in this context. This peculiar interlude kicks in around the two minute mark, and seems to go on forever (actually three minutes of official iPod time). When it finally ends, we get a taste of horns but only a taste: few recordings bring along so many musicians for so little work. Then comes dessert, an electric guitar solo. But instead of the single note lines one would encounter in the West, we are treated to some classic Congolese guitar: a kaleidoscope of sound built on pinging, open chords, sometimes little more than two notes, played strong and bright. The energy level picks up, and even the hornplayers decide they need to put in some more work in order to earn those free Volkswagens (24 musicians in the band reportedly got a free car). They come back from their break in time for the fadeout as we approach the eight minute mark. Don't tell the AZDA folks, but this song is a Cadillac, pure and simple.

The only thing I could add is that Franco's signature solo guitar sound involved what we call 6th. intervals, two notes six tones apart played in rapid melodic phrases. Nobody has ever equalled the Maestro.

NJL

I never get tired of pouring through such resumés and just reading about bands, songs, artistes of yore...beautiful pieces indeed!
When I was a kid (before the mdudu came to be joy spoiler), every X-mas, for a whole month there was party every day in shags in different homes. They'd built a marquee with banana leaves, put the jukebox on a pot and all these gems would roar late into the night! You could hear the music from miles away in the still of the night. I think I only managed to attend one such party, a dude fêting his graduation with pomp in geshagi!