A Brief History of Mbole – FROM SPARK TO FLAME

Essentially, Mbole aroused from the Nkoldongo, a destitute neighborhood in Yaounde. The origins can be traced back to funeral celebrations in the poorer parts of this large neighborhood. Where young boys who wanted to bring some cheer to the sad and morose wake keeps would bang on plastic water drums and sing all night. Entertaining those who had come to share in the grief of the bereaved. They were just bent on doing anything to ease the pains of the bereaved. At that point, the initiator of the idea, Bertrand Loic came together with some friends to make “Mbole” an active movement.

These young boys, most of them in their late teens and early 20s would often get “paid” in kind at these wake keeps; a piece of bread with a cup of hot tea, a glass of beer, or boiled groundnuts with some sweet drink. Occasionally, they would be given some money by some entertained adult, appreciative of their effort and cognizant of their difficult situation. With many of them, after all, being victims of the many gaping holes that exist today in our social safety net.

Genres like Mbole are born from the need to have an outlet to express frustration about inner despair. The creative chord is often struck in moments like this, and as history has repeatedly shown us, singing, dancing, writing, and poetry are usually the most primal outlet we resort to when we feel a strong need to express these deep-seated emotions. That is why when the first Mbole artists went into the studio to make commercially-potent music, what they put into their lyrics was a reflection of where they come from, their experiences, the views that the world had about them and against them, and their utopic dream of what life could be.

Although the term “Mbole” was coined over 10 years ago, it was only about 2 years that the music has gone mainstream. MBOLE originally began around the years 2008 and 2010, and it’s mainly a way of expressing emotions in both good and bad times. The group has active members who carry out specific tasks at their utmost best. From the lead singers, choristers, maracas players, drummers, the djembe, and dancers.

Just like HipHop, Rap, Afrobeats, Reggae, Dancehall, and every music genre, MBOLE too has a powerful story to tell. Even in its thematic, Mbole music today runs parallel to the early days of rap. Love, unity, peace, and staying away from drugs and crime are its essential elements. If you look at an early rap record like Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message” you see that it is the same message. Even early pioneers of Mbole like Aristide Mpacko and DJ Lexus are no different from Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation.

Watch the full Ballantine’s x Mbolè Documentary below;