“Julie” by Le Grand Lolo Lolitta - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1979 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s

Lolita Babindamana, a Brazzavillian wanderer, is best described as a bit of an all-rounder with an interest in singing, dancing, drumming and mbira playing. He is most commonly known by his stage name Lolo Lolitta which, as far as I can tell, can be interpreted along the same lines as Richard Penniman billing himself as Little Richard. This 1979 offering originated in the Ivory Coast although it was licensed to a Nigerian company and was, most likely, recorded there. The singer is notoriously difficult to pin down, having lived in several Central African countries before settling in Paris in the 1980s. There’s not a bad song on this one; all have a degree of catchiness, although “Koum Koum” is, by far, the major attraction. Swirls of late 70s keyboard are prominent in the album closer, “Ne Force Pas La Vie”. You can grab yourself a copy of this deeply buried obscuro at the fabulous Global Groove.

The Jukebox Rebel
12–Oct–2014

A1	[07:19] Le Grand Lolo-Lolitta - Oh Ma Julie (Lolita Babindamana) Africana
A2	[07:58] Le Grand Lolo-Lolitta - C’est Trop Tard (Lolita Babindamana) Africana
B1	[07:08] Le Grand Lolo-Lolitta - Koum Koum (Lolita Babindamana) Africana
B2	[07:54] Le Grand Lolo-Lolitta - Ne Force Pas La Vie (Lolita Babindamana) Africana