The Independence Cha Cha

Available for over a year

It’s 1960 and as part of a wave of independence that is sweeping across the African continent, Congolese musician, Le Grand Kallé, records The Independence Cha Cha. It goes on to become the first truly pan-African hit song, created from a flow of African, Caribbean and European musical influences across the centuries that include the shadows of slavery, the invention of the gramophone and the Wall Street Crash. Simon Zagorski-Thomas talks to musician and musicologist Sara McGuinness about the song’s origins and the lasting impact of Congolese music. Produced by Rami Tzabar for BBC World Service. Image: Record label artwork, BBC