Congo Life

Description

EDITORIAL REVIEWS Delicious melodies, inspired and original arrangements, faultless playing, scalp-tingling voices. (John Armstrong, BBC Radio 1). "The sound is stunning and the orchestration perfect, including beautifully layered acoustic guitars, some tasty accordion, and on some tunes an all-clarinet horn section, harking back to the early days of Congolese rumba." (Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide). "A thread of nostalgia runs through Congo Life, yet the novel arrangements and loose-limbed swing speak of invention and ready wit." (Richard Henderson, The Wire). AMAZON.COM Congolese pop is considerably more varied than many people realize, ranging from the classic two-part extravaganzas made famous by Franco and his contemporaries, to the relentless pace and shimmering, hummingbird-like guitar licks of "speed soukous." Kekele harks back to the former tradition, favoring a swinging, sexy slow burn, a deliberate yet inventive unfolding of theme and variation rather than a quick fix. But this does not mean that gratification is delayed; from the first note, the listener is seduced by percolating percussion, honeyed voices, and glorious guitars, augmented by accordion, woodwinds, and charanga-like fiddles. The tunes are as ardent, playful, and adult as the sultry Cuban grooves that originally inspired them. An unbeatable roster of veteran performers, now in mid-life, are empowered rather than imprisoned by their glorious past, having a ball as they weave eleven graceful, sophisticated old-time rumbas by hand for modern ears. Don't miss this one! --Christina Roden