Search - East of Africa :: East of Africa

Lovely Congolese pop music!

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 12/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A gorgeous collection of early Congolese pop, recorded around 1960. This features some of the biggest names in the business, early in their careers, artists like Manu Dibangu, Docteur Nico and Grand Kalle, performing in a number of record label "house bands," which had nondescript names like the African Team, African Jazz, Negro Succes, etc.... Interestingly, this CD is not a new set that was assembled after the fact: it is actually a reissue of a compilation album that came out in the early '60s. Features plenty of unbelievably cool, hypnotic guitar work, some relatively mellow horn charts, and several tunes that are real doozies, in particular, "Tika Kutupende Kolo," which seems to take its main riff from the song "La Bamba..." This is thoughtfully followed by a fine example of African-style Cuban-flavored rumba, also by the band, African Jazz. An outstanding album -- highly recommended!"