Papa Noel
Kékélé
Rumba Congo
Stern's Africa, 2001
Afropop fans often observe that the Congolese capitals of Kinshasa and Brazaville have produced more than enough grizzled and semi-grizzled musical veterans to fuel spinoffs of the Buena Vista Social Club concept. As in Cuba, gentle and elegant pop music has evolved into a popular, more aggressive sound that has all but buried the past. But the musicians are there, waiting to revive the classic era, and that's just what the seven members of Kékélé offer here, a recreation of the classic Congolese rumba sound that moved the dance floors of Africa in the 1950s and 60s.
Unfortunately, the budget here doesn't allow for the sort of crystalline production you'll find on BVSC releases, but the sound is a decided improvement on 1960s Kinshasa recordings. Guitarists Papa Noël and Syran Mbenza serve up tasty acoustic guitar meshes throughout, and Viviane Arnoux's accordion work is a big plus on many of these tracks. Accordion was used in early Congo music, but it soon got sidelined by horns and guitars. Horns here play solos rather than section parts, again harking back to the early small-band Congo sound, and there are no trap drums--only hand percussion.
Singers are the real stars here, though. Nyboma's angelic voice makes two of the best tracks--"Dido" and "Gina"--while Bumba Massa's huskier voice recalls the feeling of the great Franco, especially on the unusual minor key song "Kaka Ngai." Some songs stick to the Cuban son montuno groove, while others foreshadow later Congo music's shift from a slower rumba to a mid-tempo section with harmonized vocals--quite gorgeous here given the all-star lineup of singers. Near the end, the medley "Success Ya Grand Kalle" packs together a cluster of Joseph Kabasele--Grand Kalle--tunes, culminating in the immortal "Jamais Kolongo."
Guitar heads may long for some more extended instrumental breaks. Noël and Mbenza play beautifully but rarely venture into free play. Still in all, this is a very sweet session, and a welcome addition to the small but growing catalogue of acoustic Congo music recordings.
Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org
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