Enjoy the paths that this one will take you down, enjoy getting sidetracked and distracted as a world of Congolese rumba opens before your ears. Franco Luambo and Tabu Ley Rochereau are both monsters in the landscape of African music in general (the former for his effortless mastery of the guitar, the latter for an inimitable tenor), and their contribution to the sonic legacy of the DRC (and Zaire before that, colonial exploitation and civil war before that, going back to Franco's beginnings with TP OK Jazz during Belgian colonial rule) is invaluable. 1985's Omona Wapi is one of several collaborations between the two artists - rich vocal arrangements, guitars driven to dance by the steady driving swing, omnipresent horns that erupt in celebration when the music moves them, and an overwhelming feeling of positivity. I wish you fruitful digital digging.
No comments:
Post a Comment