2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Bag
One of the defining aspects of Congolese music is the way it absorbs sounds from around the world and makes them its own. In the 1930s, it was Cuban music that shaped the Congolese sound. In the early days, musicians would simply imitate their Cuban idols, even singing in Spanish. But as time went on, the music became more tightly entwined with local rhythms and melodies, eventually giving rise to rumba, the syncretic style that has become emblematic of Congolese identity.
A similar process would repeat itself decades later in the 1970s, this time with the scorching sounds of American funk. Throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, Congolese music, both in Kinshasa and across the river in Brazzaville, continued to evolve, with greats such as Tabu Ley, Franco, Docteur Nico, and Verckys each leaving their own distinctive mark. But it was a boxing match that would prove pivotal in the history of Congolese music: In 1974, Mobutu Sese Seko, the U.S. and Belgium-propped dictator of Democratic Republic of the Congo, invited Muhammad Ali and George Foreman to the country for a historic boxing match. The “Rumble in the Jungle” as it became known, was preceded by a music festival, and among the many performers was James Brown. His Incendiary set would inspire a new generation of musicians to experiment by blending the nimble guitarwork of rumba with the heavier rhythms and sweltering grooves of funk.
Not that these sounds were completely unknown in that part of the world—Lolo et L’Orchestre O.K. Jazz’s pure James Brown 1971 funk cut “Lolo Soulfire” is a case in point. Both Kinshasa and Brazzaville were cosmopolitan, modern cities uplifted by their post-independence optimism, where radio stations played a mix of American hits and Congolese favorites, and small independent labels flourished. Congo Funk!: Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969–1982), Analog Africa’s new compilation, zooms in on these two cities and their “Golden Years,” bringing to light the funkier sounds of the two Congos.
The break from the melodic, sweet-as-taffy guitar lines of more traditional incarnations of rumba is immediately apparent on the opener “Sungu Lubuka” by Petelo Vicka, an Angolan who had migrated to Zaire (current day DRC), and his band Son Nzazi. Despite the bright blazing horns, the rhythms are heavier and the vocals rawer, creating a moodier, smokier groove, offset at times by a lovely, whimsical flute melody. As well as including well known artists such as Orchestre O.K. Jazz, the compilation uncovers a few rare gems, such as the intricate guitar playing and raucous vocals of M.B.T’s, a Kinshasa youth band whose founder failed to find success with his blend of rumba, Congolese folk, and funk rhythms. Things get more psychedelic on Abeti et les Redoutables’ “Musique Tshiluba,” whose extended guitar lines and smoldering rhythms have something of a Bembeya Jazz National flair.
Brazzaville is well represented by the bouncy rhythms and soulful sax of “Ngantsie Soul” by Les Bantous De La Capitale, one of the country’s most successful and enduring bands, who are still going strong today. The typical unhurried, harmonized vocals of rumba appear in tracks like the gentle “Tembe Na Tembe Ya Nini,” with its hypnotic guitar riffs and Latin-tinged horns, or “Nganga,” where they initially float languidly over skitterish percussion and sharp guitar lines before picking up speed. Elsewhere, lively sebene—the fast paced sections within soukous songs aimed at getting people up and dancing—lead the tracks to a heady climax. Congo Funk! is a relentlessly fun record, which shines a spotlight on yet another of the many facets of Congolese music. It took the Analog Africa team two trips and months of sorting through thousands of tracks to narrow it down to these 14, so this may be only the tip of the iceberg. We should be so lucky.
