Editor's info:
The inter-locked guitars, swinging horn sections and sublime vocal harmonies are what make Congolese rumba the most exciting and infectious dance music in Africa. The Rough Guide To Congo Gold picks out some of the best examples from rumba innovators that include Franco & OK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau, 'Docteur' Nico, Sam Mangwana and Madilu.

Franco was undoubtedly the greatest bandleader in Congolese music and the celebrated history of his band TPOK Jazz stretches back to 1956. 'Azda', from 1973, features one of the best advertising 'jingles' ever committed to wax Franco's sales pitch for a Volkswagen dealership. 'Mujinga', from 1981, is typical of Franco's conversational style of composition and features two women bickering. One of the most internationally successful Congolese singers, Sam Mangwana assimilates numerous other styles into his rumba including highlife, makossa, salsa, marabenta or merengue. On the 1980 track 'Tchimurenga Zimbabwe', Sam offers his solidarity in the struggle for independence. Wendo Kolosoy is acknowledged as the great surviving legend of the country's first generation of musical heroes and 'Marie Louise' was his biggest hit. The original version included here was released in 1949.

Joseph 'Kalle' Kabasele was the first great Congolese bandleader and his group L'African Jazz was the launching point for the vocalist Tabu Ley Rochereau, who went on to become the greatest singer in Zaire. Rochereau - featured here on the memorable and melancholic song 'Adios Tete' with L'African Jazz - eventually broke from African Jazz along with 'Docteur' Nico to form the rival band African Fiesta. Nico, one of the Congo's most innovative and refined guitarists, displays his subtle melodic prowess on the Hawaiian guitar on 'Mamu Wa Mpoy'. Nico and Rochereau eventually split and by the early 1970s, Rochereau had renamed his African Fiesta group as L'Afrisa International. Rochereau was also responsible for l.......
more

multikulti.com:
Charakterystyczne brzmienie gitary, swingujšca sekcja dęta i delikatne harmonie wokalne największymi atutami kongijskiej rumby. To dzięki temu rumba z Konga stała się jednym z najbardziej popularnych i fascynujšcych tańców Afryki.
Jak piszš znawcy afrykańskiej muzyki, np. Wojciech Ossowski - kongijska rumba to rodzaj tanecznej muzyki pochodzšcej z Konga belgijskiego, który zdobył popularno�ć w kilku innych krajach Afryki.
Narodziła się w "czarnych" obozach pracy, gdzie mieszkali �cišgnięci przez europejskie kampanie "czarni" pracownicy, przede wszystkim górnicy pracujšcy przy eksploatacji surowców naturalnych belgijskiego Konga. "Le Chemin de Fer du Congo", kampania założona w 1889 roku, połšczyła stolicę Kinszasę z portem Matadi. Powstała w 1906 roku kampania górnicza zatrudniała robotników najemnych z Mozambiku, Malawi, a nawet z Chin, Indii Zachodnich i Makao. W 1928 roku kampania ta pozwoliła żonatym robotnikom na umieszczenie rodzin w obozie. Ta mieszanina różnych kultur i tradycji plemiennych sprawiła, że narodziła się nowa jako�ć, nowy styl życia i adekwatna doń muzyka - kongijska rumba.
Płyta 'The Rough Guide to Congo Gold' to wybór najprzedniejszych przedstawicieli rumby, by wymienić Franco & TPOK, Tabu Ley Rochereau, 'Docteur' Nico, Sam Mangwana czy Madilu System.
autor: Krzysztof Szamot


Editor's info:
The inter-locked guitars, swinging horn sections and sublime vocal harmonies are what make Congolese rumba the most exciting and infectious dance music in Africa. The Rough Guide To Congo Gold picks out some of the best examples from rumba innovators that include Franco & OK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau, 'Docteur' Nico, Sam Mangwana and Madilu.

Franco was undoubtedly the greatest bandleader in Congolese music and the celebrated history of his band TPOK Jazz stretches back to 1956. 'Azda', from 1973, features one of the best advertising 'jingles' e.......
more