Close to a decade since their last dedicated foray into the music of the Congo, 2014’s Congolese Funk, Afrobeat & Psychedelic Rumba 1969-1978, the Analog Africa label returns with another epic collection, Congo Funk! – Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969 – 1982), a release that owes its origin to a most serendipitous episode.
Following a crate-digging trip by Analog Africa’s founder, Samy Ben Redjeb, to Cotonou, a port city in Benin, where he bought, exclusively, Beninese records, a chance comment by the store’s owner to Samy about the latter’s failure to purchase anything Congolese led to a prolonged stay, the birth of a love for the music of that country and an introduction to around half of the tracks on this compilation.
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Separated by the River Congo, the capitals of the two Congos, Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaïre, and Brazzaville, in the Republic of the Congo, both played important roles in the development and dissemination of Congolese music.
On the south bank of the river, Kinshasa, widely recognised as the jewel in African music’s crown, acted as a magnet to musicians from across the continent, whilst on the north shore, the often lesser-fêted city, through its powerful Radio Brazzaville’s transmitters, was instrumental, from the early 1950s onwards, in broadcasting Congolese Rumba to places a distant as Angola, Cameroon, Kenya and Zambia, and, in so doing, establishing the electric guitar as the continent’s number one instrument.
This also gave artists and bands from both cities, such as African Jazz, O.K Jazz, Les Bantous De La Capital and Dr. Nico, continental, pan-African fame, and over two decades the local music continued to evolve.
1974, however, saw an event which was to prove seismic in its effect on Congolese music, the infamous “Rumble in The Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, held in Kinshasa courtesy of Mobutu Sese Seko, then President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who put up the 10 million dollars needed to get Ali and Foreman into the ring.
However, the dictator was also a music fan, and to hype the fight, he agreed to a three-night music festival prior to the fight, Zaïre 74, which was to later feature in a 2008 film, Soul Power. Many major acts participated, but James Brown’s performance proved incendiary, providing a catalyst for the younger generation.
Whilst not completely breaking from the traditional sounds made famous by the likes of Tabu Ley Rochereau, Franco Luambo and Verckys Kiamuangana, known colloquially as the ‘Three Musketeers’, the already feverish rumba was further charged with elements of funk and psychedelia, in no small part due to the increased prominence of electric guitars and reverb.
The fervour created by this new, high-speed, Classic Congolese Rumba acted as a springboard for further developments. The decline of the Congolese record industry reversed with the birth of many small, independent Congolese labels, which spawned new, young bands.
This dynamic shift was also aided by a vigorous, if somewhat symbiotic, media frenzy. The publication of new specialist music magazines, in tandem with the emergence of dedicated radio shows, helped to bring the new sounds to a new audience; however, it was the airing of shows on Télé-Zaïre that proved most influential.
With such an explosion of music being produced, it is perhaps not surprising to discover that the Analog Africa team made two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville to crate-dig material for this release. From around the 2000 songs collected, the 14 that have made the final cut for the compilation comprise an intriguing cross-section of the myriad bands and artists, both veteran and new, producers and labels responsible for elevating rumba to new heights during this fertile period.
The collection opens with Sungu Lubuka by Petelo Vicka Et Son Nzazi, nigh-on eight minute’s worth of glorious, high-class groove recorded at the Simbard Studios, which, although home to rumba, also specialised in jazz and funk, then given the sobriquet of “research music”. Lead singer Petelo, who came to Kinshasa having fled Angola during its war of independence, created Orchestre Nzazi, which mainly consisted of musicians from International Sim Sim, the Studio’s house band, alongside Eloys Simon Sungu, who served as musical director and lead guitarist. The track, taken from an album recorded in one evening session but never released in Zaire, was issued as this compilation’s first single.
Belgian priest Joseph De Laet can take some credit for the formation of Groupe Minzoto Ya Zaïre, whose origins were in a socio-cultural theatre group he established to counteract youth crime and gang culture. Mfuur Ma, an infectious slab of funk, is tangible evidence of why the group achieved great success, even in Europe. Success, however, evaded Abumba Masikini and the Kinshasa youth band he trained, the M.B.T’s. His attempts to introduce folk and funk rhythms into rumba failed to interest the audiences, and this led, unfortunately, to him suffering from mental health issues. The track contributed here, M.B.T’s Sound, heavy on percussion and raucous vocals, suggests that both he and they deserved better recognition.
In an inspired piece of track listing, the next song, Musique Tshiluba, is performed by Abumba’s illustrious sister, Abeti. A key figure in 1970s Congolese music, not least for her empowerment of females in what was a male-dominated music scene, Abeti established herself on the international and national stage. Appearing on the aforementioned Zaïre 74 bill, she also starred in Paris. Unlike her brother, she successfully managed to mix Congolese rumba with other styles, such as blues, folk, soul, and soukous. Before a fall-out sent them in differing directions, she worked with her brother, who took over as leader of the band soon to be named Les Redoutables. Indeed, this track is credited to Abeti Et Les Redoutables, a more mellow offering, slower-tempo, treated organ and guitar sounds underscored by deep bass lines and chunky, cool brass highlights, woodwind and Latin percussion.
The tempo picks up on Trio Bydoli’s hypnotic Lalia, sung in Kisango, a northern dialect of Zaïre before tracks from two of Congo’s musical heavyweights mark the midway point of this release.
The first of these, Adieito, clocking in at just under 7 minutes, features Tabu Ley Et L’Orchestre Afrisa. In 1963, Tabu, partnered with Dr. Nico, formed the band African Fiesta, credited with being the originators of rumba’s transformation into the soukous genre. Not for the first time in the history of Congolese music, tensions between the two resulted in a parting of ways, with Ley continuing a successful solo career and becoming a mentor to a new generation of musicians, whilst this track represents a key moment in the music’s history.
The second presents Brazzaville’s first great modern band, Les Bantous De La Capitale. Unusually for the time, the band featured a drum kit, and in 1965, they released one of the very first records featuring modern Congolese music. By 1966, the President declared their new dance, Le Boucher, the country’s national dance. Successful touring of Africa, Europe and South America followed, as did many personnel changes, and the band still thrive today. They are represented here by the eight-and-a-half minute Ngantsie Soul, an epic slice of pulsating rhythm featuring the soulful sax of Jean Saïdou.
With the youthful end of the spectrum represented by Les Frères Soki Et L’Orchestre Bella-Bella and the gentle, melodic Tembe Na Tembe Ya Nini from Orchestre Celi Bitshou, a song about rivalry related to business or women, featuring the titular celebrated bass player, the compilation also contains two tracks from L’Orchestre O.K. Jazz.
The first of these, Lolo Soulfire, composed by and featuring Lola Djangi Camille, aka Lola Checain, almost ‘out-James Browns’, the great man himself. The second, Kiwita Kumunani, shows exactly why the band took its name from the venue where they initially played, the O.K. Bar on Itaga Street, which was such a domineering force since the late 1950s.
Another major Kinshasa band was Zaiko Langa Langa. Famed for pioneering the cavachabeat, which itself grew out of the sebene, the latter part of the rumba, which traditionally concentrates on the dance element following the first part, which is focused on the lyrics, it was inspired by the sound of wheels passing over rail tracks. A mid-tempo, melancholic song about a dying man asking his wife not to mourn his death because there are other men to replace him, Femme Ne Pleure Pas, originally released in 1980, features overlapping rhythm guitars combined with lead guitar, call-and-response style vocals and a perfect example of the sebene.
The penultimate song is from G.O. Malebo, featuring Grazzi Armando, formidable saxophonist and founder of several bands, including this one, which was formed from his previous Orchestre Les As. Stretching Congolese rumba boundaries to incorporate salsa, highlife and funk, Grand Orchestre Malebo featured a raft of talented musicians and singers, and the track selected here, Fiancée Laya, recorded in 1973, is their first original song. With a distinctive shift in overall tone, vocal style and instrumentation around halfway through, it presents almost as two separate songs, with the latter half’s brass and flute sections being particularly memorable.
Somewhat appropriately, the last track on this release is Ah!Congo from Orchestre National Du Congo. A busy, complex track taken from the majestic 1976 Visions LP, the brass, keys, percussion and vocals combine to produce an energetic, spirited finale.
With this release, Analog Africa has unquestionably captured the essence and spirit of Congolese music, which saw the rumba elevated to new heights. The 14 tracks showcase the indelibly funky grooves that electrified audiences at the time and have obviously stood the test of time.
Congo Funk! – Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982) (Analog Africa No. 38) is Out 5 April 2024 on Analog Africa 2xLP, CD, DL & Streaming.
The gatefold double LP (pressed on 140g virgin vinyl) comes with a full-colour 16-page booklet, and the CD has a full-colour 32-page booklet.