El Congo

Recorded in Kinshasa, this album pays tribute to one of the most beautiful music born on the African continent on the dawn of Independences. RumbaÕs two great historical figures (Wendo Kolosoy, KinshasaÕs son and Antoine Mondanda from Brazzaville on the other side of the river), the Victoria Bakolo Miziki and the Rumbanella Band (composed of young musicians) revisit the Central African cultural heritage in a passionate and moving way. Smooth voices, elegant guitars, sensuel mZlodies and discreet swing, Rumba is to Africa what Son is to Cuba: a miracle of equilibrium.

In March, 2002, surviving pioneers of Africa's most beloved dance music, Congolese rumba, came together in a Kinshasa recording studio to recapture the glorious, sensuous music of their collective past. The setting was humble, and there were no international filmmakers or foreign pop stars on hand. But in its way, this session was as historic, and as sweet and swinging, as the famous Buena Vista Social Club gathering in Havana, Cuba, a few years earlier.
In the 1950s, when Congolese rumba came of age, Cuban music was an important model, but the tangling, cyclic guitar lines and mellifluous vocal harmonies sung mostly in Lingala quickly came to define a sound that will be forever identified with this city on the banks of the Congo River. So call it the Kinshasa Social Club, or just call it a long overdue rumba reunion.
The music on this CD offers a rare glimpse into one of the most potent and influential chapters in modern African music.

Rumbanella Band
Rumbanella Band formed in 1986 under the leadership of Madou Lebon Mulowayi, a guitarist and singer who got his start as the accompanist for the late Jean Bosco Mwenda, one of the founding fathers of Congolese music. Madou was raised on music recorded for Kinshasa's first record label, Ngoma, music by singers like Losta Bello, Bukasa Leon, and Wendo Kolosoy.
After a decade working with Jean Bosco Mwenda, Madou wanted to create his own band dedicated to keeping the classic rumba sound alive. Three other members of Rumbanella Band participated in this recording project: vocalist Lola Bivuatu, bassman Bolita Mzela Zimbika, and guitarist Kankonde Joseph, a.k.a. Serpent.
Serpent actually won his nickname for his football moves as a boy in the 1950s. But when he picked up a guitar and began playing alongside Congolese guitar legend Docteur Nico, the epithet applied just as well to his nimble finger work. Like Nico and many other Congo music pioneers, both Madou and Serpent grew up and learned their musical skills in the mineral-rich Kasai region, in the southeast of this vast Central African country. They came to the capital, Kinshasa, when it was in its prime, the cosmopolitan cultural hub of the entire region. By then, they were well primed to soak up the fantastic new music that was bursting from every bar and record stall in the city. Soon, they were integral parts of the scene.

After parting ways with Nico over money"a familiar story!" Serpent played in a serie of important bands before teaming up with Madou to create Rumbanella Band. Rumbanella's recreation of classic hits, especially by the legendary African Jazz and African Fiesta, make up the core repertoire on this CD. There's also a version of Jean Bosco Mwenda's signature composition, Masanga Djiya, and an original composition by Serpent, Na Luki Motungisi.
Wendo Kolosoy and his pioneering band, Victoria Bakolo Miziki, were also on hand, recording their sensational comeback album, Amba (Marabi 46801-2).

Wendo Kolosoy's backing singers Willy and Mass fill out the Rumbanella vocal section. This collection also includes a Wendo composition, Botiakitembe, performed by Victoria Bakolo Miziki, and a fresh version of Wendo's classic 1948 song, Marie Louise, which he sings here backed by the Rumbanella Band.
Last but not least, comes the king of the likembe (thumb piano), Antoine Moundanda of Brazzaville. Moundanda contributes a solo composition, and a spontaneous improvisation with his old friend and colleague, Wendo, the perfect finishing touch for this rumba pioneers summit.

Banning Eyre.