Franco was the pride of what was then (and would be again) the Democratic Republic of Congo, for a brief spell known as Zaire. He went from singing rumba and bolero tunes to developing a funk-influenced sound that lit up most of the African continent. From the Bandcamp site: “This compilation brings together an original selection of 16 tracks from the first three years of Les Editions Populaires. They are a showcase of the sound Franco had envisioned for his band. The focus was less on cha-cha-cha and Spanish lyrics, but on lingering rumba and bolero ballads in Lingala, tradition-rooted…
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Before Afrobeat became such a massive influence across Africa, Congolese music seemed to be the pride of the continent. A joyous mix of merengue, rhumba and local music would influence a great deal of West African popular music until James Brown and others came over to topple over the previous pop idols. Respect to Planet Ilunga out of Belgium for producing this gorgeous artifact.
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Simply gorgeous and resonating music here, courtesy from a French-Conoglese project called Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin. The project is described as “…a unique encounter between Bantu lullabies from the Congo, electronic music and hip-hop.”
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Even in the midst of war and apocalypse, you should find ways to feel a sense of joy. Hope trumps all, and Ghanian music, like that of Vis-A-Vis, makes for a good remedy. Cheerful vocals, lo-fi production and a pulsing beat cures many ills.