ARTIST...: Various Artists
TITLE....: Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982)
YEAR.....: 2024
LABEL....: Analog Africa
CAT.NO...: AALP 098
GENRE....: Funk
TIME.....: 77:35
SIZE.....: 130.45 MB
QUALITY..: 233kbps/48.0kHz/Joint Stereo
ENCODER..: LAME
SOURCE...: Vinyl
RLS.DATE.: 2025/10/07
WEBSITE..: https://www.discogs.com/release/30112238
TRACKLIST
A1) (07:50) Petelo Vicka et Son Nzazi - Sungu Lubuka
A2) (04:59) Groupe Minzoto Ya Za∩re - Mfuur Ma
A3) (03:48) M.B.T's - M.B.T's Sound
A4) (03:13) Abeti et Les Redoutables - Musique Tshiluba
B1) (05:00) Trio Bydoli - Lalia
B2) (06:42) Tabu Ley et L'Orchestre Afrisa - Adeito
B3) (08:25) Les Bantous De La Capitale - Ngantsie Soul
C1) (08:38) Les FrΦres Soki et L'Orchestre Bella-Bella - Nganga
C2) (07:18) Orchestre Celi Bitshou - Tembe Na Tembe Ya Nini
C3) (03:34) Lolo et L'Orchestre O.K. Jazz - Lolo Soulfire
D1) (06:00) Zaiko Langa Langa - Femme Ne Pleure Pas
D2) (03:47) Orchestre O.K. Jazz - Kiwita Kumunani
D3) (05:05) G.O. Malebo - FiancΘe Laya
D4) (03:16) Orchestre National Du Congo - Ah! Congo
The making of Congo Funk!, our long-awaited journey to the musical heart of the
African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to
Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this
compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic
tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo
River.
On its south shore, the city of Kinshasa û capital of Democratic Republic of the
Congo, the country formerly known as Za∩re û is often seen as AfricaÆs musical Mecca,
the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African
Fiesta, and the place to which aspiring musicians from throughout the continent would
go to make a name for themselves.
But the city of Brazzaville on the north shore of the river û capital of the Congo
Republic û played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds
continentally. In addition to producing legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la
Capital, it was the powerful transmitters of Radio Brazzaville that allowed the
unmistakable groove of Congolese Rumba to be heard as far away as Nairobi, YaoundΘ,
Luanda and Lusaka thus turning the electric guitar into the continentÆs most
important instrument!
Although the musical landscape of these cities had been defined by a core group of
bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music has been steadily
evolving until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman boxing match
marked a turning point. The promoter of that event known as ôRumble In The Jungleö
was none other than the notorious Don King who needed 10 millions dollars to get Ali
and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put this kind of cash
on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mobutu - the megalomaniac dictator who got to power with the support of the United
States and Belgium in exchange for unlimited and affordable access to the riches of
the country - had a soft spot for music and it doesnÆt come as a surprise that he
agreed to a three-day live music festival being organised prior to the ôRumbleö.
Za∩re 74 - as the festival was dubbed - was meant to hype the boxing match and many
stars were invited.
Although a myriads of artists flocked in for the occasion, it was the performance of
James Brown on Zairian soil that caused havoc among the younger generation, inspiring
hundreds of would-be musicians to take up their electric guitars and reverbs cranked
to the max in search of a new sound in which hyperactive Rumba was blended with
elements of psych and funk. While the results were very different from the popular
music of the three Musketeers - as Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys were known - they
werenÆt a complete break with tradition.
These new sounds emerged at a time when the Congolese record industry û previously
dominated by European major labels û was experiencing a period of decline due to
rising production costs and needed a radical change. The void was filled by dozens of
entrepreneurs willing to take chances on smaller scale releases. It was the beginning
of a golden age for Congolese independent record labels, and the best of them û Cover
N░1, Mondenge, Editions Moninga, Super Contact û preserved the work of some of the
regionÆs finest artists, while launching a generation of younger musicians into the
spotlight.
The movement was greatly helped by legendary radio shows but it was the dynamic
productions of TΘlΘ-Za∩re that set the dynamite on fire. Legend has it that TV shows
were so huge that president Mobutu himself ordered RTV du Za∩re to put on daily
concerts since it halted criminal activities for the duration of the evening.
Congo Funk! is the story of these sounds and labels, but most of all it is the story
of two cities, separated by water but united by an indestructible groove. The
fourteen songs on this double LP showcase the many facets of the Congolese capitals,
and highlight the bands and artists, famous and obscure, who pushed Rumba to new
heights and ultimately influenced the musical landscape of the entire continent and
beyond.
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