Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 19 / 6 / 2015

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Taking a deep and uplifting turn on soukous and on innovative Kinshasa struts and shuffles, Mbongwana Star appear almost shy of the famously thunderous percussion music of their predecessors such as Staff Benda Bilili and Congotronics afficionados Konono No1. Their brand new exhilirating blend of music features soul-searching, affectionate songs, but on a few tracks you will witness the hypnotism of the tribal dance mayhem hardcore afficionados whom Mbongwana Star may previously have been acquainted with. They also secretly flirt as well with Euro techno on this album. 'Nganshé' introduces a feast of riddims from Africa which are sealed in firm and steady beats, while in between you will hear some great solo and harmony singing over tender tunes. Upholding its urban stance, Mbongwana Star's busy escapades in sound make passes at Brussels, London, Paris and Berlin all at once. 'Coco Blues' provides an arresting but neat balance to the 'From Kishasa' album where Congo hardcore shows its true face. 'From Kinshasa to New Orleans back to Memphis' ought to be this album's subtitle. Firmly rooted in the music of today, Mbongwana have taken several detours from the digital highways on this tribal groundbreaking debut. Most tracks on 'From Kinshasa' are beyond categorisation. But brethren behold! On 'Malukayi' the addictive punky Congotronic groove digs in, and Konono No1 come to help out. If John Peel was still alive today, and should the BBC still perform to its duty, you'd hear 'Malukayi' dozens of times on BBC Radio 1 each day. It is because of global dumbing down that such a track no longer makes the BBC playlist. Better not fre though, as life exists beyond the BBC. 'Suzanna' echoes both club house as well as soukous extravaganza; rendering it one of today's most accomplished dance tunes. After a second listen, one's initial anxiety at its complexity is replaced by sheer joy. The move of this new band to a new label makes for a brand new musical horizon. 'Kala' serves as the prime example of this. It brings together Congotronic Euro basic channel techno, which is captured as one gloriously new vibe. It is perhaps an exaggeration, but imagine Fela Kuti recording with Kraftwerk or Telex. 'Kala' probably is this year's brightest buzz. The zany Euro disco moog synthesizer bleeps out riffs which seamlessly melt with Mbongwana's baffling and rattling unique beats. Kala could be the name for this new Giorgio Moroder/Konono No1 fusion of music, but remember Mbongwana Star mastered it first. It is magic from the Heavens above.

Track Listing:-

1 From Kinshasa To The Moon
2 Shégué
3 Nganshé
4 Masobélé
5 Coco Blues
6 Malukayi
7 Suzanna
8 Kimpala Pala
9 Kala
10 1 Million C'Est Quoi?

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/MbongwanaStar
https://twitter.com/mbongwana_star

Label Links:-

http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/WorldCircuitRecords
https://twitter.com/WorldCircuit
https://www.youtube.com/user/worldcircuitltd

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