Jupiter
& Okwess International – Hotel Univers (Out Here Records)
CD/DL
Out Now
At the age
of 48, Jupiter Bokondji has released his debut album so there’s hope for me
yet. Where we differ, is that Jupiter
has a rich and varied musical past already, giving him quite a head start.
In 1974, he
left the Congo to go and live in the old East Germany when his father was given
a job at the Congo Embassy. He formed
his own band, Der Neger (The Negro) and called upon the sounds of the Stones
and James Brown, who had had newly discovered, and fused them with the sounds
of Mongo percussion.
Six years
later, at the end of his Fathers placement, he returned to his birthplace,
Kinshasa, with a headful of new sounds and quickly engaged with European
musicians. In 1983, he formed the group
Bonogfolk and christened the sound as ‘Bofenia Rock’. By 1990 he had put together a band which
worked on a new sound of Congo with a base of over 450 ethnicities to choose
from – Okwess International was born.
Almost from
the opening seconds of Bapasi you know this is going to be a special
album. The sound of cars, crowds and
police sirens. A funky guitar riff not
dissimilar to Isaac Hayes’ Theme From Shaft and a great drumbeat with deep
voices chanting. It’s a highly charged
affair with a cracking guitar solo towards the end and a superb opening to the
album.
With
Margerita we hear of one of the many attractive women of the Kinshasa nightlife,
the song was a big hit in the Democratic public and it’s easy to see why. Again, a racing tempo with a brilliant horn
section and an infectious hook. Several
incredibly talented musicians create a tight and very danceable rhythm with
guitar work to savour.
The key to Jupiters
great sounding tracks is not to be over-influenced by Western sounds but
instead to rediscover the long forgotten street sounds of the Congo and add a
city groove, and, at the same time, accept that he may not find himself at the
top of the mainstream music charts. His
approach is to be applauded, and, the self named ‘rebel general of Congolese
music’ is then under no pressure to come up with the goods. That said, it seems to be something that he
does effortlessly, as third track Bakwapanu proves. It’s another very memorable track with an
occasional reggae feel but still containing the rock/funk elements. It’s another cracker.
It
continues, track after track of great quality and sound. The pace and power if the German spoken The
World Is My Land is remarkable, and the more traditional guitar sounds of
Tshanga Tshungu is enthralling. Album
closer, the slower Djwende Talelaka, is a lovely piece with spoken word and a
beautiful wind instrument in the background slowly fading out to the sounds of
the street that started the album.
A remix
album with contributions from the likes of 3D (Massive Attack) and DJ Mo is
promised for later this year, but in the meantime, savour the undoubted quality
of one of the years finest albums.
9/10
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