REVIEWS > > WORD ON SOUND WITH SAM MATHE FRANCO The Very Best Of Sheer Sound, 2008 It is not for nothing that the Congo is called ‘The Land of a Thousand Dances’. Whether one is referring to Congo-Brazzaville or neighbouring Congo-Kinshasa, this central African region is blessed with outstanding musical traditions and enchanting dance rhythms. Since its emergence in the fi fties, Congolese popular music - better known as soukous - has spawned a rich variety of genres and sub-genres. Among its thousand dances are the ndombolo, kaivasha, soukouma, sakossa and of course, kwassa-kwassa. Also known as Congolese rhumba, soukous has lived up to its French meaning ‘shake’ or more meaningfully, ‘having a good time’. With household names like Tabu Ley Rochereau, M’bilia Bel, Awilo Longomba, Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Grand Kalle and his protege, Pepe Kalle, the fast-paced Congolese rhumba is indeed the heartbeat of African music. It is typically cheerful music with an indestructible beat and an irresistible pulse – the mainstay of African musical entertainment. Whether the theme of the song is about the heartache of lost love or the hardships of city life, Congolese music’s carefree and unabashed character is always evident; the jaunting bass, the sprightly brass, the entrancing guitars and the bewitching vocal harmonies. Despite its legions of superstars, Congo boasts one king of soukous – the late Franco [1938-1989]: The Grand Sorcerer of the Guitar. He was born Francis L’Okanga Pene Luambo Makiadi on 6 July 1938 outside Kinshasa, a child prodigy whose passions were soccer and music, he joined his first group, Watam, at twelve, playing a home-made guitar. In the fi fties, Cuban music was de rigueur, with most fledgling guitar groups, like Watam, experimenting with Spanish and Caribbean styles such as rhumba, pachanga, salsa and chacha-cha. Franco’s sinuous guitar style distinguished him as a naturally gifted performer and earned Watam nationwide popularity. He became a central figure in the evolution of soukous and in a thirty-year period at the helm of Congolese music, he was also instrumental in offering inspiration and mentorship to many acts that keep the fl ag of Congolese music flying high. This double CD collection – featuring the masterpiece, Mario, is a definitive portrait of this giant of African music, showcasing the cream of Congolese rhumba by its foremost practitioner. MIRIAM MAKEBA Mama Afrika - 1932-2008 Gallo, 2008 Miriam Makeba needs no introduction. She is the Voice of Africa, the skylark whose soaring vocals made her fly with eagles. She was the ‘nut-brown babe’ who became Mama Africa – the young songbird, who left behind the dingy concert halls of the locations to conquer the marbled corridors of Carnegie Hall – a global icon. Long before the term ‘World Music’ assumed currency, Africa’s foremost female vocalist was already a pioneering exporter of indigenous music in the West. Her music reflects Africa’s pain, while her aspirations and tribulations evoke her incredible vocal artistry expresses her message of hope, determination and song. As she so eloquently puts it in her autobiography, “I look at an ant and I see myself: a native South African, endowed by nature with strength much greater than my size so that I might cope with the weight of a racism that crushes my spirit. I look at a bird and I see myself: a native South African, soaring above the injustices of apartheid on wings of pride, the pride of a beautiful people...” It is this indomitable spirit that has seen her achieve a remarkable career of fi ve decades – a career crowned with a Grammy Award as early as 1965 and capped with countless accolades. It was a combination of this never-say-die spirit and exceptional musical talents that probably prompted young poet, Lebo Mashile, to ask: “How many songs does a songbird sing/ to rise above disaster?/ What is the magic dust on a songbird’s wings/ That carries us from the present to the hereafter?/ How many stages must a songbird cross/ Before she can reach your stage?” This double CD collection of 38 tracks is quite formidable – from the mournful requiem, Remember Sophiatown, to the defiant Hapo Zamani. And then there are many classics in between from the pens of illustrious composers like Solomon Linda, Dorothy Masuka, Gibson Kente, Welcome Duru and Caiphus Semenya. But these are samples from a tome of a songbook compiled from a perspective of one record company. However, it is a worthy introduction for generations of young music lovers who are interested in their musical heritage and history. ERIC WAINAINA Twende Twende Sheer Sound, 2008 Kenyan artist Eric Wainaina has no time for music dedicated to daffodils and blue skies. He is a conscientious lyricist who 52 the afro p olita n • I s s u e 1 5 www. a fro polit a n . co. z a