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Live report on
Kékélé's
UK Tour
November
& December 2001
By
Martin Sinnock
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Flyer from the UK Kekele Tour |
Reverse of Flyer for UK Tour listing concert dates |
| Kékélé –
Rumba Congo
Now available on
Stern’s Africa STCD1093
Outside of the African community it would seem that
the most popular Congolese release of 2001 is the splendid Rumba Congo
by the group Kékélé. I say "outside of the African community" because
amongst the Congolese music lovers and those other Africans who follow the
Congo music phenomenon the main interest lies in the contemporary style
releases of Koffi Olomide, Werrason’s Wenge Maison Mčre, JB M’piana’s Wenge
BCBG and Papa Wemba, all of whom have released dynamite discs during 2001.
Kékélé’s music comes from a different direction and
a different generation. They are a group of Congolese veterans who have
managed to recreate the sound of Congolese rumba of the sixties, seventies
and eighties with modern studio technology.
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Rigo
Star on Acoustic Guitar |
Saxophonist
Jean-Marie Makutukala |
| Leader of the
group, main musical director, and guitarist on the cd is Papa Noel Nono
Nedule, a veteran of major bands from the fifties to the nineties including
Rock-a-Mambo, African Jazz, Bantous de la Capitale and TPOK Jazz. Five
vocalists front the recording: Nyboma and Wuta Mayi are best known
internationally from Les Quatre Etoiles. Nyboma has an equally important
history in other groups though. His early career in Bella-Bella, Lipua-Lipua
and fronting his own group Orchestre Kamalé, as well as impressive sessions
with Koffi Olomide, Tabu Ley, Sam Mangwana and Pepe Kalle, make him one of
the Congo’s greatest ever vocal talents. Wuta Mayi has sung in several major
groups but should perhaps be recognised mostly for his time with Franco’s OK
Jazz from the mid-seventies and into the eighties. Jean-Papy Ramazani was a
seventies and eighties rumba singer from Vox Africa, Conga Succes and
Orchestre Vévé and was with soukous group Kass-Kass during the nineties. Two
other veteran stars Bumba Massa, briefly a member of OK Jazz was better
known as a star of Johnny Bokelo’s Conga Succes; and Loko "Djeskain"
Massengo, was a legend of the Trio Madjesi who performed with Verckys
Orchestre Vévé before breaking free to lead their own Orchestre Sosoliso.
Joining Papa Noel on acoustic guitar is Syran Mbenza (the third quarter of
Quatre Etoiles); and an impressive group of backing musicians that include
conga player Sungu Debat and French accordionist Viviane Arnoux who has
recently excelled on tour with Sam Mangwana’s retro-rumba revue. |
[Left to Right]:
Nyboma, Loko "Djeskain"
Massengo and Bumba Massa |
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Nyboma along with drummer Komba Bellow, |
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There are some
glorious moments on Kékélé’s Rumba Congo cd, particularly some
acoustic guitar inter-play, delightful accordion embellishment and some
great vocals from Nyboma, one of the Congo’s finest ever voices.
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| [L to
R]: Bass player Vincent Hamamdjan, Wuta Mayi,
Nyboma, Loko "Djeskain"
Massengo, Bumba Massa__ |
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It is far from
being a perfect album though, and I have some personal reservations due to
some technical irregularities in the sound quality, a certain mechanised
feel to the percussion beds, and a few "one-take" lacklustre vocal
performances which detract from some really fine songs. This is a personal
and possibly over-critical reaction and in general I acknowledge that it is
a cd of great charm which is thoroughly deserving of your attention. |
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Syran Mbenza
on Acoustic Guitar |
Rigo Star on
Acoustic Guitar |
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Despite my slight disappointment with the disc I
was thrilled when a short UK tour that included a live BBC radio session was
announced. Due to a severe and ongoing case of tuberculosis Papa Noel Nedule
was hospitalised for some time and was unable to take part in any of the
performances. Singer Jean-Papy was unavailable for the tour but otherwise
all the important elements of Kékélé were available to play the eleven dates
in November/December 2001. Replacing Papa Noel and joining Syran on acoustic
guitar was another guitar legend Rigobert "Rigo Star" Bamundele. Rigo is
well known as one of the original guitarists in Papa Wemba’s Viva la Musica,
Bozi Boziana’s Anti-Choc and a host of studio sessions with some of the
greats of modern Congolese music, perhaps the most celebrated of which was
his long association with Mbilia Bel after her departure from Tabu Ley
Rochereau. |
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[Left
to Right]: Wuta Mayi, Nyboma, Loko Massengo, Bumba Massa |
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Komba Bellow and Sungu Debat |
Saxophonist
Jean-Marie Makutukala |
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It was near the end of the ten date tour that
Kékélé came to my home town of Brighton on the South Coast of England. By
this time the group had become a smooth and tight musical ensemble. The four
vocalists, under the direction of Nyboma, took turns in leading the group
with Rigo and Syran remaining seated as their acoustic guitars interwove
delightful rumba patterns. The rhythm section of drummer Komba Bellow, conga
player Sungu Debat and French bass player Vincent Hamamdjan kept the music
punchy and veteran saxophonist Jean-Marie Makutukala injected a bit of OK
Jazz style swing to the proceedings. On this occasion accordionist Viviane
Arnoux was missing but the band were able to rearrange their music to
adequately cover for her absence. |
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Loko "Djeskain"
Massengo |
[Left
to Right]: Nyboma, Loko "Djeskain" Massengo, Bumba Massa |
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The first Kékélé tour was a comparatively low-key
affair with minimal publicity and small but enthusiastic audiences. If this
group can tap into the "World Music" international festival circuit then I
believe that they could become a relatively successful live attraction. The
combination of musicians is already strong but the joy of a project of this
nature is that there are numerous possibilities for an inter-change of
participants. There have been obvious comparisons between the vintage
Congolese rumba revival and the phenomenal success of vintage Cuban
ensembles like the Buena Vista Social Club. Whilst Kékélé will never quite
succeed in the way the Buena Vista project has there is no doubting that
Congolese "retro-rumba" is every bit as charming and enjoyable as its Cuban
counterpart. |
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[Left to Right]: Wuta Mayi, Nyboma, Loko "Djeskain"
Massengo, Bumba Massa |
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