AfricaSounds Presents:

"Congo Kinshasa Updates"

Since 1996 Martin Sinnock has been providing Congolese music fans with groundbreaking coverage of Africa's most popular music style, the Congolese rumba, under the header "Congo Kinshasa Update."  This feature has been published in the highly recommended world music print publication The Beat (http://www.getthebeat.com)  The AfricaSounds editors were among the first group of excited readers who were introduced to Martin Sinnock in the pages of The Beat (Volume 15 # 3).  We have eagerly anticipated Martin's updates ever since. 

We grew our own personal collection of Congolese music with Martin's recommendations.  Our enjoyment of this intricate music style were made all the more enjoyable thanks to Martin's discussion of the stories (and legends) behind the great Congolese band leaders and their continuously evolving orchestras. 

Since 1996, the collaboration between The Beat and Martin Sinnock have yielded the most in-depth English language media coverage of the Congolese music scene in non-book format.  In the late 1990s Martin traveled to the USA and we finally met in person, and it was the start of a terrific friendship.  Soon afterwards, Martin agreed to collaborate with AfricaSounds by writing extensive reports on the Congolese music scene and providing live concert reports of groundbreaking shows in Europe and the USA. 

To inaugerate this event, we begin with Martin's first article "Et Que Viva la Musica!" which explores the mid nineties recorded output of Papa Wemba & Viva la Musica.

Readers are welcome to contact Martin Sinnock directly via email at Somewhere

Introduction to the Congo Kinshasa Update

By Martin Sinnock – Spring 2005

I was originally invited to write a column by editor CC Smith, a passionate fan of Congolese music, and she has kindly allowed us to reprint the articles on the AfricaSounds website.  In every issue of The Beat CC allows me to indulge myself with some of the minutiae of Congolese music without savage use of her editor's pen, and she encourages me to write about whichever artists I choose irrespective of how obscure they might be.  For this I am eternally grateful – for The Beat is, remarkably, the only magazine where a regular update on Congolese music appears in the English language.

The articles for The Beat magazine commenced in 1996 in The Beat Volume 15 # 3 at a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) was still known as Zaïre.  For these reprints on the AfricaSounds website I have made very few alterations to the original text.  Whereas I may have originally referred to Zaïre I have changed the name to Congo but otherwise I have only made very minor changes.

Much of this material, words and pictures, is intended for a couple of books that I have been preparing – but books take a long time, particularly when one has other work commitments.  The AfricaSounds website has been encouraging me to write articles for them for several years and it was their suggestion that we archive The Beat columns onto the website.  What this allows me to do is to add more of my photographs and images from LP and cd sleeves – something that shortage of space in The Beat has always prevented.

Current Features: "Congo Kinshasa Updates"

1. (1)  "Et Que Viva la Musica!" Papa Wemba & Viva la Musica - - [Click here for LINK]
3. (2)  "From Choc Stars to Big Stars" - [LINK]
5. (3)  "Bozi Boziana: Zaiko to Anti-Choc with a string of beautiful women" - [LINK]

Upcoming Features:

3. (4)  "London, Paris, Kin, Brazza - Everybody Talk'about! King Kester Emeneya & Victoria Eleison" - (Coming Soon)
5. (5)  "Zaiko Langa Langa - The Spirit Still Exists" - (Coming Soon)