Customer Reviews

20th Anniversaire, Vol. 1

5 star:		(2)
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I first heard the music of Franco Luambo and his all star dance band, the all powerful (Tout Puissant) O.K. Jazz over fifteen years ago. The musicians that have emerged from this band, including the 4 Stars' Wuta Mayi(who is credited with composing the second cut, "Matata Ya Muasi Na Mobali Ekoki Kosila Te"), Sam Mangwana, and the intrepid Mose Fan Fan are a veritable who's who of the Congolese rhumba sound. No musician in the last fifty years has dominated and influenced the course of African dance music more than Franco. In this first of a two volume set, "20eme Anniversaire," presents Luambo at the very top of his game with one long seamless set of lyrical and lightning-like pieces. This is the very best of Congolese Rhumba--voices like angels, tasty, Cuban tinged horns, indestructible beats, and above it all, Franco's whirling dervish guitar licks. From the first cut, "Liberte," to the very final, "Nzete Esoloaka Na Motote," this is a primer for the Congolese sound, which simply stated is the most ecstatic and infectuous dance music of the 20th century. In addition, as a collector of such music, I can think of no recording from the seventies that comes close to this in quality. Five stars--check it out.

I have worn out vinyl volumes of this fantastic record and its partner volume 2. If you are curious about the great Franco and TP OK Jazz this a really good place to start. This is majestic music that contains a warm dance music that is also, somehow, plaintive. It has everything: amazing orchestra mix of voices, horns, guitars and the Fraco wizard on lead guitar. Arrangements to wonder at. My all time Franco song is on this album (i have about 60 other albums)- the track entitled Voyage Na Bandundu. Really can't recommend this enough. Worth selling something else to buy it.