Search - Kanda Bongo Man :: Soukous in Central Park

When Kanda Bongo Man, the Paris-based Zairean superstar, performed in New York's Central Park last summer, the show was taped and then broadcast by National Public Radio's syndicated show, "AfroPop Worldwide." The central African singer with his trademark flat-brimmed hat is at his best before an enthusiastic crowd, so the radio show has now been released as an album, Soukous in Central Park. It's about the best introduction to Central African soukous and its fluid guitar arpeggios, tumbling polyrhythms and relaxed vocal chants as one could hope for. Kanda Bongo Man's music is not all that different from other soukous performers, but he possesses two inestimable assets. First, his voice is so warm and creamy that even his exhortations sound easy-going. A song like "J.T." can be pushing forward at a fast and furious pace, but the singer glides through the melody with such assurance and perfect pitch that he induces the listener to relax into the beat as well. Second, Kanda Bongo Man has the good taste and star power to hire the best guitarists in Africa. He first went to Paris in 1979 with the brilliant guitarist Diblo Dibala (who now leads Loketo), and now he has unearthed another picker, Nene Tshakou, who's just as good. Tshakou's introduction to "Sai" is just one example of the fast, precise arpeggio playing that will impress guitarists even more than lay listeners. --Geoffrey Himes