Consumer Guide Album

Kékélé: Kinavana [Sterns Africa, 2006]
The gray-haired Congolese-rumba revivalists solve their songwriting problems with an album of Cuban classics associated with "celestial" guajiro de salon god Guillermo Portabales. Not knowing the originals, I suspect I'd prefer these remakes, which have been Africanized rhythmically and linguistically and given all-new Lingala lyrics--the one I'd like to understand decries the efforts of African born-againers to ban non-Christian music. Extra flavor is provided by Franco star Madilu System, kinshasa queen Mbilia Bel, and saxophone hero Manu Dibango. One of those Congolese records that seems totally dedicated to the worship of beauty. A-