King of Kwassa Kwassa: The Best of Kanda Bongo Man

Kanda Bongo Man is one of the most successful exponents of the soukous style of music – the exuberant ‘bubblegum’ variation of Congolese rumba. While soukous was an early 80s Paris-based dance craze, the style became known across Africa and the diaspora, and to this day Kanda’s popularity in some quarters exceeds that of far grander Congolese artists. King of Kwassa Kwassa is a double CD that gathers a couple of Kanda’s early hits and the best of his 80s output. Kwassa Kwassa refers to a particular dance within the soukous genre (US indie popsters Vampire Weekend have dabbled with it). It’s probably fair to say that this collection is all that you really need in order to get a thorough idea of what Kanda Bongo Man is all about: stripped-down, guitar-led dance music with snappy drum fills, pumping bass and catchy vocal hooks. Whilst the formula is not sophisticated there is an astonishing level of accomplishment in the musical and rhythmic interplay. Spectacular guitarists Diblo Dibala, Rigo Star, Nene Tshaku and Dally Kimoko all feature on the tracks here – usually in a twin attack in which the rhythm weaves around the soloist. Kanda’s vocals are equally catchy – constantly urging the hips to wiggle and the feet to shuffle. There are numerous outstanding tracks: ‘Lyole’ (his first big hit), ‘Djessy’, ‘Amour Fou’ and ‘Zing-Zong,’ his tribute to his mentors Les Frères Soki (Soki Dianzenza and Soki Vangu) who gave him his launch in the Bella Mambo group. Kanda is still performing live and still releasing interesting albums with variations on his soukous sound. King of Kwassa Kwassa captures many of his very best recordings from the period when he was at his peak.