L'Oiseau du Ciel

Congolese music has for many years been struggling to re-establish its position as one of the most potent of contemporary African popular styles. Many Congolese artists have embraced the popular and potentially lucrative religious music genre – some in sincere dedication to the church of their choice, others out of financial necessity. Jeannot Bel is a UK-based guitarist who has produced several CDs and some fascinating tutorial DVDs of different Congolese guitar techniques. This latest album is his religious record and it contains the two extremes that are frequently found in the genre: lively, uplifting call-and-response songs and somewhat turgid keyboard-laden devotional ballads. While the lyrical content of the gospel ballads may lift and inspire the Congolese community, it often seems staggering that such tiresome dirges are accepted by a public universally versed in the glories of rumba guitar.

There are 20 songs on this disc and it's disheartening that the first three are particularly musically pedestrian and vocally poor. By the fourth track the musical spirit is lifted with better vocals and some decent guitar playing from Bel and Willy Moke. Several songs are quite good, so it is all the more disappointing that such a talented musician should put his name to such an inconsistent release.