Na Kozonga

It’s been eight years since Kinshasa’s Jupiter Bokondji released his debut album, Hotel Univers. Backed by the tight-as-a-mosquito’s-tweeter Okwess band, the album mixed traditional Congolese rhythms, funk, Afropop and rock’n’roll into an exhilarating brew he called ‘Bofenia rock.’ The record enabled him to tour the world, but only now has he got around to releasing this, his third album. Produced in LA by Mario Caldato, best known for his work with the Beastie Boys, international success has globalised Jupiter’s horizons.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band add a warm New Orleans vibe to ‘Abalegele Gale’, the Brazilian rapper Marcelo D2 makes a formidable vocal duo with Jupiter on the thrilling ‘Telejayi’, the militant Chilean singer Ana Tijoux adds her voice to ‘You Sold Me a Dream’, the American soul singer Maiya Sykes does her melismatic Alicia Keys-type thing on ‘Bakunda Ulu’ and Brazil’s Roge adds a samba lilt to the closer ‘Bolingo’. Yet the Congolese beats and the irresistible energy of Kinshasa remain at the core of the sound, heard to particularly fine effect on the title-track (which translates as ‘I’m Going Home’) and ‘Marco’, a tribute to Jupiter’s late manager and good friend of Songlines, Marc-Antoine Moreau. A spectacular return.