Name: Congo Funk! Sound Madness From the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa / Brazzaville 1969-1982)
Brand: Various

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

AALP098

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Housed in Gatefold Sleeve with 16 Page Booklet

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2024-04-05

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

4260126061781

Total Cap

Black LPx2

AACD098

With 32 Page Booklet

4260126061798

Artist

Various

Genre GB

African

Label GB

Analog Africa

Analog Africa is a renowned music label that specializes in releasing rare and obscure African music from the 1970s and 1980s. With their series, Analog Africa (2), they have curated an impressive collection of vibrant and soulful sounds that showcase the rich musical heritage of the continent.

Since its inception, Analog Africa has been dedicated to unearthing hidden gems and forgotten masterpieces from across Africa. Their meticulous research and passion for preserving these cultural treasures have earned them a reputation as one of the leading authorities in African music.

With each release in their Analog Africa (2) series, this label takes listeners on a captivating journey through time and space, introducing them to incredible artists and genres that have largely been overlooked by mainstream audiences. From Afrobeat to Highlife, Soukous to Juju, Analog Africa presents a diverse range of musical styles that are sure to captivate any music lover's ears.

The making of Congo Funk!, the long-awaited journey to the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo River.

  On its south shore, the city of Kinshasa – capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country formerly known as Zaïre – is often seen as Africa’s musical Mecca, the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African Fiesta, and the place to which aspiring musicians from throughout the continent would go to make a name for themselves. 

  But the city of Brazzaville on the north shore of the river – capital of the Congo Republic – played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds continentally. In addition to producing legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la Capital, it was the powerful transmitters of Radio Brazzaville that allowed the unmistakable groove of Congolese Rumba to be heard as far away as Nairobi, Yaoundé, Luanda and Lusaka thus turning the electric guitar into the continent’s most important instrument! 

  Although the musical landscape of these cities had been defined by a core group of bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music has been steadily evolving until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman boxing match marked a turning point. The promoter of that event known as “Rumble In The Jungle” was none other than the notorious Don King who needed 10 millions dollars to get Ali and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put this kind of cash on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

  Mobutu - the megalomaniac dictator who got to power with the support of the United States and Belgium in exchange for unlimited and affordable access to the riches of the country - had a soft spot for music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he agreed to a three-day live music festival being organised prior to the “Rumble”. Zaïre 74 - as the festival was dubbed - was meant to hype the boxing match and many stars were invited. 

  Although a myriads of artists flocked in for the occasion, it was the performance of James Brown on Zairian soil that caused havoc among the younger generation, inspiring hundreds of would-be musicians to take up their electric guitars and reverbs cranked to the max in search of a new sound in which hyperactive Rumba was blended with elements of psych and funk. While the results were very different from the popular music of the three Musketeers - as Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys were known - they weren’t a complete break with tradition. 

  These new sounds emerged at a time when the Congolese record industry – previously dominated by European major labels – was experiencing a period of decline due to rising production costs and needed a radical change. The void was filled by dozens of entrepreneurs willing to take chances on smaller scale releases. It was the beginning of a golden age for Congolese independent record labels, and the best of them – Cover N°1, Mondenge, Editions Moninga, Super Contact – preserved the work of some of the region’s finest artists, while launching a generation of younger musicians into the spotlight. 

Congo Funk! is the story of these sounds and labels, but most of all it is the story of two cities, separated by water but united by an indestructible groove. The fourteen songs on this double LP showcase the many facets of the Congolese capitals, and highlight the bands and artists, famous and obscure, who pushed Rumba to new heights and ultimately influenced the musical landscape of the entire continent and beyond.

Congo Funk! Sound Madness From the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa / Brazzaville 1969-1982)

Music GB

Discover Congo Funk! Sound Madness From the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa / Brazzaville 1969-1982) by Various. A compilation showcasing the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes from two Congolese capitals. Available in various formats from Analog Africa.