African Tuesday: The King of the Congo and his bride
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At some point in the early Eighties, it seemed to become clear to a handful of music promoters that there was a ready market in New York for concerts featuring African musicians who didn't get much attention beyond the diaspora.Tabu Ley was one such titanic figure. Generally regarded as one of the greatest African singers ever, he is known (I use the present tense because he's still alive, though I'm not aware that he has been much involved in music for the last five years or so) for the sweetness, purity and emotional vulnerability of his voice. That, and the fact that he puts on a totally kickass, really big show, with lotsa horns and scantily clad dancers and a take-no-prisoners rhythm section.
So of course we all went to see him when he came to Manhattan, and he did not disappoint. Even the breath-catcher, his version of "Let It Be," was memorable. But perhaps the most incendiary moments came when he brought out his featured female singer (and later wife - for a while, anyway) M'bilia Bel. Oh, lord. I have never seen a woman on a stage who projected her degree of sexual availability, along with the sense that it would really be worth it. (Availability itself is not so difficult to project - the question is, would you want it?)
So here she is, on what I think might be her greatest song. I know this is a really cheap thing to ask, but please humor me. Turn this up. It begs to be heard at concert volume. I ask this only because I am your friend and I want you to be very, very happy.
Comments (19)
Oh my god! The bassline on this is just off the hook..Hot tune indeed. Now you've made me want it. Damn you IVYLANDER! I'll trade you any CD in my collection for a copy..
It strikes me that Tabu Ley does not actually sing on this cut. An additional post will remedy this oversight shortly.
Not only did I turn up the volume, I also got up and danced. All sorts of embarrassing hip action, too. OK?
Cody, I think we can come to some sort of accommodation.....
deedee, embarrassing ourselves is the least we can do for music, don't you think?
You & Baudolino always get me lookin' forward to Tuesdays. the propulsive yet slinky rhythmn creeps in ...insinuates itself into the ole hipbones. (You should see how ridiculous I look bouncin' around the room)
DMDM, don't let the clanking wake up the neighbors....
Hey! Respectable skeletons (of which I am one) don't clank! We Clack.
How many times have we heard that before?
Its the truth! I'll swear on a stack of bib......bibs, yeah thats it, I'll swear on a stack of bibs!
Tell you what - make it bib overalls, and we've got a deal....
o k then
Though very enjoyable.i did not crank it because i have some damned scorpions rubbing me the wrong way.
got to go get my bop gun
be righ back to check out your other post mang....
RAWK
Rawk, that's why God made headphones - so you can blast it without pissing off the scorpions....
What better way to explore a new musical genre, i.e., Congolese, than start at the top, as so touted by a reliable expert who just happens to be on hand manning this post. I know the drill here: listen and then feel hipper and happier.
Spike, I'm so glad you've returned to us, though it appears you've had a slight accident. Get well soon. I am always all for making people happier, but if I've ever made anyone hipper it has been purely accidental. If anything, I make it harder for anyone who is influenced by my taste to attract the opposite sex at parties....
My headphones really blow
it is ok i killed all those durty buggers
I hate it when those darn scorpions rub me the wrong way, even if it's a deep-muscle massage. Their deaths are the only solution, it has been found.
At parties, I always enjoy mentioning lesser-known Brazilian acts, and then counting the seconds before the opposite sex asks, "Don't tell me you're one of those record collector types?"
"Don't tell me you're one of those record collector types?" we need to kill those black widows as well.....
I concur. When I mention Caetano Veloso and Jobim, I'm far more likely to get lucky....