Soukous in Central Park

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Soukous in Central Park
Live album by
Kanda Bongo Man
Released1993
GenreSoukous[1]
LabelHannibal[2]
ProducerNed Sublette, Sean Barlow
Kanda Bongo Man chronology
Le Rendez-vous des Stades
(1993) 		Soukous in Central Park
(1993) 		Welcome to South Africa
(1995)

Soukous in Central Park is a live album by the Congolese musician Kanda Bongo Man, released in 1993.[3][4] Kanda promoted the album with a North American tour.[5]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Ned Sublette and Sean Barlow.[6] It was recorded in Central Park, in New York City, in June 1992.[7] Kanda played for around 6,000 people.[5] The concert was broadcast as part of NPR's "AfroPop Worldwide" program.[8] Kanda sang in Lingala.[5] The majority of the band was made up of African and French musicians.[9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Robert ChristgauA−[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]
Los Angeles Daily News[9]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide[6]

The Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph wrote: "The style is propulsive dance music, limned with guitars that shiver across the songs like musical mercury. Vocalist Kanda calls out to lead guitarist Nene Tshakou throughout the performance as if entranced by the shimmering sound."[13] Robert Christgau noted that "guitarist Nene Tshakou is slightly fleeter and more lyrical (if less dazzling) than [former guitarist] Diblo Dibala."[11]

The Los Angeles Times determined that "Kanda has one of those soothingly raspy voices that could handle American soul music nicely if he were so inclined."[14] The Washington Post stated that "Tshakou's introduction to 'Sai' is just one example of the fast, precise arpeggio playing that will impress guitarists even more than lay listeners."[8] The Boston Globe concluded that "Bongo Man's sweet tenor voice is in fine form—but the dull, compressed sound is like a film over the music, adding distance to the experience."[15]

AllMusic wrote that the album "dances on non-stop with the idiom's patented driving prettiness, beguiling as all-get-out but without peaks and valleys, in a steady-state hyper-competence that never sags but never builds."[10] In 2010, The Sydney Morning Herald opined that Tshakou "is one of the great axemen, irrespective of the style of music."[16]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Liza" 
2."Bedy" 
3."Yesu Christu" 
4."J.T." 
5."Wallow" 
6."Luta" 
7."Sai" 
8."Lela" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Davies, Carole Boyce (August 22, 2008). "Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Barlow, Sean; Eyre, Banning (1995). Afropop!. Chartwell Books, Inc. p. 32.
  3. ^ "Kanda Bongo Man Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Feist, Daniel (17 May 1993). "Soukous fans don't have long to wait". The Gazette. p. B7.
  5. ^ a b c Saxberg, Lynn (22 May 1993). "Kanda Bongo Man brings Soukous to Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. p. F1.
  6. ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 363.
  7. ^ Pareles, Jon (26 June 1992). "Sounds Around Town". The New York Times. p. C14.
  8. ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (30 April 1993). "Kanda Bongo Man's Power in the Park". The Washington Post. p. N12.
  9. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (April 23, 1993). "SOUND CHECK". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L24.
  10. ^ a b "Kanda Bongo Man - Soukous in Central Park Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  11. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Kanda Bongo Man". www.robertchristgau.com.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 746.
  13. ^ Asakawa, Gil (19 Mar 1993). "SOUND ADVICE". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. F3.
  14. ^ Lewis, Randy (25 Mar 1993). "Kanda Bongo Man 'Soukous in Central Park'". OC Live. Los Angeles Times. p. 5.
  15. ^ Gonzalez, Fernando (9 May 1993). "Pop goes the soukous — Zaire sound finds US audience". The Boston Globe. p. B6.
  16. ^ McEvoy, Ears (13 Feb 2010). "Soukous in Central Park. Kanda Bongo Man". Sport. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 13.
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