Various Artists
Congo Revolution – Revolutionary And Evolutionary Sounds From The Two Congos 1955-62
Label: Soul Jazz
Genre: Freestyle / Nu Jazz / Funk / Afro
Availability
- LP x2 180gr +MP3 COUPON €26.99 Out of Stock
This expanded release includes a 50-page booklet innersleeves containing extensive text explaining the evolution of the music and history of the two Congos and how music, politics and popular culture intersected at the point of independence from the Congos’ European colonisers - Belgium and France - through songs such as ‘Vive Patrice Lumumba’ and ‘MNC Uhuru’, which celebrated the Congolese independence leader prior to his political assassination.
Also included are the stunning images of the Congolese photographer Jean Depara, who documented the Congo’s vibrant nightlife in the period 1955-65 as well as being the official photographer for the superstar Congolese artist Franco up until his death in 1989. Depara also documents the rise of the Bills (Congolese teenagers who dressed as cowboys) and sharp-suited évolués (who later gave rise to the fashion-conscious phenomenon of the Congolese ‘Sapeurs’). These images are reproduced in collaboration with Revue Noire in France.