Crammed Discs presents a bi-dimensional album of unreleased recordings from four bands of Kinshasa made in 1978. It is also accompanied with brand-new reconstructions made by the highly-respected French producer Martin Meissonnier
Photo: Mbuyamba Nyunyiof Sankayi & Kasai Allstars by Vincent Kenis
In 1978, Bernard Treton was recording four ‘tradi-modern’ bands in Kinshasa, Konono N°1, Sankayi, Orchestre Bana Luya and Orchestre Bambala. These sessions spawned the album Zaïre: Musiques Urbaines à Kinshasa (published in 1986 by Ocara), a record which, for the first time, presented to Western audiences the electrifying music which was later to be known as “Congotronics”.
The 80 minutes long album is split into two parts. On the one hand, the original recordings made during the sessions in 1978. On the other hand, the reworks made by Martin Meissonnier, the legendary producer who worked with Fela Kuti, King Sunny Adé and Tony Allen among others.
Kinshasa 1978: Originals & Reconstructions, out on November 15th via Crammed Discs. Discover the album cover below.
