HOMMAGE A FRANCO LUAMBO - On rentre KO on sort OK (2 vinyls)

Description

AFRICAN MUSIC EVENT. "A leading figure on the Congolese scene, Ray Lema revives and transforms the repertoire of this African legend." Ray Lema never ceases to want to transmit to new generations all the heritage that has shaped his country's identity. Not to turn them into museum pieces, like folklore preserved in formaldehyde, but rather to constantly feed creativity. His own creativity is beyond question, considering a fifty-year career that has seen him reconcile, like few others, cultures that many oppose: the learned and the popular, the written and the improvised, the symphonic and so-called world music, rhythms and harmonies, melody, and so on... In all of this, he hears only one thing: music. This is what François Luambo Makiadi constantly spoke of, whose genius is measured by the nicknames he was given: "The Grand Master," "Venerable Yorgho," "the Sorcerer of the Guitar" - the one who carried Congolese rumba to all the dance floors of the continent, and far beyond. "ENERGY AND ELEGANCE" --- JAZZ MAGAZINE ---. "RAY LEMA, THE SONG OF THE PIANO" --- LE MONDE ---. "HUMANIST-PIANIST, A UNIQUE MUSICAL ADVENTURE THAT TAKES US TO LUXURIANT LANDSCAPES." --- FIP ---. "THE JUBILATION OF RAY LÉMA." --- JAZZ NEWS ---. "Our music functions like a GPS. This is the whole problem with this continent, which has been brainwashed regarding our origins. These young people dream of going somewhere but no longer know where they came from. That's why we must listen to Franco, whose music is more relevant than ever." However, it would be limiting Franco's message to see him only as a top-notch entertainer: his music carried the voice of the common people just as it spoke of the great moments of a finally liberated Africa. Everyone, from the beautiful Kinshasan woman to the jealous saboteur, found themselves in this verve that slalomed through troubles like his guitar dribbled between words. Franco said aloud what everyone thought. "After all these years, Franco's music hasn't aged a bit." Ray Lema is more convinced of this than ever, he who as a child used to be a ngembo, meaning a bat clinging to a tree, to listen to the all-powerful creator of OK Jazz. In the native of Sona-Bata, Ray Lema hears both the immense tradition that he expertly handled from the 1970s as musical director of the national ballet, and the intense innovations that have set the tone for Congolese music ever since, notably the sebene, this trademark that makes the guitar the axis of his music, a rhythmic wheel. To grasp the depth of this journey, he chose tracks from the early days, starting with Nani apedalaki te and the classic among classics, Mario, at the winter of his career, big-boss titles that had to be cut down to size. A challenge for any arranger, knowing that a Franco track could last for hours. He added his own touch, which spices up this new sauce: the horn section whose patterns, written by him, draw unprecedented lines, new perspectives to Franco's music. Some will see a jazz touch to the rumba. However, that would limit the scope of this reinterpretation, which manages to "modernize" Franco's irresistible groove. Let's say he didn't just make a traced copy to honor the talent of rumba at its true value. --- Jacques Denis ---.