Na Zala Zala

Description

When Rey Sapienz was eight, the Democratic Republic of Congo was deep in the Second Congo War. The conflict lasted five years and was the bloodiest since World War II, leaving an indelible mark on East Africa, causing massive migration and loss of life. But Sapienz persevered, working tirelessly as a young rapper from the age of twelve, performing for the first time on Congo’s Independence Day. After finishing school, he traveled to Kampala to hone his craft and collaborate with local producers, but civil war broke out back home, forcing him to extend his stay in Uganda. Since then, Sapienz has established himself as a force to be reckoned with, co-founding the Hakuna Kulala label, teaching his Ableton Live skills to young Kampala producers, and releasing two critically acclaimed EPs. For his debut album, Sapienz embarks on an ambitious project that goes beyond the avant-garde instrumentation of his early tracks. Alongside traditional percussionist, singer, and dancer Papalas Palata and rapper Fresh Doggis, he forms the Congo Techno Ensemble, pooling their skills and experience to create an activist work about the past, present, and future of the DRC. On 'Na Zala Zala', the trio channels rich musical traditions and historical tensions, evolving electronic and traditional forms into unlimited science fiction mutations. These tracks introduce stories the three artists experienced in the DRC, adding heartfelt, radical rhymes to radioactive techno-dancehall rhythms. On "Posa Na Bika," Fresh Dougis raps over a sparse, minimal, syncopated beat. The track takes place in a dreamlike space, with haunting vocal loops dancing around Dougis's powerful Lingala words. Elsewhere, on the clattering "Dancehall Pigme," Sapienz’s metallic rhythms burn beneath Papalas's impassioned chants. The songs paint a tragic picture, while also revealing the hope and passion of three creative minds telling difficult truths. 'Na Zala Zala' is an intoxicating cocktail of stylistic futurism and harsh reality that could be compared to the groundbreaking electronic experiments of Zizou Bikaye or Danis Mpunga & Paul K, but marked by the DRC's recent scars, it is a vital work that painfully stands alone.