A friend of mine told me about these guys a while back. I finally listened and understand why he was so excited about them.
From their Myspace page:
Staff Benda Bilili are like nothing you have ever seen or heard before. A group of paraplegic street musicians who live in and around the grounds of the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo, they make music of astonishing power and beauty. The band's mesmerising rumba-rooted grooves, overlaid with vibrant vocals, remind you at times of Cuban nonchalance, at other times of the Godfather of Soul himself. You can hear echoes of old-school rhythm and blues, then reggae, then no-holds barred funk. Four senior singer/guitarists sitting on spectacularly customized tricycles, occasionally dancing on the floor of the stage, arms raised in joyful supplication, are the core of the band, backed by a younger, all-acoustic, rhythm section pounding out tight beats. Over the top of this are weird, infectious guitar-like solos performed by young Roger Landu, (an ex-street kid the band took under their wing), who plays a one-string electric lute he designed and built himself out of a tin can.
The lyrics of the Staff Benda Bilili are wise, ironical advice to the people who live in the streets. In Lingala, "Benda Billi" means "look beyond appearances".
Their story and sound are good reminders that great music doesn't always happen in expensive studios or with the finest instruments and that sometimes the harder the struggle, the richer the music.
As always, it's better for us all to support the artist with some paid downloads, and actual album purchase, etc. But here are two tracks for you in the meantime.
Polio:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/UmNLT205UnFVbTljR0E9PQ
Je T'aime:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/UmNLT20rZDU5bEJFQlE9PQ
Video:
No comments:
Post a Comment