I've been thinking about African music lately, especially Congolese lingala music and how I really haven't heard some in a while. As kids, we probably knew all the big-time lingala bands -- Soukouss Stars and the like. We could dance to their music. We could probably sing along - although, as expected, not understanding what they were saying. One of my earlier childhood memories involves some kid I know grooving to a then-recent Zaiko hit, and being a local celebrity overnight. You know what kind of enthusiasm I am talking about if you've ever watched Kanda Bongoman perform live -- sweetness.

Its kinda hard to talk about African music without first touching on lingala - since lingala artists are really big-time these days. So what is it about lingala music that captured (and still captures) some of us so much?

Let me break it down. Your typical Lingala band:

a) speaks a language you don't understand - yet!
b) are composed of over 20 musicians (who always seem to split!)
c) dresses up so expensively you wonder if they are for real (they need to relax on the leboz man)
d) have a bunch of perhaps indecently-dressed women doing their hip-swinging and booty-shaking ... ON screen and LIVE too. (Who said that lingala should be banned from tv???)
e) makes you wonder why they are so huge worldwide (props to them tho')
f) makes you seriously wish you were from the DRC (Zaire) ... coz they seem oh-so-cool. (and don't even mention Christian/Lovi! )
g) shoots its videos in expensive and posh areas in Paris, London and Belgium (You know they shoot videos sunday morning ... how else would you explain how they've got entire European malls to themselves?)
h) makes a music video out of every song they produce

Honestly, despite the language barrier, I think we find ourselves giving individual meanings to their words - thereby giving us freedom to dance however to it. No one really cares about what the words mean -- that's why no one asks, right? This applies to music in general though - you don't have to understand the words to love it. Music is its own language. Lingala is authentically African though and has proven that African music can makes it mark globally. But these guys need to really chill out on the bling - if you check out some of the clips of Koffi Olomide you may think that he's a prince or something! Zaireans are the only people on earth who can get away with dressing in such bright colors and shiny stuff plus killer shades -- and claim to be cool. Not for me! ... the success of lingala on the international scale can perhaps provide some psyche to artists intent on maintaining a part of their 'Africanness' in their music ... enough with the lingala vibe.

But I am more interested in the fusion stuff - African music that incorporates other styles - coz I think it sounds richer, and has this modern touch to it too. Necessary Noize is aight. Jawabu's tunes are pretty tight! I've heard a lot of stuff about 2Face Ibidia, the Naija artist - I need to find out what the hype's about. Now if only I knew where to begin ...