Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores...

The creation of Congo Funk!, the long-awaited journey into the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa team on two trips to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. From around 2000 songs, 14 were selected to present the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic melodies of the two Congolese capitals on the banks of the Congo River.

Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country formerly known as Zaïre, is often regarded as the musical Mecca of Africa, the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African Fiesta, and as the place where aspiring musicians from all over the continent go to make a name for themselves.

But the city of Brazzaville on the north bank of the river - capital of the Republic of Congo - played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds across the continent. Not only did it spawn legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la Capital, but it also ensured that the unmistakable groove of Congolese rumba could be heard as far away as Nairobi, Yaoundé, Luanda and Lusaka and that the electric guitar became the most important instrument on the continent!

Although the musical landscape of these cities was dominated by a core group of bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music continued to evolve until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman boxing match marked a turning point.The organiser of this event, known as the "Rumble In The Jungle", was none other than the infamous Don King, who needed 10 million dollars to get Ali and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put that kind of money on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.