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by Staff Benda Bilili

Overview

It's safe to say there's never been a group quite like Staff Benda Bilili. Most of the bandmembers are polio victims confined to customized tricycles, except for the youngest, 17-year-old Roger Landu, who plays a one-string lute he made himself. Recorded in the Kinshasa zoo, where the members spend most of their time, using electricity stolen from another building, this is a disc filled with ambient noise -- and some wonderful music. Much of it, unsurprisingly, is Congolese rhumba, as on "Moto Moindo." The four singer/guitarists harmonize liltingly, but the real instrumental star is Landu, who flicks out riffs and solos on his instrument like a virtuoso. The band does mix up the sound, offering some light funk on the track named after themselves and on "Je T'Aime," and some reggae inflections on "Sala Mosala." There's a very positive attitude throughout the songs: these guys might be handicapped, but it's not going to stop them. The musicians are remarkable, the guerrilla recording just about perfect. But the real gift here is the music. ~ Chris Nickson

Product Details

Release Date:	03/24/2009
Label:	Crammed Discs
UPC:	0876623005872
Rank:	234649

Tracks

1. Moto Moindo
2. Polio
3. Je T'aime
4. Sala Keba
5. Moziki
6. Sala Mosala
7. Avramandole
8. Tonkara
9. Marguerite
10. Staff Benda Bilili
11. Mwana
12. Je T'aime
13. Polio
14. Tonkara
15. Staff Benda Bilili

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Staff Benda Bilili   Primary Artist
Kabamba Kabose Kasungo   Vocals
Vincent Kenis   Guest Artist,Guitar
Theo Nsituvuidi   Vocals,Guitar
Djuana Tanga-Suele   Vocals
Cubain Kabeya   Vocals,Drums
Coco Ngambali   Vocals,Guitar
Zadis Mbulu Nzungu   Vocals
Roger Landu   Vocals
Ricky Likabu   Vocals
Randy Buda   Percussion
Paulin Kiara-Maigi   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Vincent Kenis   Photography,Producer,Engineer,Booklet,Mixing,Audio Production,Audio Engineer
McCloud Zicmuse   Design
Florent de la Tullaye   Photography,Booklet