Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin - Ya Mizolé (2023) [Official Digital Download]

Sing to emancipate the African woman. A unique encounter between the Bantu lullabies of the Congo, electronic music and hip-hop. A hybrid project which gives pride of place to dance and which highlights the daily life of Congolese women in a daring way and above all connected with the times. Gladys Samba, renowned singer and percussionist, had for years wanted to revive and popularize the lullabies of the Republic of Congo, considered as a true cultural heritage of his region. In 2018, with the help of the Institut Francais du Congo, she succeeded in doing this with the show "Les Mamans du Congo". Forks, plates, baskets, pestles and recovery equipment accompany with rhythm and subtlety the voices of the five mothers of the Congo. For his part in France, the artist Rrobin has been exploring electronic music and hip-hop since 2013. In 2018, he produced the Deluge album in collaboration with distinguished guests such as Grems, Spoek Mathambo, Nancy Fortune and Hedi Yusef. More recently, Rrobin was brought to work with La Cooperative de Mai (Clermont Ferrand) within the framework of its device dedicated to young talents. On the label side, Rrobin is one of the eminent artists of the Galant Records label. On the show side, it has been part of our roster since 2018. The Institut Francais du Congo and the Cooperative de Mai, partners on the "Visa for Creation" project, then had the idea of getting Maman Glad 'and Rrobin to meet in order to create an unprecedented blend of traditional sounds and current sounds . It was in the fall of 2019 that Rrobin decided to go to Brazzaville with Celine Frezza - sound engineer and artistic director of Galant Records - for 10 days of studio modeling. The project then comes to life through the recording of the first models. The common desire to make an album and especially a tour becomes evident when listening to the titles.

Having set out their stall with an acclaimed self-titled 2020 debut, feminist collective Les Mamans du Congo (Mothers of the Congo) continue their mission to celebrate those who hold up half the sky with this fabulous follow-up effort on French independent label Jarring Effects. Once again the women are led by the indomitable Gladys Samba, who originally encountered French hip-hop DJ Rrobin [sic] at the French Institute in Brazzaville and – having clicked – co-composed the French-and-Lari-language songs of her five-strong troupe framed by Rrobin’s electronic beats. Once again Rrobin has daubed his Western sounds with painterly finesse, lending edgy urgency to celestial choruses and rhythms played on found objects, while moving into harder, hipper territory with first single ‘Mpemba’ (Reason), a foray into the multi-layered percussive stylings of hip-hop’s cousin: trap music. ‘Vous allez me donner raison un jour’ (‘you’ll prove me right one day’) chorus Les Mamans, urging on future generations of females with lashings of urban verve. Elsewhere, ancestral Bantu lullabies, including polyphonic opener ‘Ntima’, are given an intergalactic wash. ‘Consolation’, another highlight, vibrates with an eery metallic sweetness, like a music box on a loop deep inside a forest; closer ‘Yoba Yoba Armel’ places vocal percussion alongside soaring harmonies and swelling electronics. Marvellous.

Tracklist:
1. Ntima (04:03)
2. Dia (03:49)
3. Consolation (03:57)
4. Maria (04:06)
5. Lamentation (02:59)
6. Mpemba (03:58)
7. Loango weaver (02:43)
8. Futa Nfuka (03:30)
9. Sala Sala (04:24)
10. Yobo Yobo Armel (01:59)


Thanks to the Original customer!