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Le Voyageur

Papa Wemba

The high-pitched, and often melancholy, tone of Wemba's beautiful singing style is reminiscent of his traditional and rural beginnings in Kassa and of his mother, who sang traditional mourning songs for the deceased.

During the 1960s, Wemba received musical training of the highest order in Kinshasa, with legends like Tabu Ley Seigneur Rochereau and Jean Bosco Mwenda.

A younger generation of musicians, however, were intent on rebelling against the traditional rhumba style. Rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll and soul became part of the musical vocabulary of Zaïrean youth, and Wemba was a founding member of this new wave.

This album is a synthesis of true Zaïrean feeling, with sounds and structures that are immediately accessible to the Western ear - the mark of a truly mature musician.

  • imageAdd To Basketmore info£7.27Le Voyageur - CD
    playMaria ValenciaPapa Wemba4m 6s
    playLingo LingoPapa Wemba4m 3s
    playLe VoyageurPapa Wemba4m 22s
    playOmbelaPapa Wemba3m 26s
    playJamais KolongaPapa Wemba2m 34s
    playMatindaPapa Wemba3m 46s
    playYokoPapa Wemba3m 44s
    playMadilambaPapa Wemba3m 13s
    playZero (Le Voyageur)Papa Wemba3m 22s
Le Voyageur at realworldrecords.com