WHAT an astonishing album this is – nearly as astonishing as the story behind it.
Staff Benda Bilili are a group of paraplegic and homeless street musicians from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their circumstances might be difficult, their surroundings harsh, yet the music is uplifting and joyful.
If it seems odd to be sitting comfortably in England and listening to a group made up of polio victims forced to live in the grounds of Kinshasa zoo, the disparity is blown away by the music, a spirited mix of Cogolese rumba rock, James Brown-style funky soul, with touches even of Cuban music and reggae.
The mood is resolutely cheerful, surprisingly so considering, and more than enough to put a smile on the listener’s face.
The thoughtful, lyrical songs are lifted to a higher place by 17-year-old prodigy Roger Landu playing edgy, beautifully wailing solos on a one-stringed instrument he made himself.
Virtually all the tracks delight, but Sala Mosala offers that little bit more.
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