November 14, 2010

Tabu Ley Rochereau | The Voice Of Lightness, Volume 2


ARTIST:  Tabu Ley Rochereau
TITLE:  The Voice Of Lightness, Volume 2
LABEL:  Sterns
REVIEW:  Ken Braun of Sterns has come through with another superbly curated overview of one of the Congo’s greatest stars.  Tabu Ley was second in popularity only to Franco through the years covered in the compilation, 1977 to 1993; his gentle voice and his band’s urgent arrangements, featuring some of the best guitar playing you’ll hear in your lifetime, produced hit after hit and made Ley one of the first African musicians to crack the European and American markets.  This set features a choice selection of songs, with one of the highlights being two Tabu Ley-Franco collaborations (disc 2, tracks 1 & 2; kind of like a Beatles-Stones joint session).  Importantly, the restoration and mastering is first-rate, so even Congolese music fans who own these recordings will want this set so they can retire their scratchy, overplayed vinyl.  As always with Sterns, the notes (in English and French) and vintage photos really complete the package.  An A+ all the way.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
Disc 1:    3    4    8      Disc 2:    1    2    6    7

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