Democratic Republic of Congo

Le Voyageur

Released 12 April 1992

Maria Valencia
Lingo Lingo
Le Voyageur
Ombela
Jamais Kolonga
Matinda
Yoko
Madilamba
Zéro

Liner notes

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.

Listen

Further Listening

Emotion

Papa Wemba

Released 13 March 1995

Fresh and daring as ever, this world-class singer continues his ascendancy to global notoriety with total emotional impact. A brilliant blast of pop and dance rhythms make up the brightest, most accessible album of Papa Wemba’s career.
Babeti Soukous

Tabu Ley Seigneur Rochereau

Released 05 June 1989

Featuring a selection of the best songs from his huge back catalogue, this recording by the Zairean soukous artist was made one cold night in January, with an audience of friends and invitees dancing and clapping in the minstrel gallery of Real World Studio's Wood Room.

Le Voyageur

Further reading

Totó la Momposina (1940-2026)

Emerging Sudanese star Sulaf signs to Real World, releases ‘Naada’

Track of the day: ‘First Light’ by Eliza Marshall

Swaken Lyrics