V.A.: The World is Shaking
Honest Jons Rec. V.A. : The World Is Shaking
- Cubanismo from the Congo, 1954-55 (CO,pub.2010)***°°
With the first track I thought I had a wrong connection : the sound quality is really that bad as if there's a mouseful of dust between the needle and the record. Compared to the Crammed Discs release some years ago this other and fine label did not seem to have any of the masters available, obviously they found some real fine records of a good until a travelling-down-the-bush quality. This creative area and period of around 1954-55 which was recorded thanks to an opportunity of some recording responsibles was perhaps less the result as a contrast to the slavery and occupation days as one might interpret from the liner notes, it is true that the days before its independence the African workers were treated with caution as if they were having to learn the rules of (a different) civilisation and were granted only step by step their own rights in it with their own growth and learning process resulting in small portions of imitations with an emphasis on recognition in discovering similarities. Thus, the import of Cuban music to be listened on Brazaville and Leopoldsville radio broadcasts was something that was more easily recognised and therefore immediately also very creatively adapted. For the Congo area, the music style of the Cubans was recognised at an instant, as if something returned home after a long period of exile, having been kidnapped as slaves from the Congo area so many decades ago, and while having turned away from their own culture they had already found and developed an example of an independent voice with an important essence people needed from within more or less intact. It was as if some original African elements had gained something through another interesting creative process and with a comparable goal of freedom within new restrictions, something they could redevelop in new Congo into a comparable condition of a certain limited freedom and pathways suggested by the still somewhat occupying interims preparing the newly transformed habitants for another possible future, resulting in an inevitable independence. In performing and incorporating this new rumba influence, with dance and song style references, obviously there can be recognised some real enjoyment, some social song relations and some creative improvisation on diverse musical instruments which included imported guitars, banjo and violin and thumb piano amongst other local or imported instruments (track 20 was really surprising with some use of different kazoos ??). The technical and disciplined creativity according to the booklet was something that was required and that was reformed deliberately into the three minute or so availability on a 78 record.
Personally I adore best (but like in fact all) some of the lesser recognisable styles a bit further away from the Cuban ways. Because when Cuban music is just translated to lingala and the recording quality is painful for the ears it becomes already a bit less interesting. Listening through a stereo this still is another real charming 21 song collection of rare 78 records. Translations of the lyrics are also included. I wish the label had done a bit more effort on the remastering. The enjoyment still is bigger than the disappointment in sound quality sometimes (less bearable on headphones), even in the ruins some recordings the beauty, joy and creativity shines through.
