Verckys et l'Orchestra Vévé
Analogue Africa Verckys et l'Orchestra Vévé (CO,re.2014)***°
-Congolese Funk, Afrobeat And Psychedelic Rumba 1969 – 1978-
This band is a good representative for what you can expect of a bigger entertainment band from Congo from the 70s onwards. It seems like they can play forever with certain hypnotic beats of repetition, with funky, Afrobeat and Latin elements but mostly all at once, with just one style on the lead. The electric guitar plays mostly the repetitive elements, so like funk (most tracks) or Latin (last tracks), the rhythms can be more subtle, brushed Congolese (track 2) or are with congas and drums. The lead guitarist sings the songs while group singers, often of the opposite sex, respond rhythmically. There’s room for sax solo’s or brass solos, responded on by group brass. The second rumba is almost highlife. The fourth track shows with funky guitar, a longer organ solo (organ jerk). “Sex Veve” even has a funky African blues style. In the listing one writes down that two tracks are psychedelic rumba, but that description is due to the hypnotic rhythm only. The second example, “Sisa Motema” has I think use of a drumbox-alike rhythm, while several of the aforementioned elements are present too, with a singing in close group harmonies. This album will especially appeal to lovers of the skillful jammed-like nature of Congolese Afrobeat, funk and Latin. The last track is sung in Spanish.
