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Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta: Mapambazuko review – Congolese soukous gets a maximalist makeover
This Peruvian-Congolese partnership transforms traditional African guitar-playing with thrillingly chaotic sound design
Bonne Année begins with distracting, twinkling electronics and laser-like synth stabs before Hop produces sweeping digital horn fanfares that elevate the song’s sprightly melodies into a thumping dancefloor-filler. Certain electronic additions – take the squeaks and squeals of the Buchla synth on the title track – work less well and feel jarring, but it’s more often the case that when Hop gives free rein to her maximalist production ideas she creates a fascinating partnership with Bakorta. Highlife pioneer Ebo Taylor returns with JID022 (Jazz Is Dead), a remarkably energetic showcase of the 89-year-old’s West African style and undiminished voice, still soaring over group harmonies on tracks Obra Akyedzi and Kusi Na Sibo.
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