Papa Noel & Papi Oviedo

There have long been strong historical links between Congolese rumba and Afro-Cuban music. That's why a meeting between two master musicians from each tradition seems natural and was always likely to produce something rather special.

Bana Congo teams Papa Noel, one of the greats of Congolese music, together with Papi Oviedo, the legendary Cuban master of the trés. There's a perfect musical logic to their collaboration for the musical trade routes between Cuba and Africa are centuries old.

In Cuba the subtle rhythms of traditional son have given way to the new salsa sound, heard at its most hard-edged in the current timba craze. In modern Congolese music the elegant rhythms of rumba have similarly been displaced by harsher soukous beats, often characterized by drum machines and synthesizers.

Papa Noel and Papi Oviedo have both resisted this tide and share a profound belief in keeping alive the great traditions of their respective musical cultures. With Bana Congo the outstanding acoustic talents of these two renowned musicians is augmented by a full band line-up, with an enthralling blend of tight horns, fabulous singing, vibrant African choruses, and an entrancing interplay between the percussion driven rhythm section and the acoustic guitars.

— Courtesy Calabash Music