Album: Staff Benda Bilili, Très Très Fort (Crammed Discs)
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Your support makes all the difference.Vincent Kenis, the producer of the Congotronics series, has captured the rough-edged essence of these paraplegic Congolese street musicians simply by placing a dozen microphones around them as they performed outside Kinshasa Zoo.
But this lot are more song-centred than the edgier group Konono N°1, taking their inspiration from reggae, rumba and even James Brown. Listen out for the one-stringed "lute" made from an old tin can and some electrical wire by the 17-year-old who plays it so brilliantly.
Pick of the Album: The straight-down-the-line acoustic funk of 'Je T'Aime'
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