The Voice of Lightness

The world has needed a good compilation of this great Congolese singer, and this two-disc set comes close to being just what the doctor ordered, focusing on the 1960s and '70s, when he was arguably at his best and most creative, with his voice emotional and supple, standing out from whatever group was behind him at the time -- and he led some of the classics of the period. At almost 90 minutes, this offers a lot of Tabu Ley Rochereau, with plenty of sublime moments of Congolese rhumba before it morphed into the faster, less delicate soukous. Rochereau could easily command, and does so often, with great songwriting ability (listen to the way the chorus lifts on "Pesa le Tout," for instance -- it's sublime). There are moments of hubris, of course, and not just in the music. The notes claim that Rochereau invented the instrumental break known as the sebene, which, according to many other sources, simply isn't true. But that's by the bye. The man sang like a dream, and these golden years really capture him at his peak: thrilling, and one of the classic African voices. -All Music Guide