Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Universal Zangul

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Universal Zangul
(Congo-Brazzaville)

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Universal Zangul has been created only in 2005 after defection of Oxygène (Mbon Sylvain) from Brazzaville's Extra Musica. This popular band of the mid-1990s, playing high speed soukous and ndombolo with lots of electric guitars and atalakus (cris d'animation), has been suffering from various defections, resulting in the creation of groups like Extra Musica International and Z1 International (2000).

Sylvain Mbon, who now carries the title Général Sotonyoto, took with him a number of singers, animators and musicians from Extra Musica Zangul, such as Papy Bastain, Rossen Yaourt (Rossaine Kimance), Typhoïde, Baudoin, and Kerson Saddam, who felt that they weren't given enough opportunities in Extra Musica. Together, they produced a first album « Tapis Rouge » that is of surprisingly high standards. Among the ten songs on the album, there are a quite a few Congolese rumba compositions, besides the more Extra Musica oriented songs, although overall a bit less 'noisy' than recent Extra Musica albums.

Musicians on "Tapis rouge":
Vocals and backing vocals: Oxygene "Le General Sotonyoto", Papy Bastin, Rossen, Kerson Saddam, Apotre Noumaz, Thierry Berger, Yellow Man;
Animation: Typhoide & Bulldog
Solo guitar: Bondo Mania
Mi-solo guitar: Edjo Mapendo
Rhythm guitar: B-Magic
Bass: Davy Mbazo
Synthesizer: Baudouin Missapi
Drums: Okouere Miracle
Congas: Kiki Lombonda

Established: in Brazzaville, 2005, as an off-shoot from Extra Musica Zangul
Style: soukous / ndombolo / rumba.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Tapis Rouge	2006	Kiki Touré Productions K 1052	CD & DVD