Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin have released their new EP titled Kikenko via Jarring Effects on Friday.
The album aims to represent and exhibit the African woman of the future while preserving the traditional Bantu values and rhythms.
This feminist group uses DIY percussive instruments, electronic pulsations, bass music, and afrobeats to create a captivating sound that blends rap and choirs. The group’s percussionist singer and leader, Gladys Samba, and her bandmates have received international recognition for reviving secular lullabies from Congo through their first album, and they continue their mission with their latest music.
The high-energy Afro-house tune “Sala Sala” is the second single from the EP, and it gets its name from the Lari language, where it means “work work.” Gladys Samba and Les Mamans urge the youth of Congo to pursue self-emancipation through hard work in this track. The Mamans’ chorus raises the question of how to survive in a saturated job market without work and avoid despair, highlighting the importance of creating one’s own employment opportunities. The song also celebrates the wealth of the Congolese soil and encourages returning to farming and utilizing the country’s resources to generate jobs and combat imperialism. The track’s dynamic rhythms draw inspiration from the music typically associated with agricultural work, and producer Rrobin embellishes them with a groovy bass line and funky synths.
