Congo-Brazzaville: Balka Sound

[Afropop] Congo-Brazzaville, like Congo-Kinshasa–two cities facing off across the Congo River–is best known for Latin-tinged Congolese rumba. This reputation has always masked the rich diversity of ethnic traditions surrounding these urban centers, literally hundreds of such traditions. But if we widen the lens, we find that there have long been modern groups creating more localized, indigenous musical fusions. Take this grooving combo from Congo-Brazzaville, Balka Sound, which started out to champion an updated t