Musiques d'Afrique:
Zélé le Bombardier
(Cameroon)
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Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Zélé le Bombardier (Cameroon) |
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Zélé le Bombardier is a young artist
who became famous in in the capital of Cameroon in the years 1995-96, when the
pedale danse of Bikutsi music was en vogue.
Zélé has since then grown to one of the best bikutsi singers, with
his recognisable voice, and surrounded by gifted musicians such as Roger Mvondo on
solo guitar, Obalbass and Kempess on rhythm guitar, and Atebass
and Sossu on bass. Bikutsi music stems from the forest region in Central Cameroon, and is extremely rhythmic and far less melodic. Modern bikutsi is played with solo guitar, rhythm guitar and bass, where the guitars are so characteristically imitating the balafon, which gives bikutsi its "rootsy" feel. Bikutsi has been made famous by Les Têtes Brûlées in the 1980s, and Zélé's style is in fact very close to that of Les Têtes Brûlées. The rhythm is hot, and the dancing is as well: at first hearing, bikutsi music sounds unusual, but as soon as you see people dancing you'll know what it's about! |
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| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Zélé à Mvomek'a | 2002 | JPS Production CDJPS 216 | |
| A qui la faute? | MC Pop Music | ||
| Les merveilles de Zélé le Bombardier Non-stop | MC Pop Music | ||
| Bible et Coran | JPS Production | ||
| Si j'avais su | 1998 | JPS Production CDJPS 0022 | |
| Les 10 commandements de la femme | 1997 | TJR CDAT 187/ Nkul Nnam | |
| Best of Zélé le Bombardier | 1997 | TJR CDAT 169 | 1995 and 1996 recordings |
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