Henri Dikongue Biso Nawa CD

Henri Dikongué is a spearhead in the revival of the acoustic sounds of Cameroon. In contrast to the country's high-spirited dance music, Dikongué's music is more introspective and melodic. Although African rhythms remain the foundation of Dikongué's music, his songs reflect influences like reggae, samba, salsa, soul and jazz. His goal is "to be able to show people that African music not just a danceable music but there are a lot of different kinds of African music." "Henri Dikongue's recent disc shows why he is Cameroon's most dependable contemporary singer. His gently charming voice and quiet approach is more enduring than many of his region's attempts to replicate fast-paced Western trends. This relaxed tempo is pervasive whether he is singing about slavery ("El Tyrano") or fate ("A Dikom"). "Awale" features his duet with Cathy Renoir and they sound as if it were all up to them to bring romance back to French pop. While Biso Nawa emphasizes fittingly minimal instrumental accompaniment, more of Dikongue's classically informed acoustic guitar playing would also be welcome." - Aaron Cohen, Chicago Tribune Henri Dikongué is a spearhead in the revival of the acoustic sounds of Cameroon. In contrast to the country's high-spirited dance music, Dikongué's music is more introspective and melodic. Although African rhythms remain the foundation of Dikongué's music, his songs reflect influences like reggae, samba, salsa, soul and jazz. His goal is "to be able to show people that African music not just a danceable music but there are a lot of different kinds of African music." "Henri Dikongue's recent disc shows why he is Cameroon's most dependable contemporary singer. His gently charming voice and quiet approach is more enduring than many of his region's attempts to replicate fast-paced Western trends. This relaxed tempo is pervasive whether he is singing about slavery ("El Tyrano") or fate ("A Dikom"). "Awale" features his duet with Cathy Renoir and they sound as if it were all up to them to bring romance back to French pop. While Biso Nawa emphasizes fittingly minimal instrumental accompaniment, more of Dikongue's classically informed acoustic guitar playing would also be welcome." - Aaron Cohen, Chicago Tribune Tracks 1. Biso Nawa 2. No Sous X 3. Nasi Kane 4. Dibumbe 5. El Tyrano 6. Awake 7. A Dikom 8. Esele 9. Nongele Ndena 10. Sengane 11. Ponda