José Louis and the Paradox of Love

Kinshasa-born, Montréal-based artist Pierre Kwenders pays homage to the family members, friends, and artists who have influenced him, weaving together the sounds and languages of his different world on his highly personal third album. Kwenders sings Lingala, French, English, Tshiluba, and Kikongo, and combines the coupé-décalé and Congolese rumba he grew up listening to with different dance and pop sounds for an eclectic diasporic sound. As part of the multidisciplinary artist collective and party series Moonshine collective, music has always been a collaborative effort for Kwenders, and on José Louis and the Paradox of Love he works with several producers and musicians (Uproot Andy, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, multi-instrumentalist Tendai Maraire, Portuguese DJ Branko, singers Sônge and anaiis, as well as contributions from Kwenders’ uncle, mother, and church choir), which gives the album a nice collective, layered feel. It might not be the most groundbreaking of stuff, but it’s the kind of pop that makes you want to stay and luxuriate in its joyful, sunlit grooves.