Ya Mizolé

There’s a long tradition of spectacular electro-traditional blends coming from the DRC and (less so) Congo-Brazzaville, and Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin’s second album is a worthy torchbearer of this legacy, albeit in a much more polished, soothing, and ethereal style. Les Mamans du Congo were born in 2018 in Brazzaville thanks to the efforts of singer and percussionist Gladys Samba to conserve the region’s traditional music. The group’s five vocalists then collaborated with left-field French beatmaker Rrobin, whose experimental electronic sounds and delicate textures perfectly compliment the women’s voices on Ya Mizolé. It’s a lovely, delicate album that lets each element shine through.