Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin

Gladys Samba founded her group Les Mamans du Congo with two goals in mind: to support the emancipation of Congolese women and to preserve and spread Congolese cultural heritage. On stage, she often speaks out against injustice and offers advice on issues affecting women in Brazzaville in their everyday lives: work and the lack of jobs, children and infertility, jealousy and how to banish it. For Les Mamans du Congo, everyday objects and kitchen utensils are transformed into musical instruments, while the other band members form a powerful choir. For their eponymous debut album released in 2023 and their live concerts, they teamed up with the French hip-hop and electronic music producer Rrobin to create a stirring and danceable blend of Bantu work songs and lullabies, hip-hop, and Afro-house.

 

André Marie Tala & The Tchamassi Band

In autumn 2024, André Marie Tala gave two acclaimed concerts in Douala and Yaoundé to mark an important anniversary: over the past fifty-five years, he has influenced generations of musicians and several musical styles with tchamassi, his distinctive form of Afro jazz. In the mid-1970s, he moved to France at the invitation of Manu Dibango. His international breakthrough came in 1975 with the album Hot Koki, whose title track was plagiarized by James Brown in his hit ‘Hustle!!! (Dead On It)’. 

He has frequently exerted an influence on politics, namely in his home country of Cameroon, by way of making statements, getting involved, and speaking out against injustice and corruption. His main focus is on young people; for years, he has been working to establish a music school, a Braille school and a centre for cultural events in Douala.