Angola

Lulendo is one of the too rare artists nowadays to have come up with new, original music using the likembe. His beautiful voice ranging from tenor to falsetto reminds us that he was once a back-up singer with Papa Wemba. And the remarkable Zelie, sustained by the graceful touch of the pianist Lalo Zanelli —also co-arranger of the album, along with Claude Di Bongue — evokes the masterpieces of the original rumba in the blessed times of Papa Wendo. Lulendo got his first musical experience in church choirs, which partly explains the exceptional polyphonic quality of the present album. Yet what makes it even more exciting is the blending of the voices with musical interventions by some great instrumentalist guests: Didier Lockwood, John Helliwell, Claude Samard and Magic Malik.

— CalabashMusic.com