OMONA WAPI

One of the more memorable and least anticipated collaborations in Congolese music, this early-1980s production joins Falstaffian guitar legend Franco Luambo Makiadi (1938-89) with Tabu Ley Rochereau (1940- ), the famed band leader and soukous pioneer. Where Franco fused traditional music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, the prolific Tabu Ley used a variety of international genres (disco, reggae, etc.) to rev up the regional style. Rivals during much of their respective careers, Franco and Rochereau combine their talents here for a record that's brimful of Franco's sinuous and rippling guitar lines, Rochereau's sweet high-tenor vocals, solid rolling rhythmic support, sporadic horns, and some of Africa's best backing vocalists. A short album at 33 minutes, its four tracks begin with a rousing celebration of the summit meeting itself. --Richard Gehr