Rick
Sanders - FRoots - June 2002
"Papa Noel collaborates with the acknowledged master of the trés
guitar - Papi Oviedo, long time side-man to Elio Revé, recently on
tour with Omara Portuondo. The result, recorded in Havana and Paris, is a
no-compromise summit meeting of two masters, taking musical direction in turns.
Taste is impeccable throughout - sparing use of brass, no keyboards, just
percussion, bass and the occassional addition of such great voices as Wuta
Mayi and Nyboma. Nothing at all to disrupt the master class - no hint of vulgar
salsa or soukous. This deeper and warmer, two great players doing what they
love. They are surely destined to be an extremely popular live act this summer."
Jane
Cornwell - Jazzwise Magazine - June 2002
"Veteran Congolese singer and guitarist Papa Noel is a living legend.
Cuban elder Papa Oviedo is regarded as one of the greatest tres players of
all time. A collaboration given common ground by the musical ties between
Africa and the Caribbean, the Congo and Cuba, Bana Congo is a brave and upbeat
hybrid in which these two seasoned virtuosos bounce off each other in a series
of songs that hint at the roots of popular music. Not for them the spiralling
riffs of contemporary soukous or the harsh edge of modern Cubašs timba craze.
Aside from a few salsa numbers that will undoubtedly keep the dance floor
happy, Noel and Oviedo are devoted to keeping the great traditions of their
respective musical cultures alive; the albumšs tight brass backing, glorious
African choruses and mellifluous, intricate interplay of melodies and textures
does precisely that. Their voices might not be the best youšve ever heard,
but given their breathtaking musicianship, this hardly matters. A must have."
Jan
Fairley - The List - March 2002
"Can anything be more fresh and inspiring than combining the sweet up-tempo
rumba based rhythms of Congolese guitarist Papa Noel with the gently sizzling
son of Cuban trés guitarist Papi Oviedo? While the mood is unmistakably
dance, the feel is sensuous with various wonderful mostly high toned singers
supporting a sequence of divine tunes. Music is the only positive thing to
have emerged from the slave trade that first linked these countries: the subtle
interplay between these two men centuries later (uncannily mirror images of
each other) whiles they pick, strum, sing and generally bewitch, is magical.
Beautiful unforced production and superb book/cover too."
Paul
Morrison - Wanderlust - April/May 2002
"Noel is a guitarist from the Congo, Oviedo a trés player from
Cuba. Together you get a musical chemistry that reflects their many years
in the business and a welcome addition to the Afro-Cuban genre."
Clive
Davis - The Times - March 18th 2002
"Congolese guitarist
Papa Noel makes another spiritual journey to Havan in 'Bana Congo', a meeting
with Papi Oviedo, the debonair player of the trés, a guitar with three
double strings, best known here perhaps for his stylish appearances with singer
Omara Portuondo. Noel's last Cuban crossover, 'Mosala Makasi', produced a
string of absorbing duets with the young band leader Adan Pedroso. 'Bana Congo'
is a more extrovert affair, the two veterans backed by potent brass and percussion
and a sprinkling of guest singers. The more straight forward salsa numbers
will keep the dance crowd happy, but the real attraction lies in the pieces
that are neatly poised between Africa and the Carribean. Hybrids of this kind
have a long and vibrant history - rumba first crossed the Atlantic to the
Congo many decades ago, the local players quickly adding their own spin. Noel
and Oviedo show that there are plenty of variations left to explore."
Simon
Jones - FRoots - May 2002
"A remarkable meeting, Noel is a Congolese strummer whilst Oviedo is
a crack Cuban picker. These tracks display a shared understanding of technique
and execution that cross fertilise the cultures an ocean apart. Something
of a forcing ground that we're lucky enough to be able to listen in on."
Nigel
Williamson - The Times Play - April 6-12 2002
Take the Congolese veteran Papa Noel and the virtuoso Cuban Papi Oviedo. Stir
the cultural melting-pot and add some guest vocals. The result is a mouth-watering
dish of Afro-Latin flavours. The 10 songs on this superb CD find the two guitarists
- who have a combined age of 125 - taking equal turns in the spotlight. As
with all first rate musicians, the duo add such distinctive nuances to each
others' preformances that the result is a fusion of fluid, all accoustic rhythms
that sounds so natural you would think that they had been musical partners
all their lives."
HMV
Choice Magazine - May/June 2002
"While the Congo is currently the most chaotic state in Africa -
civil war and active volcanoes combine to torment the population - it
remains one of the most musically rich places in the world. With the late
Franco it produced the African James Brown and with Papa Noel it has one
of the worlds great guitarists. Combine hime with Cuban trés player
Papi Oviedo and you have a lovely combination - music that truly sparkles.
It's a fitting partnership as Cuban music has its roots in West African
slaves and in turn modern Congolese music was very influenced by imported
Cuban music. Combining the two makes for a music of beauty and lyricism
- the rhythms keep a soft salsa shuffle while the guitars chime and sing.
Papa Noel sings in a high voice that adds a gorgeous personal flavour
to the music and the relaxed ease with which the two musicians handle
things makes for a truly refreshing record. While the Congo may be torn
apart by violence, this is music which demonstrates the Congolese spirit
at its most peaceful and engaging."
Christina
Roden CDNOW Contributing Writer - 31 July 2002
Antoine Nedule "Papa Noel" Monswet acquired his nickname from his Christmas
day birthday and his guitar chops from performing with some of the greatest
Congolese bands of all time, including Franco's T.P. OK Jazz. Like many
musicians of his generation, he has largely eschewed the jet-propelled
quick fix of "speed soukous" in favor of more relaxed, richly melodic
treatments modeled on classic Latin styles. Cuban music took firm hold
in various parts of Africa in the early- to mid-twentieth century, when
visiting foreigners brought in much-coveted 78 RPM albums, but each culture
adjusted the original versions according to their own languages and folkways.
For example, in Kinshasa and Brazzaville, two musically insatiable cities
that face each other across the Congo River, the brass charts were initially
taken over by guitarists, many of whom became legendary players. The re-Africanization
of the rumba began in earnest during the 1980s, when salseros from the
Continent began traveling to and from the Caribbean in search of old traditions
and fresh inspiration. In Papa Noel's case, this has led him to explore
an acoustic-sounding, rootsy esthetic that just suits his curvaceous,
unassuming touch. The present album showcases his most recent Cuban Odyssey,
where he encountered Papi Oviedo, who is arguably the greatest living
exponent of the tres (a guitar-like instrument with three sets of double
strings.) After gathering a hotshot crew of local session players and
a mixed choir of Cuban and Congolese singers, Noel assembled the project
between Havana and Paris. The result is a dulcet delight from start to
finish. The two master string virtuosos are clearly a mutual admiration
society, as they weave their intricate strands of song in and around the
flawlessly poised vocalists and playful, raucous cadres of brass and percussion.
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