43rd edition of the Banlieues Bleues jazz festival in Seine-Saint-Denis. On the program tonight: the Orchestre de la Crèche (Democratic Republic of Congo - premiere).
Every week, the rooftop terrace of the Hotel La Crèche lights up to the rhythm of vintage rumba, setting the entire Matongé district, Kinshasa's most vibrant nightlife hub, abuzz with energy. Up there, the atmosphere is simple, warm, almost magical: generations mingle, brush against each other, embrace, and dance until dawn. At the heart of this suspended night, an intergenerational orchestra passionately plays the gems of what Kinshasa residents call the "golden age" of Congolese rumba.
Born in the 1950s, this iconic rumba is the result of an irresistible blend: Afro-Cuban rumba, traditional rhythms, and a touch of jazz. It quickly became the soundtrack of a continent: a symbol of freedom during decolonization in 1960, it had all of Africa dancing thanks to legends like Kabasele, Franco, Tabu-Ley, and Papa Wemba, flamboyant figures of the sape (a Congolese fashion movement) and stars who brought all social classes together on the same dance floor.
Today, this historic rumba has almost disappeared from the clubs of Matongé… except in La Crèche. There, it is reborn intact, played and sung with a moving sincerity by those who brought it to its peak. These guardians of the golden age pass it on with rare elegance, like a living heritage, an art of living shared through music, smiles, and dance steps.
In La Crèche, rumba is not a memory: it is a celebration. A luminous moment. A miracle that continues to make the heart of Kinshasa beat.
>>> Standing concert.
Born in the 1950s, this iconic rumba is the result of an irresistible blend: Afro-Cuban rumba, traditional rhythms, and a touch of jazz. It quickly became the soundtrack of a continent: a symbol of freedom during decolonization in 1960, it had all of Africa dancing thanks to legends like Kabasele, Franco, Tabu-Ley, and Papa Wemba, flamboyant figures of the sape (a Congolese fashion movement) and stars who brought all social classes together on the same dance floor.
Today, this historic rumba has almost disappeared from the clubs of Matongé… except in La Crèche. There, it is reborn intact, played and sung with a moving sincerity by those who brought it to its peak. These guardians of the golden age pass it on with rare elegance, like a living heritage, an art of living shared through music, smiles, and dance steps.
In La Crèche, rumba is not a memory: it is a celebration. A luminous moment. A miracle that continues to make the heart of Kinshasa beat.
>>> Standing concert.
