Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Foreign language albums rank more similarly to instrumental albums than English language albums for me.

Fun

I often give the benefit of the doubt and round up, but not today. It’s “okay,” but in the end, I cannot see myself recommending this to anyone or seeking it out again.

Album #181: Koffi Olomidé – Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche ⭐⭐⭐ Another new discovery and a totally new genre too. I've never heard of any of this, so it was very exciting to listen to it. Alas, I don't really care for it. It's essentially samba-style dance music, and it's just not my thing, or at least in the context I'm listening to it, it's not landing for me. Each song is a long, continuous jam that feels like it's in a constant state of building towards something, but never actually gets there. This is probably very conducive to dancing, but it's a pretty unrewarding listen while sitting here at my desk. I like how the drums are essentially the main instrument, and I do like repetitive music, but the whole thing has that '80s sheen to it that feels kind of cheap. The dude has a voice like velvet, though, and he's got amazing trousers too. Looking at his Wiki, he's absolutely huge on the continent of Africa, so there's clearly a cultural barrier here for me. I'm just not hearing what everyone else hears. He's also a wrong'un, so that's not great! It's a personal two for me, but I'll give it a three because context matters, and I'm not in a dance hall right now having a good time.

It had a good rhythm and nice background. Could have been a little shorter.

It does fit traditional 90s music and was alright

Good. Went on for way too long and all the songs sounded the same. Normally I like international music but this was too long and too samey. Low key disappointed.

Certainly sounds like it’s from the early 90’s. Would be ok as background, but waaaaay too long, and tracks somehow all sound the same

Didn’t understand a damn thing he said but it was nice, vibey, mood music.

very joyful afro-French-Caribbean vibe here.

It’s pleasant, but it didn’t massively grab me.

Bland cruise ship music. The only good thing about this album is how funny the title of the first track is. "Papa bonheur" lol

2.5/5 - The high energy reminds me of a particular recurring situation from my primary school years: There would be some kind of free time activity, like a music class or drama production, where the teacher would put on upbeat music almost identical to this. They would then ask everyone to start moving their bodies, to which all students would look back and forth between each other awkwardly and stand frozen in the middle of the room. A mutual vow of silence would be settled on by practically everyone in the room, only broken by a forced attack on an unlucky individual by the teacher prompting them to start doing something, to which the rest of the crowd would follow along out of fear of being the next one singled out. Strange activity would continue with occasional hushed awkward laughter and uneasy looks until the music would suddenly cut and be broken by silence and wholehearted relief by all involved. I do not wish to return to memories like these. ------ Personal Rating Scaling Reference Chart: ------ 1 = Dislike, no thanks 2 = Not my taste, but still objectively good music 3 = Tolerable / OK background music, but not preferred 4 = Pleasant to listen to, but not necessarily preference (</= to) 5 = Liked this enough to consider listening again in future ----------------------------------------------------

6/10

Hard to get into this one cause I have no idea what they’re talking about. But it sounds nice and would be good background music for a tropical getaway.

This is world music. I don't care for it but I'm also left wondering why if we're going to include this boring music, why are there no mariachi band albums or Navajo flute albums or Ecuadorian pan flute albums? This is just so silly to include on this list.

I can't say I understand the album but for a first listening it was pleasant. A great time exploring some albums I will never heard of 3/5

More enjoyable than I thought it would be

Iets te pielerig en monotoon

2 1/2

Yay, 2 world music albums in a row... I guess I like African music more than Indian, but still not my cup of tea.

cheesy 90s production of Congolese music - the CD playing on cruise ships to give some local colour.

Seriously?0.00

This would be great on the beach

Probably deserves better than a 3

Between this guy and Serge Gainsbourg, this generator has given me the absolute lowest opinion of the French

A nice relaxing sounding album the music is really good nice vocals but the chilled instrumentation is the winner here

Kind of fun.

3.5, really fun listen

The sterile production slightly hinders the sunniness of the material

# Koffi Olomidé - *Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche*: An In-Depth Review Koffi Olomidé's 1989 double-album *Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche* stands as a significant, if deeply divisive, entry in the canon of Congolese music. Selected for the influential *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* list, it serves as both a gateway to soukous for Western audiences and a point of contention regarding the genre's authenticity and the artist's legacy. --- ## Music, Production, and Sound The album occupies a fascinating and often uncomfortable space between the vibrant rhythms of Congolese soukous and the polished, commercial production of late-1980s Western pop. Musically, it is undeniably rooted in the soukous tradition: it's built on infectious, danceable guitar riffs and propelled by a driving rhythm section. The music is bright, melodic, and often euphoric . However, the production is where the album makes its most controversial decisions. The album is drenched in a distinctly "90s as fuck production" . It features heavy use of synthesizers, prominent reverb, and a clean, almost sterile sound that many critics argue sands off the rougher, more organic edges of traditional soukous. One review compares its sound to "royalty free vacation music" playing at a resort, while another notes its resemblance to "Super Nintendo songs in CD quality" . This aesthetic can feel inauthentic to those seeking a purer African sound, but for others, it represents an intelligent and tasteful fusion of European and African musical sensibilities . A particular critique is aimed at the track "Désespoir," which is singled out for its sickly-sweet, R&B-influenced balladry, described as a "horror show" that sounds like "the kind of music a nine-year-old would imagine adults having sex to" . ## Lyrics and Themes As the album is sung in French, its lyrical content is often less accessible to an international audience. For many listeners, Koffi Olomidé's voice becomes another instrument in the mix, contributing to the overall melody and vibe rather than conveying specific narrative meaning . However, when listeners do tune into the lyrics, they can add a layer of discomfort. The delivery on several tracks is described as being "way too into the lyrics making them sound creepy even though I don't know what he is saying" . This perception is inseparable from the artist himself, whose controversial personal history casts a long shadow over the listening experience. The topics of love and longing in his music are haunted for many by the knowledge of his criminal conviction . ## Influence and Legacy As a representative of Congolese music, the album's legacy is a paradoxical one. On the one hand, its inclusion on the *1001 Albums* list has introduced countless listeners to soukous who would not have otherwise encountered it . It is a significant entry point, and for many, it is a lively, infectious, and thoroughly enjoyable record . On the other hand, it is criticized for representing a "watered down" version of the music, made for a Western audience . Critics argue that the album is a poor choice to represent the rich musical landscape of the DRC, as it feels overly commercial and "tepid" compared to other, more authentic African sounds on the list. Its legacy is thus tainted by accusations of cultural compromise and the artist's personal conduct . --- ## Pros & Cons **Pros:** * **Infectious and danceable:** The core soukous rhythms and melodies are genuinely upbeat and engaging, making it an easy and enjoyable listen on a surface level . * **Effective gateway:** It serves as a non-intimidating introduction to Congolese music for a Western audience, piquing interest in the genre . * **Skilled musicianship:** The musicianship is of a high quality, and the blend of African and European elements is, at times, successful and tasteful . **Cons:** * **Dated and over-produced:** The heavy reliance on 80s/90s synth sounds and reverb can feel "offensively inoffensive" and like a "cruiseship" soundtrack, stripping the music of its vitality . * **The "Désespoir" factor:** The album contains at least one track, "Désespoir," that is widely considered a terrible, saccharine misstep that drags down the entire record . * **The artist's shadow:** For many, the album is rendered unlistenable due to Koffi Olomidé's criminal conviction, making it impossible to separate the art from the artist . * **Cultural compromise:** The album is seen by some as a commercialised, "tourist-friendly" version of soukous, failing to represent the authentic musical spirit of the DRC . **Overall, *Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche* is a frustrating listen.** It's an album that will make you dance while simultaneously questioning its authenticity, its place in musical history, and your own complicity in consuming it.

Solid enough, jazzy but ultimately unmemorable.

If you ask most white people raised in the 80s/90s what they thought African music sounded like, they would open their mouth and this would come out. Apparently this guy SUPER SUCKS but i’m not here to judge his actions at the moment. While very nice, once you get about 3 tracks in and you know for the most part what you’re getting with the rest. Extra little score bump though for some stuff sounding straight out of an SNES/N64 game and no joke Obrigado sounds just like that Juicy Juice ad they used to play during PBS Kids minus the steel drum.

"God is able to enable the unable to be able!" ass music. There's probably a shit ton of music in this genre that's better, but Robert Dimery can't look beyond his nose.

it was a nice groove while driving but i don't see myself returning to this at all.

Didn’t know this was Congolese from the name and album title, but it’s got some fun, jaunty rhythms. Definitely overly repetitive though “poussa! Poussez!” No real standout tracks though.

This is soft '80s cheese. It took me approximately 15 seconds to find Congolese soukous music that is way better than this. TPOK Jazz and Franco Luambo.

there's some really good music on here. the second song, " désespoir", was a nice little chameleon of a song and a good example of why sticking with something can be worthwhile. the first 3 minutes feature some of the most godawful, 80s synth sounds imaginable, but then they open into some pretty great afrofunk. really nice album overall

Feels like I’m at a beach resort and they booked the “ethnic” band to make the tourists feel like they had an authentic experience.

not my taste

music is shit. and the dude apparent rapist yea im good at least diddys music is good frick this guy I did not need to hear this

Musica africana arreglada para el público internacional. Resulta agradable e inofensivo.

This was pretty good musically. Obviously I have no idea about what the lyrics say but I moderately enjoyed this

What a nice change of pace what I normally hear.

High-energy and interesting.

Isn't really my thing. It's exactly what I think about when I think of music from central Africa, and it's very melodic and beautiful at times.. I just don't know when I would realistically listen to this.

Surprisingly, pretty enjoyable, despite not understanding a word.

Imagine making a career from using the same beat over and over again. Good for him. At least the music is pleasant.

nul.

Need to listen to him more 👍

Very novel to listen to

I enjoyed this one a lot! The album shows so much talent and has a pleasant vibe that makes you want to move along. Overall- very enjoyable

Had to check the book on this one as there wasn't a lot of information online. According to the book, Olomidé has become the best selling artist on the African continent, and is particularly popular with women. He sings mainly in Lingala and French (I understand the French parts, it's pretty straightforward stuff for romantic and dancefloor music). He has over 24 albums, so why this one? Probably because it was a hit with Western audiences (assuming so, based on this book's approach). I'm not an expert in Ndombolo music, and I admit I'd never heard of this guy until today, so I'll say this - this is a fine, poppy, smooth effort, that quickly grows on me the more I get into the groove. I might give more of his stuff a chance, but it's a little too polished here for it to be an all time favorite. With that said, shit like Duck Rock should have been replaced for more African content such as this, Mbaqanga, highlife, etc. as it's great to discover pop music from around the world. We need a book of 1001 albums for every continent and subcontinent!

delightful

BOMBA Fun to listen to, cool rhythms, love the glass breaking sound effects, love the sound changes half way through

Nice vibe

They should’ve put in a 7th Elvis Costello record instead.

Not bad. With a little less 80s cheese this album could be very good.

The energy was totally there and had my attention throughout.

Pretty decent world music.

Precies wat ik nodig had op deze vrijdagochtend dat ik niet vooruit te branden ben. Dit geeft energie. Wat een heerlijke plaat, love it. Ik heb nu zin om met een coronatje in mijn hand op een festival naar deze man te luisteren. Geen moeilijke nummers, gewoon plezier. Hats, zo het weekend in. 8/10 Highlights Conte de fées

Despite being released in 92 this was 80s AF. Some of it was groovy but mostly felt dated VS a cultural experience.

I have never heard of Koffi Olomide or his music. Evidently, Olomide is quite famous and legendary when it comes to Congolese music. He also seems like it was found out later in his life that he wasn't a very good dude. But putting that aside, I really struggled with this album. The music was fine if I was sitting at the pool or beach with a fruity drink in my hand on vacation. As I saw a lot of other reviewers say, it sounds like the music they play in the background at the all-inclusive resort. But for listening to on a work day during my lunch, I found myself just zoning out (the album is also much too long - almost 1 hour long). I'm clearly not an expert on Congolese music, but I found this extremely repetitive and the production quality made it sound like it was music made in the 1980s. It's definitely happy music and fun, but there is much better world music out there than this one in my humble opinion.

Malo

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Alright - There is a groove to the opener that bounces along for entire runtime. A similar rhythm runs for the whole album which can lead to it feeling a bit one-dimensional. Although I like most of the material the songs tend to blend together a bit too much for it to be that interesting. I prefer the juju music of King Sunny Ade that is referenced on Porte-monnaie as it feels more adventurous. Obrigado stands out as an enjoyable track.

I tried to go in with an open mind but all of the reviews mentioning the whole 'sexual predator' thing realllly soured me on the music (which, to be fair, wouldn't have been for me no matter what). I'm giving it 2/5 because I think he is talented and the music isn't bad, it's just not for me (would have been closer to a 3 but I just cannot separate the art from the artist in this case).

I thought this was good, however i couldn't really distinguish between the different songs after a while. just very samey. I think if I knew what the lyrics were saying it may be a different story.

Really wanted to like this but ended up finding it a bit annoying in parts. Felt like I was listening to the same song on repeat, a song I did enjoy but I'm not really use why it's an hour long. Maybe the language barrier is part of my issue. Wouldn't listen again.

This was such a fun listen!

No 2/5

I just hearing “oi pussy” in an Indian accent for some reason… need another album of that

This mf out here thinking shit’s all sunshine and rainbows

Really interesting genre that I would love to explore further, just not from this guy. There is so little African music in this book and yet they felt the need to include the pedo. Maybe would raise it a star if the artist didn't disgust me. It's much harder for me to separate art from artist when the artist is still alive. I do really like African music though so I'll still give it 3 stars. Favorite Track - Papa Bonheur Least Favorite Track - Koweït, Rive Gauche ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty good

Æi, þetta er svakalega dated sound. Þarna er ágætis afró-swing en þessir synthar eru leiðinlegir. Ég nennti ekki öðru rennsli eftir það fyrsta.

This is lovely. Not a genre I am super familiar with but has a lot in common with Afro Caribbean music that I quite enjoy. I like this and am recommending it to a friend who I think would like it as well.

Cool album. Not really my thing. I find it pleasant, but not something I would seek out.

Very enjoyable vibe. None of the songs particularly stood out to me but I found it very pleasant. I feel like this is an artist I should have be familiar with but I was not until this listen.

Enjoyed this while playing it, but it didn't stick with me at all.

3 porque não é mais uma white man band dos 60

Bem divertido

I love these African tunes. But I have heard better

Feels like I'm on a package holiday being welcomed to Congo. Somewhere, in an alternate universe, this is the Jet2 advert soundtrack.

I mean the album was pretty upbeat, but that's about all it had for me. It was kind of crazy, I could skip around to different points in songs and honestly feel like I was in the same spot I left. They all felt very one-note and they were all so long that it felt like it dragged on with a lot of the same. Not really a fan.

I don't understand the lyrics at all but the music is good. 3 stars or C+.

Great!

Needed a conga line to enjoy this one.

A fun dancey album, but held back by its sameness that's made worse by the near full hour-long length. Favorite Track: Qui cherche trouve

Fela Kuti for soccer moms

Felt like I was at Belizean culture night (I know he's not Belizean but that was what it reminded me of)

Just not my cup of tea, songs drag on for too long

Quite incredible. Was not familiar with Congolese music, but the rythm is undeniable. While often overlooked, Africa has some of the best music I have ever heard

Pleasant music to listen with a few songs standing out. Not sure I would seek it out again to play it, but I would listen to it again. Conte de Fees was my standout. 3 stars

Latin Sounds, die Texte auf kongolesisch verstehe ich leider nicht ;-) Entspannte Musik, angenehm zu hören. 3/5

A bop. I'm sure I liked it only because I didn't listen to anything like this before, but bop nevertheless

A decent album from the Congo that suffers from a lot of 80s production tropes. Fun if you can get past that.

Good album. Very good rhythms.

Not for me. Not into this music. Sorry not sorry.

Not the worst thing I've ever heard, but I'll never listen to this again on purpose.

Waka Waka eyyyy

Kann nicht viel dazu sagen, ganz ok.

Nichts zu sagen, harmlose Musik. -1 Stern, weil Vergewaltiger

pleasant! interesting and different. not 100% my thing but i had a fine listening time. felt a little mocked by all the smooth, easy breezy vibes while working at my desk but that's not this guy's fault!

interesting music with great positive 90s vibes, but doesn't warrant a full hour of active listening imo. great for background work music though. makes me wish i were on a beach somewhere, and i don't even like the beach. favorites: désespoir, koweït rive gauche

Интересный музыкальный опыт, никогда ничего подобного не слушал, Яндекс даже крутил только подобную после альбома, вот такое это уникальное

This album is way too repetitive and boring. The songs don’t really go anywhere and they go on for way too long. That is not a problem if you can settle into the groove, but I thought the music just wasn’t that good; it sounds so dated. I didn’t really like his vocals either.

This is so joyful. I keep dancing along. Feels a little retro My French (and Portuguese ?) is not great. So unfortunately, I can't appreciate the lyrics. Great vocals, good beats, will definitely revisit. It was nice having it on at work to vibe to, but not have it be super distracting

It might technically be very good, but the music did not speak to me and I didn't really like it.

This was interesting!

This is an awesome record! I really like the good vibes here.

This eas nice. It shows my age perfectly but it reminds me of the kids shoe gullah gullah island on nick Jr from a billion years ago. That might be my own ignorance because of the afro centric themes in both but I dont think im that far off. Cameroon and Angola/Sierra Leon are at least in the same corner of the continent. But back to the album at hand. Its just pretty fun. Not anything im looking to listen to all the time but it was a nice listen here. Nothing stood out that much for me but it was solid from start to finish. I knwo almost zero French so im at a loss on what's going down bit I get the island vibes. Even though its not an island. It has that feel. Very laid back and chill. The production is also very indicative of the time. It feels pretty 80s. But all in all its solid. Does what it set out to do well enough. Worthwhile listen

upbeat, danceable, curious, of its time.

I really enjoyed, but I am undecided if this should be listed

Glad Soukous music got some representation in the list. Lots of people here showing their ass by implying that the only "true "African music should be raw and not use modern production techniques; also removing any agency from artists by implying that the sound is for Western audiences and not for stylistic preferences. Also without minimising the crime committed if you don't separate the art from the artist, much of this list is null and void.

334/1089 two songs in and i feel like this sound is quite dated so there might not be songs that i “love” or need to revisit here but getting albums like this that represent other cultures and sounds is exactly why this project excites me this album is really setting out the influences that created Waka Waka which is a song i’ve always loved i think it was a cute album but idk i think it’s age was too apparent 45/100

There was an animated Disney movie soundtrack quality to this album.

Hell yeah, dude. This is what I'm talkin' about

Enjoyed this & was happy to learn more about continental African pop music. This isn't too dissimilar to what you'll hear on African radio stations but I imagine Olomide is the biggest name in the genre given his presence on this list and also his (dicey!) Wikipedia page lol. It's not extraordinary or playing around notably with texture but it's a good sample of what's big & has a light danciness to it that I appreciate. Would love to listen to this while playing the low stakes tables

Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I really loved it

Quite forgettable

meh

I don't understand a word but I love every bit of this. The choir, the drums, the flow of the music. I started bobbing my head at the first second and didn't stop until an hour later. This was a really fun experience and while I don't think that I will listen to this very often, having this experience was great!

Hey a non-Western artist on this list! More of this please! That being said, while I definitely enjoyed branching out and think that this project is objectively quite pleasant, I'm not the biggest fan of percussion-driven music in general and found it to be tedious.

Apparently, this album consists of 9 separate songs. Maybe he should stop screwing his young dancers & learn how to write a different song. I don't know what a pussa or a sassy boosa is but I was tried of hearing about it for an hour. 1

It's not bad. No clue what he's singing about, but it's got a nice beat, his voice is good, smooth and warm. It feels a bit over produced, like they spent time cleaning it up for the record, not bad but it's noticeable. Kinda takes something out of it. Good put on and dance around your house music.

Favorite Track: Papa Bonheur

I see value in this kind of music but im really not fond of this genre.

He is not afraid of a preset rhythm on his keyboard but that does not stop the album from being great - which is a pity as he is so problematic .

Great vibes, agreeable melodies, awesome bbq album.

All the songs kinda just sounded the same. I’m sure it was good, but just kinda boring.

A fun exploration into the Congolese styles of soukous and kwassa kwassa! Definitely a bit Westernised, but I'd definitely prefer that over having nothing from this region at all.

Ok yeah a quick trip to his Wikipedia page shows that this was a very flawed individual, but this was a pretty fun album overall!

Can I just say that I unironically adore how straightforward and under-designed the cover art is? It captures the exact lofi, loose and free vibe of the music, and while I don't think the album's a "masterpiece" - not that it has any pretensions of being one - this mf had me moving the whole way through! One hell of a good time! Standouts: Papa Bonheur • Désespoir • Conte de Fées • Obrigado

An extremely breezy and pleasant album, perfect for summer, but not enough variety to justify its length.

Fun vibes and make you want to dance, but very repetitive and get a little old.

Not having heard him before, I chose to go down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to learn more. It was there that I learned that this man is truly heinous, with his article capping off with an 18 month prison sentence. Which coincidentally is the average length of one of his songs. 2/5: hints of something there, maybe I’ll learn more about Congolese music from someone that isn’t an absolute scumbag

Genuinely enjoys the music, just got a bit same-y after a while. Very fun though!

no thanks, don't need this

This was great, sounded like a carnival. Really cheery.

Really lovely, didn't understand the lyrics but I was tapping my feet pretty often

Not my thing, at least it's happy and made me wanna dance

The first Congolese artist on the list (I think), this album has lots of energy and peppy songs. The lyrics seem to be both in French and some African language, so I have no idea what he’s singing about. Koffi went to college in France so it’s logical that he knows French. Apparently he was/is very influential and sold out a performance at a 20,000 seat French venue.

Fun! Lingala? And French? Or is it just that spoken Lingala has a bunch of French influence?? I think it's *not* just that, though, because the titles/choruses/"main ideas" are more often in French, so it seems like a stylistic code-switch. Very cool. A linguistics dataset for me. Plus 'Élixir' is (almost?) totally in French, and that's the most straightforward love song here. Honestly, there's more African albums on this list than I expected (at least 3). Everything here has good energy, even 'Désespoir', which you'd think might be a mopefest. If I'm understanding them right (which I definitely may not be), every song is kinda like "Mom! Nobody likes me! But - I love {girl's name (different one in every song)}! Everybody dance!". Oh, and there's one about how money isn't everything (everybody dance!).

A bit like listening to Graceland without the good bits! That’s harsh to be fair. You can’t help nodding your head and tapping your feet to this music. The joy is palpable and very infectious I really enjoyed it.

An excellent album. Fun, wide ranging, lots of genres, proof you don’t need to understand the lyrics. This is what I wanted from this project, learning new bands and albums from diffferent styles and countries.

Enjoyed the general vibe of this one, even though some of the songs I didn’t necessarily enjoy . Specific rating - 4.0 Fav song - papa bonheur Least fav - dit jeannot

I'm not a big fan of his voice when he's singing slower songs or singing higher pitched but I really enjoyed the more upbeat songs and his deeper singing voice. Favourite song: Papa bonheur Least: Koweit, rive gauche

Well performed, but honestly kind of a snooze

Don't like ndombolo that much (his voice is sick tho)

Oh. My, goodness. Feeling so uplifted lemme tell you. Couldn’t tell if it was French or German for the first bit for some reason but OOOH that French smooth. Balling out. Feeling of when you hit that home run in Gaga ball and the team gets to celebrating. 9.4/10. Drink: lemon spritz with raspberry compote ( I ain’t neva had a spritz but it feels right)

Es como una onda tropical pero en un idioma q no conozco. No lo escuche todo perdón 💜

Occasionally settles into a groove I enjoy but too much of this is pop music that sounds backed up by an 80s Casio keyboard. Got about 2/3 of the way through and then switched to the dead milkmen.

i read the reviews n got 2 know sum weird shit abt this dude aka that hes a sexual assaulter. ew.

Light, cheerful and with a commercial sheen that doesn't really appeal to me

Gode sommervibes. Albummet minder mig, ikke overraskende, om Stromae, der også synger på fransk og har draget inspiration fra afrikanske rytmer i sin musik og. kunne godt ønske at både albummet og de individuelle sange var lidt kortere. Det og hvis jeg var bedre til fransk ville nok hæve scoren.

Number: 147 Date: 05/30/2026 Artist: Koffi Olomide Album: Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche Year: 1992 Style: African Soukous Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 3 Before: ======= Another never heard of. That makes 3 days in a row. I'm thinkg Caribbean or African? During: ======= Wow, this guys been pretty productive, with over 70 albums listed in his discography on Spotify. Let's compare that to my all time favorite, Mark E Smith, aka The Fall. OK, calcuating...the Fall have over 100 albums listed, which is 42% more. So, still on the first track after 6 minutes and I can say that the music is entertaining and has it's place but not something I would ever go out of my way to listen to. I can't imagine I'll ever listen to this album again after today. After : ======= I decided not to rate the indvidual songs as it al sould pretty much the same to me. 3 my personal rating 4 suitability for this list 5 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4 composite rating

It’s fun and lively! Once or twice it dips into a little of that early 90s r&b.

turned it off 2 minutes into this like i kinda wanna sleep cause this is BOOOOOOORING. 2/5

Non merci, rendez-moi cette heure.

Afrofrench music?!? Sign me up! You realize how awesome Fela Kuti is when listening to this. Broken glass and engine revving...might be my favorite part of the album so far. Ladysmith Black Mombazo must hate this guy, he basically stole their act and translated it to French...I'm not sure which is more offensive. The album cover looks like he printed it on his dad's inkjet printer and then sold it in front of the mall from his car trunk. I can't tell the difference between any of these songs. All of them sound like they want to be Paul Simon's Graceland though. Dit Jeannot is the best song on the album. I just don't get World music.

Lowkey rhythms and excellent vibes. I definitely liked this more before I read the other reviews about him being a sex criminal :-/ Fav song: Koweït, rive guache / Élixir

my spirit is lifted and my legs are dancing LET'S GOOO

I started checking wikipedia pages before reviewing because of this one

This was pretty good I’d give it a 2.75

Always happy to get a world music artist on this generator but maybe I need to be more discerning as this album did nothing for me. Every song on here seems a couple of minutes too long and although there were sections where I thought the song might spring into life it usually just drifted on and left me wondering how much longer it was going on for

2.5 que bajo a 2

This was incredibly delightful. Exactly the kind of music I had hoped to discover on this list. Really loved it.

it was a fun album to listen to, felt a bit like elevator/resort music but i also found myself dancing/swaying to some of it so wouldn't mind hearing it again!

This guy is getting review-bombed due to his crimes. Taking the album at face value, I l found it catchy and nice, not a bad listen for a Tuesday morning, and more palatable than a lot of albums on here. 4* POUSSA POUSSEZ POUSSA POUSSEZ Highlights: desespoir

Y? I think it’s chill.

Congolese music in styles I’ve never heard of (ndombolo, soukous) but no matter - pretty much anything from that continent is a guaranteed 4 or better from me.

Maybe we should separate the art from the artist. Maybe. It's a debate I go back, and forth with myself. The album itself is one I appreciate, but one I don't have the urge to listen to again either If you're going to protest Koffi Olomide by giving this album a one star due to his repulsive actions, that's fine. However, keep that same energy for John Lennon, Jimmy Page, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Kanye West, and other mainstream artists in the Western part of the world. Favorite Track: "Papa Bonheur".

Yeah I guess you could say I popped a bonheur listening to this

Great musicality, upbeat, fun, "lion-kingy", cool. Though I don't understand any of the lyrics, the songs are still solid and impressive. Wouldn't listen again.

Not my thing. It was fun sounding music, like something you'd hear at a resort or while at a party, but it was hard to connect to it since I didn't know what was being said and I'm not used to these sounds.

I like the rhythms and the dance vibe but there really isn’t much variety. C’est bon ça! At the end of pretty much every song. Can’t give it all five but it was enjoyable. I bet his live shows are fun.

“…but you LOVE Ladysmith Black Mambazo!…”

This album has been really great so far. I've really enjoyed it. It's got nice happy vibes. It reminds me of a song on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. Kipenda Roho by Remmy Ongala 5 stars. I even relistened to it while making dinner

Possibly Paul Simon’s weakest performance ever. I wasn’t paying very close attention while listening but I don’t even remember hearing his part at all.

Like maybe in the background in the pool area of a French Riviera Resort. But being in this list. No.

This was a delightful melange of instruments and vocals that simmers and blends well, even though I do nott understand the language. Soukous, is one of the more pleasurable true audio discoveries I've learned about from this list. Regarding Koffi Olomide, his self control issues are troubling, and he does seem to have some self destructive habits, though I would note that he was subsequently acquitted of the statutory rape charge. Furthermore, I've always tried maintain a practice of separating the art from the artist when judging works. Musical ideas are more than the source of their origin. I do think this album is worthy of being on the list.

Popular, too uniform. Prisoner!

How do you not have an absolute banging time listening to something like this? It’s so much fun from front to back. Seriously, if you don’t like this how far is your head up your own ass or who hurt you?

Melody was generally pretty pleasant but it was just difficult to get into given the language barrier

Pretty middle of the road. Feels like the guy who made this list felt it needed some more African music and just found some lounge music.

At a risk of sounding uncultured, I found the songs to become repetitive as the album went on. As a non-speaker of French, it then became a difficult album to listen to as I couldn't immerse in the lyrical content. Koffi obviously has a fantastic voice and is a key figure on the Congolese music scene (despite his reported misconduct). The music is very danceable and was perfect for a bright, sunny morning coffee and breakfast moving around the kitchen, but I probably won't revisit this one again.

No thanks

That was refreshing change of pace. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Not something I'd ever go out of my way to listen to but I had a good time!

On the plus side, a lively bear and something a little different. On the negative, statutory rape. How to decide?

Shouldn’t Conga records be confined to wedding do’s by forming a line and grabbing the waist of the person in front and dancing around the room. Not for me outside that environment. 1/5 9/5/26

Very fun and happy album, which I really like. Danced along whilst listening. Would definitely listen to this one again!

Gezellig!

Happy. Great for a summer party. I just don’t host those too often.

very lovely! i think listening to this the day after graceland was really cool because it contextualized a lot of paul simon's stylistic choices. it's kind of crazy how a different vocal delivery can completely transform the tone of the song despite the bones being essentially the same. this felt so light and celebratory and warm, and the percussive nature of french really adds to the rhythms of this music.

I'm sure he's very big in the Congo but nowhere else.

Didn’t appeal to me at all

Loved it, felt like i was on vacation! Very fun!

Ok.

I wanted to like it more

Est ce que j'irais le voir en concert...non Mais C'est un grand oui De superbes chansons de fête qui dure bien longtemps pour que tout le monde ai le temps de danse, une ambiance formidable tout du long Ça me rassure aussi sur le fait que le mec qui gère ce site le fait pas que du UK/US Ce qui nous donne un total de 4

Haut de gamme pour le Congo je n'émets aucun doute

Music was chill, listened a few times.

Review - really nice record from an artist I'd never heard of. Exactly what I was looking to get out of this list. Score - 6.5/10 Need to listen? YES

The music doesn't do anything for me, but Koffi Olomide's Wikipedia page is a fascinating read.

Off the beaten trail. Fun and upbeat, with a Latin sound.

French language. Terrible cheesy synths. Beats aren't even that danceable. Run-on song length. I completely and vehemently disagree with whoever decided I can't die without listening to this from end to end.

Inoffensive but didn't really catch my ear. Songs went on for a long time

Might sound nice as a background soundtrack in a cafe/restaurant on holiday but other than conjuring imagery of warmer climes, this didn’t really hit a spot.

Some of this slapped. Some of it was the same song and lost me along the way. Fun though.

53/100. A sound built for movement, driven by intricate melodies and a steady groove that rarely lets up. Koffi Olomidé leans into consistency, creating a smooth and flowing experience.

I like it; I like west African music

Nice Caribbean sound. Makes you feel like you are in a bar.

Well let's say at the start that from the Wiki article he sounds like a pretty despicable person and when Papa Wemba is sitting right there, is this actually an album I need to hear? Musically fine when it does the Afro-funk, but there are several tracks where it seems to aim at Afro-yacht Rock - more Charles Aznavour than Fela Kuti - and do we need that?

The album was upbeat and kinda fun, yet somehow every song ended with the exact same 2 minute long repetitive, vulgar sounding in a funny way, shout. It definitely sounds like you should be on the beach or on a cruise listening to this.

Not unenjoyable, and it's not a sound that's alien to me, although this has an 80s sheen to the production that's not really a sound I gravitate too. But it's more the kind of music that I find is better to listen to live, in the early afternoon sat in a sunny festival field drinking cider. ... so if you're reading Koffi, book something this summer in the Haute Savoie region of France and I'll be there!

I'm not familiar with Congolese music, more with Nigerian. A fine album, wonderfull representation of that areas musical scene, clear influence in Cuban music.

Groovy, good beat, fun summer album. I don't really understand the genre.

I do enjoy French afrobeats.

It was okay I guess

2.5 - ok

Good stuff.

Spends way to much of its runtime sounding like the soundtrack for a beach themed party game on the Wii

No. 1/2 a star

This was great! Definitely on the list of favorites.

This was extremely fun to listen to, it’d be hard not to be uplifted by this. Sunshiny tunes. 3.5/5.0 Best Song: Qui Cherche Trouve

This was a lot of fun, not my usual bag, and it can't imagine ill chuck it on again soon, but it was a fun listen. Music that is impossible to feel sad to.

Bit samey but bouncy and boppy - easy background music.

It's cool. It did all sound like one song, but it was a good song.

Totally dug this!

Some vibes, 5/10

un peu banger mais pour un des seuls albums francophones de la liste ça tombe sur un violeur apparemment. mais sinon très bon album pour l'attraction africa cruise à nigloland

You can't help but dance to this album, just a happy vibe. Favourite track: Obrigado

I couldn’t get past the first few tracks. I took up this project to expose myself to more music, but sometimes novelty isn’t enough.

This album was another data point for me that I like subSaharan African music more than North African, although it's all good stuff. This style of music is so jovial and energetic it's hard not to enjoy. The guitar melodies are always so cheerful, and the percussion sections are rich and polyrhythmic. I love the shakers; I employ you to listen back to Jacob Colier's "Nebaluyo" where he breaks down the kind of shaker rhythm that can be found in Africa and South America even further into a quintuplet feel. Another quality of this style is that it is very jam-like: there are often not many distinct sections. For the songs on this album that did have distinct sections, it was almost like they were divided into separate songs. The style of composition makes it easier for the songs to wash over you as the same groove can drag on, but music is so uplifting. I usually don't mind . The artist description on Spotify was in French, but I was able to glean that they're from DRC. I didn't know that was a former French colony as well. This one sits somewhere between three and four. For me

Not previously familiar to me. It's nice enough, and also nice/refreshing to hear something a little different. But I'm not sure this one stands out, (amidst all of the music from Africa -- or even just Congolese music), or deserves to be on the list (my sense is that it does not belong). Actually, now that I've listened to the whole thing, I'm struggling to give even 3 stars, and tempted to give only 2. (Would go 2.5, if I could.) Probably meant more for dancing (?); for listening, it's pretty forgettable, at least for me. I guess I'll go with 3 stars, partly because I'm glad for the diversity on this list, but it's a close call, and I suspect (believe) there must be MANY other much better choices that could have been made. Side note: it's possible that part of my (personal/subjective) problem is with Congolese rumba, which (after, admittedly, not a lot of exposure) strikes me as kind of (tending to be) formulaic, and not super interesting, musically (?). Not sure I know enough to say that, though (probably not!). If either of you ever come across excellent Congolese music, please let me know. Actually, I can think of one: Konono No. 1, "Congotronics"- check it out, if you're not familiar.

Can't really compare this to much else. I don't listen to enough Central African music. I'm happy to be exposed to it, thanks to this list. It's not an English rock band. yay It's cheesy at times (mainly the singer doing the low voice embellishments) The rhythms and grooves are fun fun fun ça c'est bon ça

A great background listen

It’s a fun vibe at the beginning, but it all sounds the same after a while to my untrained ears

Very fun album. Enjoyed my listen but not one I would listen to again. The end of each song was also slightly repetitive but it’s not a genre I’ve listened to before so it may be that’s part of the style or my ear is not accustomed to the slight differences

alors c'est pas mon style, j'ai pas détesté mais juste c'est pas le genre de musique que j'écoute. je ne peux pas en dire plus étant donné que je suis très inculte en matière de musique africaine.

Some of these aren't bad at all, good fun and had me tapping my foot. There are a couple of times in the album where it got a bit dull but overall, this is ok

Catchy stuff but I agree with another review that it's kind of made for tourist level music.

I enjoy world music. I enjoy hearing things from different cultures and experiencing those sounds. This was fine, but as I've said about other world music I've been assigned on this site, I hear better stuff regularly on NPR. And, it's not like anything on this guy's Wikipedia page makes me think he's worthy of being included here.

Curioso al menos, no entiendo si llega a ser un disco brasilero o de origen africano pero tiene un aire tropical y alegre que es agradable, no me desperto ninguna chispa de genialidad en mi pero para el que le guste el genero sera una buena obra

Some fun non-English-language music.

fun and diverse at first but after the first 75min it all sounded the same to me. What started as decent background working music turned a bit annoying. I am sure it has relevance and brings in various instruments and styles that I am too layperson to appreciate.

Pues no es odioso pero digamos que la rumba congolesa no es lo mío. Y es de esos discos que hacen dudar un poco de la validez de esta lista. Me estás diciendo que de los 10 o 15 discos de estos 1001 que están en un idioma diferente al inglés, este es uno de los mejores de la historia? Ni en pedo.

Fair

muy bueno, muy chill

El sonido general no está nada mal; rescato bastante el ensamble instrumental. El gran problema es que me resultó imposible conectar porque la barrera del idioma es total, dejándome completamente afuera de las letras. Si a eso le sumamos que cada tema dura más de 6 minutos, la escucha se vuelve demasiado densa.

Pretty samey and boring

This feels like it is a mainstream, simplified, accessible but watered-down version of this style of music. I don't know much about this style, but it feels adapted for my accessibility and I'd rather have something closer to the truth. For most of it, it made me move and was quite fun. Again... 'musical artist proves to be unpleasant character'#42 on this list. Quel surprise.

Cool. Something I've never heard of. Admittedly, the WTF album artwork isn't giving me high hopes, but I want to find something new I can love. It's fine. Never need to hear it again.

Great album. Every song is good. Koffi has an excellent voice and smooth delivery. The music is light and upbeat, reminds me of sounds on Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Really enjoyable listen.

There’s something rather enjoyable about this - it’s upbeat, joyful and altogether fun, and it’s hard not to want to do a little bop whilst you listen. My main criticism is it goes on a bit too long, nearing a full hour so it’s perhaps a bit much. Realistically I wouldn’t return to this but doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy a listen.

Crazy album art. Top 10 worst album arts so far. Anyways, I hope I'm not the first person to ever hear Koweït and hear the Never Meant riff in it. Where's the mashup? Dude's a gross human being awful pedophile piece of shit but the music is danceable and fun. Am I insane or is this whole album in C Major? Conte I think is technically in Am, at least in the beginning, I wonder if there's a reason culturally since all the songs are played on western instruments. Anywho, it's not something I see myself returning to but there is definite value here. It's far too samey/repeating itself to be considered a 4 or even high three, but hitting it with a two feels disingenuous.

did not enjoy

No thanks

Ikke min kopp med noen ting egentlig

I really liked this! Not something I likely would have stumbled across on my own, but it was so pretty and felt joyous. Parts of it reminded me of Caribbean and Polynesian music. It’s just so pretty and I loved that I understood quite a bit because I used to speak French!

kk 0/5

Technically, this music is fine. Some might even describe it as good. But it might just be the least deserving entry on this list out of all 900 I've reviewed so far. For 1992, Olomide offers absolutely nothing new to the music world. Before this point, we had huge innovative pushes from the rock and jazz worlds, the rise and fall of punk, disco, and New Wave, the beginning of the grunge movement... But this? This is just uncreative. The average track length is also a little too long for comfort. Only one track, out of nine, clocks in at under 6 minutes. With no intra-track progression to speak of, this could only ever be background music – and exceptionally "safe" background music at that. But I can't hate it. The opener, Papa bunheur, acts as a perfect summer vacation soundtrack, even if it plays it extremely safe in terms of complexity. Two chords (I and V), various flutes and light percussive instruments, a happy guitar part (played by a bored guitarist), and group-singing/-shouting. It almost reads like the soundtrack of a corporate cruise ship getaway. Désespoir is positively riveting in comparison, even though it has a slower tempo and overall less energy. The breakdown in the middle is heavily reminiscent of Simon's I Know What I Know (Graceland, 1986), and it boosts the track's status high above the rest. It's worth noting that nearly every track uses those same two chords, and goddammit, it gets old *so* quickly. All the progress made from experimentation with new sounds in the 20th century, culminating in this snoozefest? (Guys, back me up here.) After a hefty amount of scrolling, the only two 5-star reviews I found included comments about how "boring" it was or that Olomide is wearing white pants on the cover. I remain unconvinced. 2/5 Key tracks: Désespoir

not my jam but easy to listen to.

not my usual but a vibe

Pass

58# Am... what? Personally I don't really like it, it's funny and in a specific African party i could dance to it. I can understand it being here. It's important to have characteristic music from all over the world and I find it interesting (I've already listened to this kind of music before so it is that new to me). In this kind of music the voice has to shine and the vocalist needs to give their heart, cause the rhythms are kind of always the same thing over and over. Won't say the vocalist does a good job nor a bad job, but I think the first track pretty much sums up the whole album. Really long, it speeds up at the end, vocalist goes kinda bonkers. End. I'll be that guy and say this could've been another African album. This is too calculated

I enjoyed this and found it diverting enough. Don't know that I'll seek out more like it, but good enough.

Great mood

One of my very favourite songs ever- Nothing But Flowers by Talking Heads - sounds like it was ripped directly off one of the tracks on this album. Good to hear the OG I guess.

Context matters, so this album was listened to on a 1:00 AM drive north up the 400 after watching the film Hail Mary in IMAX. There was this terrible spring thunderstorm and I drove through constant lightning with intermittent torrential downpours, this album was an interesting copilot for the journey. Each song starts off like it's going to be the worst song ever, Disneyesque music begins each track and I'm annoyed that I have to listen to this whole thing.... but then something funny happens, all of a sudden it's six minutes later and I'm in a total vibe, the songs build into this chill space where your toes start tapping against your will. Then the song ends and the shit beginning of the next song starts. I don't think I've heard Congolese music before and not sure if I'll seek out any more, but... I don't know, just that I guess....2

Fine. Good sound. Background patio drinking music. Just not my vibe.

If you like curaçao, you’ll like this.

I had fun

Vibey Congolese music it is today.

I really cannot judge if this is good music, as I personally just don't like this genre. But within the genre it could be good.

Trevlans

Musiken som drar igång under scenen i en Disney-film där hjältarna kommer till något nytt ställe och allt verkar mycket mer frid och fröjd än det egentligen är. Går inte på den lätta.

Nu är vi här igen, ren musikglädje. Superhärlig vibe rätt igenom och jäkligt snygg produktion, toppen!

3 mysigt

Lite enformigt.

Afrika-slop

Yesss 🎶🏵🎶🏵🎶🏵

This album was bright and fun and that carried it for the first half or so before I got very tired of it. It's definitely not a bad album, but it's certainly one I'll never listen to again.

1001?!

A fun listen that at times has hilariously stuck in the 80's/90's production.

World music without Paul Simon.

Zwei

What’s not to like

A wide-variety of genres in one album, even a single song starts somewhere and ends completely differently. The whole album has a celebration feel to it. Only Congolese album in the list apparently. Read that the genre that this album belongs to is tcha tcho, kwassa kwassa, soukous and congolese rumba :-) Favorite track: Koweit, rive gauche other picks: papa bonheur, desespoir

2.5 stars At first I thought it was a 2 star album. But it’s a bit of a bias against albums in an unfamiliar language. I gave it a little more space as I listened and I was grooving along to it. Some of the repeating bits throughout were working for me. I don’t know if I’d listen again but I appreciated it.

Not sure who this Koffi dude is but so far this is pretty jammin. It seems to fluctuate between cheesy and jammin. Overall not a bad album but not really my taste. I'd say I liked about half of the album mostly the more upbeat songs.

Not really having a chance at understanding the lyrics, I enjoyed the beat and flow and mood of the music.

Going in I knew this was going to be something different. Tried to keep an open mind as I tootled through the tracks. Started OK but wore me down towards the end. Recordings are good. The musicians are talented.

Wanted to like this, but just weren't my jam.

Fine, just not my cup of tea.

Dançante

What the hell was that? Had to look it up because I had no idea. Some dude from the Congo singing in French? He could sing at least, even if I couldn’t understand a word.

Dance music in a language I don’t know, it’s alright.

I really appreciate this style of music and enjoyed this for a couple of songs. Then it just got a little repetitive for my taste. Not really my thing but ok.