Reviews (page 6 of 7)
2.5/5. Not great. I was optimistic seeing that it was not english, but was let down. It's different, but it sounds pretty dated.
What pleasant music; it's always great when this list drifts outside the anglo influence. Now to open up the artist's wikipedia page, but not before I take a big sip of hot coffee....
Greit nok, men håpte da skulle vær hakket bedre
Not bad but not that much variation and the instrumentation is veeeery repetitive . I'm guessing the focus is on the lyrics which is great… but i don't understand a word so this album flies over my head.
This is the soundtrack for every 80”s movie that has a palm tree in it
While I certainly appreciate the variety that this album provides to this list, it seems unremarkable on its own. Much of this is likely due to the language and lack of cultural context on my end, but still there wasn't enough there musically to compel future listening.
This was decent background music, but also fairly boring and very hard to distinguish one song from the next. As ever with music that's out of my comfort zone, I'm not sure if that's a me problem or an it problem.
Found it quite interesting and pleasant to listen to at the beginning then it just got a bit samey towards the end.
I won't speak at length about this album because of my lack of exposure to the genre. I enjoyed it rhythmically, but felt like some songs really reflected it's 90s release date (Porte-monnaie comes to mind). Favorite song: Qui cherche trouve Least favorite: Désespoir Knew before? No
The guitar track sounds like Latin loops from a program like Garage Band. To be fair, I don't speak the language, but to me the songs sound very samey. They are upbeat in a chill way though, so OK to play in the background.
Tried, couldn't finish.
Started off enjoying this but after a couple of tracks it got quite repetitive. Not something I would have otherwise listened to so always nice to hear something in a genre not familiar to me.
I felt like a lot of the songs blended together a bit because they all sounded so similar. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
I kinda feel the same about this genre about 80's/90's music. Alot of the production shifts the original charm of the sound in more of an electronic sense but it sounds almost too electronic? It washes out alot of the genre I appreciate. But, from a critical listening perspective the album artist and genre would definitely go on to inspire early 2000's latinx pop. Daddy Yankee comes to mind.
It's not bad per se, it's just boring to my ears. And it makes me wonder... If this is on the list, why isn't any of Amadou & Mariam's albums?
It all sounds the same to me.
Not sure why this is on the list. Very repetitive, especially after the 4th or 5th song. Didn’t have it but not impressed.
It's a festive soundtrack for the day, but after a few songs, it began to feel repetitive at times.
It all sounds the same
After about 5 minutes this faded into being something like the soundtrack to a movie I left on but got distracted and walked into another room. There was something musical happening but it may as well have been playing nearby because I no longer cared.
I didn't really like this. But at no point did I hate it or feel the need to turn it off or skip a song. It's way to long, it's not in a language I understand (so who knows what the message is here) and apparently the guy is not a nice guy. Probably music a movie would use as a background. And I'm not sure why it's on the list. But there are worse albums on here.
Not for me
I’d rather listen to Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. This was just ok. Tough with all foreign lyrics.
Haha
this album reminds me of a particular cafe in bandon oregon along the coast. it's a small tourist haven, a carbon copy of many such towns that you can find all along northern oregon's coast. white washed timber buildings splintered from years of harsh salt in the air and water. wind cuts it's path through everything. The cafe was something you could find all over oregon back then. a funky little room in the upstairs of a building that hadn't changed in generations. bright wood making up the most of the furniture and wall trim. i remember nursing my drink--most likely a latte with whole milk--and looking at a corkboard set up along the back wall. the entirety of the corkboard was taken up with a world map made sometime between 2000 and 2011. below the map was a simple proposition written in sharpie: where are you from? put a pin! i remember spending minutes scanning the map. most points on the map made sense with plenty of pins cluttering California and the Pacific Northwest in it's entirety. most pins were placed all over the continental us. a friend of mine put their pin in their small alaskan home, adding to the collective project. there were only a few pins in alaska scattered around the massive state. it was these outliers that fascinated me. every continent had a pin it somewhere, from england to japan, to argentina to zimbabwe. it seemed hundreds of people from across the globe had wandered into the little hole in the wall in a tourist afterthought for international travel. i was struck with awe in the idea that people from such different walks of life had stood where i now was and marked their home. invisible threads spread across the earth that intersected in this homey bit of nowhere. the music of koffi olomide reminds me of that connection. i don't know this man, or can speak the language that he speaks. but in this moment as i write, stoned and feverish, i feel connected. our threads intertwined through a fan project of a book most people will never read. a pin on the spotify listener map.
I normally go 3 starts automatically for world music, seeing as though I have little to no frame of reference. This record is no different, but at times sounds like a characateur of itself
Ça a parti pas trop pire, mais vers la fin je trouvais que ça s'essoufflait beaucoup trop. Quelque chose qui joue en défaveur selon moi c'est que les pièces sont souvent beaucoup trop longue pour leur bien. Aussi semblerait que cet artiste est plutôt problématique. 5/10
I didn’t know about Olomide’s statutory rape conviction while listening to this album, but even so I’m not inclined to give it an especially high score. It was fine, not exceptional.
This one just really didn't do it for me. Not totally sure why but I found it quite bland.
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche is jaunty and uplifting in places but gets pretty tiring and samey pretty quickly. It doesn't need to be as long as it is either, it's a standard underwhelming 2, aside from the guy being a rapist sack of shit, but we've had our share of absolute cunts on this list already and there's always an effort to try to separate the art from the artist.
Yeah, I really struggle to get excited about this kind of music, and it's no different here. Most likely a fault with me, rather than the music, but I really struggle to differentiate between good and bad in this kind of genre. 2/5.
Hmmmm...
Something is off with this cat. It’s sounds like one of those compilation albums where popular songs are made squeaky clean and performed by teens. Like playing a 33 album on 45. It’s not terrible but I’m cool with never hearing it again.
Each song is an enjoyable enough 3★ but this is a case of diminishing returns with how identical all the songs are.
ganz nett aber is apparently a creep, also punkteabzug
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche is a studio album by Koffi Olomidé, originally released in 1992. This was an interesting one. We've got our first album on this list from Congo. Based on other users' comments, it appears the artist has a sketchy past to say the least. Putting all that aside, I was disappointed by this. It sounds a bit...generic. Echoing what others have said, it sounds like what would be played at a tourist resort. I think it's the overproduction. Although this was released in 1992, there is still a lot of 80s cheese in this. The synth sounds, the drums, etc. Too slick for my taste. The guitar playing throughout was fantastic though.
Lasted 4 songs. Surely this isn't the best Congo has to offer. The bad MS paint job album cover, the string of controversies that litter his wiki page, the ok-ish music... Not for me.
It's fine. Just not for me. Would I listen to it again? No. That's what 2 stars will probably mean for me.
This sounds like the type of repetitive, same-sounding music that would be played over the PA system of a warm weather resort's lounge and gift shop for tourists.
It's well made, but there is little variety between songs. It's just not my cup of tea. 2/5
2.5
This was a pretty good album; I listened to it while working and it was pleasure to listen to despite me not understanding the language. It is a good backdrop album.
No está tan mal, una que otra con buen ritmo. Pero no es lo mío
I usually like a bit of African music but this isn’t doing it for me the way other albums have. The grooves are a bit lightweight, without the punch and energy that I usually enjoy, and there’s a hint of 80s pop production running through the album that doesn’t do it any favours.
Listened to it while make some apple crisp. The apple crisp turned out great.
Sounds like the music playing during the excursion boat ride.
2.44
I didn’t like that midi Doughie houser production. The guy is a criminal
Did not particularly care for this one. The sound is good and it is well-produced, but I'm not a fan of the music. It's a bit overproduced and a little too upbeat for my taste. The (non-English) vocals are a bit too prominent for me as well, so there's not much appeal for me.
La musique du monde :')
It's not bad, but really got tired of the stock Casio keyboard sounds. 2/5
It's good to see something from outside the US and UK, but this was kinda boring after the first couple of tracks.
Needed some coffee to get through Koffi, just a bit too light for me (2.5/5)
I love afrobeat and these songs had a great rhythm and great mood to them, but I did not think there was much of a variation from song to song. It felt like a slog after about 15 minutes, and I'd happily take one song on its own, but a whole album sorta put me to sleep. High level of musicianship, but I wouldn't listen again.
Don’t really need to hear again. But didn’t kill me.
It might have helped if my French was better but this one is missing that je ne sais quoi that I needed for a higher rating.
Really something that is not in my wheelhouse. Congolese music whilst sounding fun and interesting, is something that I don't enjoy on a daily basis. Best: Desespoir Worst: Dit Jeannot
Wading up to the swim-up bar in Cancun to get my 6th Negra Modelo of the morning, this is what's playing.......probably.
Not bad.....but also not for me.
I think that was just the same annoying song nine times in a row. I can’t say it’s objectively BAD though.
Тумба-юмба
блять он бесконечный
- the vibes are good yes, but do i ever see myself listening to this again? Probably not
Lokale muziek uit de jaren '90. Het voelt at ouderwets aan. Het album Graceland van Paul Simon is dan een stuk leuker. **
Eh wasn't really feeling this one. It was decent as background music but hard for me to really get into.
The musicianship is fine, but this is not my style of music. There are albums that make me want to split my head on the corner of a cinder block wall, but this one falls just short.
Pretty not good. Not 1 star bad I guess but never again.
Theres not a single song on this album that I would want to go back and listen to again
Nada que resalte mas allá de la obvia calidad como músico. Pero que se yo, no debo tener el oído para distinguir algo sobresaliente en melodías ambientales
Classic forgettable album :A
A fun listen once
my only familiarity with this genre of music is from commericals for cruises, which brought a fun and whimsical energy to my seemingly endless covid isolation
This isn’t for me. I did not find much of anything redeeming here. Musically it is super interesting even if it lacks the pull and grab to keep my attention.
Every song sounded the same. Not a bad listen but not really sure why it's on this list.
uh pass Significant 39/125 Liked 18/125 Added 4/125 NNN
Caribbean afro pop meets Paul Simon. Most songs are twice as long as they need to be, and the music could, for the most part, just be put on a loop. The singer is quite talented. Otherwise, not something I'd ever want to listen to again.
Fun but thats about it
Eh, it's pretty jaunty but not amazing.
I can finally live as a Disney princess in a Latin America film. I mean, it's relaxing, but who decided this was a life changing album? Dudes got a nice voice though
If the goal of this challenge is to listen to things I usually wouldn't, this definitely ticks that box! I enjoyed it and it was quite uplifting, but I'm not in a rush to listen to it again.
Kreolische afrikanische Klänge mit dem Hang zum Gewimmer mit brauchbarer Stimme unterstützt von Rasseln und Bongos - nicht mein Geschmack.
Really not liking this at all. Pop and not the good kind
I feel bad that I don't have stronger feelings on this. It's fine background music, but I probably wouldn't listen to it with focus
Very ‘80s DJ-cruise-ship’ - dated and synthesized, doesn't hold up well
Ok
2/5. Yeah definitely something. I mean, it's a fun gimmick but not an hour worth, it's only natural to start tuning out. Like it's not bad but it's just a lot especially for a different language. Sometimes, multi-lingual albums transcend my language barrier but this one inhibits it. It's good background music and nothing more.
This was an upbeat good world/disco album, was swaying between and 2 or a 3, but the fact the man raped a 15 year old dancer sways any good feels I was going to give him, fair play to anyone separating the art from the artist, always harder to do when you know about the artist before embracing the art.
He may be a legend and this album may be representative, but it's also a strong vibe that wasn't my wavelength today despite giving it an honest effort more than once.
This album is pretty generic. The tracks run too long, and by the second song, the repetitive rhythms start to wear thin. Dude is also a terrible human being. Nothing of value here.
Totalmente desconocido. Tampoco es que sea fácil conocer estos autores más exóticos que además de africanos son de la órbita francófona. No me ha convencido, me ha sonado demasiado a orquesta de verbena. Como otros muchos no creo que sea imprescindible aunque tampoco sea malo.
i am usually pretty open to "world" music. usually i find it pretty fulfilling to hear music outside of my norms. this album was fine, i have no qualms with it. it didn't wow me
Album 277 of 1001 Koffi Olomide - Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche Rating : 2 / 5 Language barrier and musical style keep me from considering this anything more than some pleasant background noise. Don't know anything of the guy, just not really for me.
Ça sonne pas très haut de gamme
Got excited for a bit with something new but very fast got into the ‘Meeeh’
Fun to listen to a different genre than I normally listen and it started out promising but then ended up being an album that just wasn't for me.
ok but got old pretty quick
Not for me-
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
Some nice bits, but overall pretty boring and forgettable for me at least. Won't be re-listening.
Det är ju inte sämre än rap och hiphop men det blir en svag tvåa.
It was interesting. It wasn't good. It wasn't bad. I won't listen to it again though.
Meh
musically, great album. musicianship is pristine and the songwriting is good probably and it’s a danceable record. the songs are obviously too long and repetitive but that’s the nature of the genre so i can’t fault it there. usually i dock points for perving on minors on record but i don’t know if he is here or not so i wont. perving on minors is obviously bad but if it has no affect on the music then i don’t take it into the rating. however, he is singing in french which does affect the music, so i have to dock a star for that. because he’s french and also a pedo, he should kill himself.
Unique. 2/5
listened over breakfast in Cumming at mom and dad's. beat is nice, but nothing i would ever listen to again. all lyrics in congolese. 1.6/5
Hey, that papa boner track was kinda fun. But this is pretty much just all-inclusive resort background pool music. Also, this album cover is a real vibe! Co-worker pointed out that it looks like someone was mid photoshop on his pants because they’re so white lmao.
This was catchy for a bit but just got very repetitive, not for me
Juuh. En sit tiedä miten kovaa settiä on genressään
Обложка 10/10 Бля, а хули так скучно? Ебать, я еще только на 4 треке 7 песня про отсос Ладно, не так уж и хуево 4/10
Koffi Olomide is a Congolese Soukus artist. Soukus is apparently Rumba music with a faster tempo, and more guitars. To me it sounds like Spanish music, sung in French, dripping with 80's cheese. Even the album cover screams 80's, with Koffi's blindingly white pants. I feel like I don't have the knowledge to accurately rate this album, because I know nothing about Congolese rumba music, so how it stacks (good or bad) is lost on me. I know that I enjoyed the danceable beats achieved by the band, but whether it makes it good or bad in the grand scheme of things, I have no idea. As I don't speak French, the bulk of this album ran together for me, so I can't really pick out where the songs started and stopped. Favouririte songs: Papa Bonheur Least favourite songs: Dit Jeannot 2/5
Nice for a change but not a regular listen. I have an old Papa Wemba album that has a very similar vibe.
Not really my thing… it’s not terrible and I like the recording, instruments, and the singing is nice. But will likely never listen to it again. I’m gonna have to go 2.
Ritmos africanos y latinos, con ritmo. Ninguna característica especial.
❄️
good stuff, but not really into it
Not for me.
Interesting that you can hear the cultural "roots" of Carribean music in this one, but it's not for me
A latinish album, but I was not really feeling it.
Didn't know about Olomide before, definitely do now. If nothing else, the vocals were really good. Cool to learn more about Congolese music, but this felt kinda long for what it was. Nice background party music though? I zoned out as it went on... Some elements stood out, but weren't really developed, parts on tracks 4 and 7. (Listened 6/18/23, before "previous" album)
4/10 musique africaine pas désagréable, le chant pas mon vibe attouchements sexuels et séquestration étaient dans mon esprit
Not horrible, but also, not really for me. 2/5
Ok but a bit ‘background’ after a while. Would be great live.
I appreciated the uplifting melodies of the album, but other than that it was pretty underwhelming. It contained tons of typical 80s synth parts that have aged very well in my opinion, and the tracks were just not that good.
This was just not for me. Also from reading wikipedia he seems like a garbage person.
African beats. This album was okay. It's amazing how many African albums I've had so far. It's truly a genre of music I don't understand but I can appreciate the artistry.
Gonna keep it short and sweet: the guy is pretty shit and I won’t want to endorse him in anyway. The music doesn’t deserve much praise either with it being boring and lacking of energy.
He sounds like a real charmer. The difference between this and Clapton though is this is fun to listen to. Oh... Oh wait, track 2. Oh it's ok, it got better. The 90s production that kicked it off was too much. Oof, same situation with track 5. I enjoy the guitar noodlings and vocal harmonies. I feel like I can get better examples of that elsewhere (in fact I left it on and Spotify played some afterwards), but this was decent to have on in the background. By track 7 though I've basically tuned out.
This was surprisingly decent for not understanding a word of what was said. This had more Caribbean vibes than African but I found it to be decent background music. It’s hard to rate something accurately when you don’t know what is being said but the instrumentals were enjoyable. 4.0/10
Weird that this is on the list. Not good as far as African music goes, and not good as far as dance music goes. 2.5/5
koffi wrote these special songs for his precious mama. the most not my thing I've ever heard. Koweït, Rive Gauche
Not a fan. It's cute if you're looking for music to play on a beach. But the songs all seem so similar that they kind of melted together. Not the type of music I would seek out but the kind of music I would bop to with a margarita in my hand.
Like being drugged on a childrens birthday party. Funny at begging, tiresome in the stretch. 1.9
Interesting and different, didn't really hook me though
I felt that this music was very funky and fun to dance along t, listen to the lyrics and just something new. It isn’t totally up my alley for something I would enjoy listening to but it was good.
Music was fun enough I suppose, but pretty difficult to have any of it land meaningfully. Favorite track: Elixir
It's alright but really nothing special, not sure why its here ove rmany many other things.
Sounds like music that plays when you call a utility company and they put you on hold. I don't think that the "world" music genre is for me.
Not bad, but not my style.
Very repetitive African folk music inspired pop with late 80s production, which is a mismatch. The bass player is really good, but overall the music is very cheesy. Favorite song: Porte-monnaie
Was looking forward to this, as was completely new to me. I put it on while working and have to admit that - sadly - nothing really jumped out at me. Should give it another listen sometime. Was pleasant enough.
I would have preferred more Congolese rhythms rather than the Western influences that appear to be stapled on to some of the tracks. The better moments are when the slick US soul production doesn't feature. I've got limited knowledge or reference points. It's probably best to take it for what it is: an uplifting album, not quite my thing, but still decent.
really not my thing. only one song got my attention - Conte de fees, which had cool guitars and all. other than that, did not really find this interesting.
I got kinda put off reading the wikipedia page about the artist... Seems okay
I thought that “Haut de gamme” might mean “hate the game,” as in what you should hate instead of the player. Apparently it's more about high-end, luxury, or upscale fashion and culture. I guess Koffi Olomide’s outfit on the album cover fits that a bit. But Olomide’s high-end luxury style didn’t click for me as well as the Femi Kuti album I listened to right before this. Olomide was apparently very influential in African music, and especially in Congolese culture, but mostly what I will recall is the various feuds and legal issues he encountered later in life that I read about while listening.
Mostly happy upbeat music which is at odds with how he is described in his wikipedia article (multiple assault charges and a conviction for statutory rape). I have a history of docking stars for artists who use their status to exploit others and no exception will be made here.
meh i dont care for koffi
Papa bonheur
Leuk voor een keer, maar verder, neuh.
If I stumbled across this being played live at an outdoor festival in the summer I would probably dig it, but completely does not fit the vibe of the Pacific Northwest in the fall.
I can tell when something's corny, even if I don't speak the language. Best track: Obrigado
Not my cup of tea
Unfortunately I found this record really boring and really far from my taste.
I normally give a 3-star, middle-of-the-road rating to most of these world music albums, simply because I don't feel like I know enough about the genres/cultures to rate it. However, I didn't like this one. Even without speaking the language, I get a real creepy vibe from this guy. Also, the music and his vocals are subpar.
The early 90's synth piano sounds on this record really have not aged well. Other than that, this is a great record. Not in my wheel house but good for what it is. I just struggle to get over those synth drums and trumpets.
Pas capable
2.5 stars, not my thing
A little repetitive, but was decent background music.
First track was kind of fun but then I found it somewhat unlistenable. Just not my thing.
Not my style but seems fine for what it is.
Eh, didn't keep my interest.
Very interesting, a different sound than I expected.
Es simpático, pero no sé por qué no tuvo efecto en mí. Eso sí, se agradece este tipo de inclusiones en el listado. Ojalá existieran muchos más en lugar de esos discos de artistas americanos sobrevalorados.
The music's okay I guess, a bit dated perhaps, but he sounds like a real piece of shit as a person.
Meh
Reviewing this album obliges me to once again expose my ignorance of non-Western music. Koffi Olomide is one of the biggest stars of African music from the last few decades, and I was completely unaware of him until now. I also knew nothing about soukous, which is the Congolese-based style of dance music which he is a spearhead of. From what I can discern listening to "Laut de gamme", it relies on simple repeated motifs and hooks, deft guitar improvisation, prominent lead basslines, and- if we're lucky- a coda characterised by a sudden lift in tempo and urgency, as the vocalist growls and then shouts out "Poussa, poussez!" over and over again. So far, so likeable, but it's a shame the late 80's/early 90s production cuts through some of the arrangements and distracts from the heart of these songs. Every number is stacked with dated whistling synths, plastic-sounding drums, and Casio keyboards a-plenty. Listen to the intros of "Desespoir" or "Elixir" for a prime example: flat, lifeless, lacking the passion or raw energy I'd like to hear from soukous elsewhere. On top of this, the songs feel a little thin and don't do much to merit their extended length. Only one song here is under six minutes, and none of them particularly feel as though they earn their length outside of a dancefloor. "Koweit, rive gauche", for example, is a treated acoustic guitar loop for the entire song. Tender, but dull. It isn't all bad, though: some of the guitar work is virtuosic and jubilant. The bright, buoyant lines running over the back half of "Desespoir" and "Dit Jeannor" are some of the highlights of the album. There are also some great guest vocal spots in "Dit Jeannor" which add some much needed variation: while Olomide has a serviceable singing voice, he rarely explores anything between a soft croon or a lecherous rasp. I'm intrigued by soukous as a genre, and there are some good moments to be cherry-picked from this particular album, but in the end it was too much to wade through for me. A quick read about Olomide's personal transgressions- which I find difficult not to mention here- dissolves the chance of any further effort I might have made to get into his music.
Couldn’t vibe with this
I'm not wild about most foreign language music. If I was sitting at a coffee place in South Africa, I'd be game for hearing this music. Sitting in an office in MN? Not so much...
Not the sort of music I'd ever find myself going back to. It was fine though
the non standard "world" music albums are always cool i guess kind of albums, as in its interesting to listen to but id probably never listen to it again.
Loved the first song! After listening to this album for 15 minutes I stopped realizing that I was dancing on the chair; however, it was like a hypnotic, monotonous dance. A useless movement. After hitting the 30 minute mark, the experience was nothing but an insipid joy.
No thanks
Música de Congo, admito que por mi propia iniciativa no la habría escuchado. En algunas partes parece canciones que hubiera compuesto Juan Luis Guerra (escuchar Desespoir).
keyboards are heavy on the 80s overproduction
Loverman soukous, it has its uses.
It felt kinda bland tbh
its Caribbean jams 2.5
Reminded me of when I had XM and they'd do a reggae/dance channel in the summers. Or dance lessons in college. Fine as a novelty, but very same-y over an hour.
great. i just love having some bloke whisper sweet nothings into my ear in french. the bits that sound like a nandos backing track were fun for a bit, but i hated the bits where he was doing western ballad style noncey R'n'B stuff. i retract my previous comment from songhoy blues, i am not a world music guy.
Cool that this album is on this list but not much of a fan at all. Mostly boring 90s African music,
Just found myself switching off. Maybe live it was a set of great tunes to dance to sorry Koffi.
Didn't really gel for me, might've been better at a summer festival chilling before the headline acts
Wow, l'œuvre d'art dit tout! J'ai d'abord aimé les rythmes pop, puis je me suis ennuyé.
Was hard to finish, very Afro-French inspired, just not my speed
Bonus point for best album cover
I didn’t like it as much as I thought I wouldn’t. I heard an african album once and they aren't all like this one. (4/10) FT: Désespoir
Its allright 2/5
Fijn apart album met onbekende muziekstijl, maar zou het niet nogmaals aanzetten
Meh
I don't know the name of this genre of W African music. This sounds like a 90s generic version of its own genre. C
Average beach vibes
Gut gemacht, auch ganz ideenreich, aber irgendwie nichtssagend. Mir will sich dazu keine richtige Meinung bilden. Auf ein 2. Mal habe ich keine Lust.
Ilk iki sarkiyi dinledim sadece, gercekten must miydi bu album
Very pleasant African pop that makes you wanna shake your booty. Nice rhythms and good vocals. But I would reach for some Miriam & Amadou or Fela Kuti before this
I tried but just couldn't get into it. I love lyrics, it's part of my listening experience and my french is so out of practice. But unlike opera (or a good Rammstein tune), vocals didn't just fade into the background or blend in with the music. And I think that's because the music was also very cheesy; like Super Mario meets all inclusive Caribbean resort.
This was a weird album. I liked Koffi's voice and the positive vibe of the music but it wasn't very interesting. One track in particular (Elixer) was 5 minutes of the the exact same riff and you can tell that they didn't even know how to end it because it just faded out. The album also suffered from some bad production. Mainly a little two much high end especially on the fake drums. Or maybe they were just over-produced real drums that sounded fake. Either way, not good. Some of the harmonies were nice, especially on the last 2 tracks but overall not an album or artist I would listen to again.
It was the same song 9 times. Giving it a 2 rather than a 1 because at least it was nice background music.
Boring and repetitive. Same tune throughout the album. Tries too hard to be poppy. But it's a series of groovy dance tracks, and I'd be willing to hear a track every once and a while. Just not the whole album at once.
2-3 star, can’t knock it but it’s not going to be something I’ll revisit, but still enjoyed aspects
Det här var då inte något jag hade snubblat över i vanliga fall. Genren "soukous", är kongolesisk dansmusik. Jag fick scrolla igenom Koffi Olomides gigantiska diskografi (35 album, varav 30 egna, på 36 år) innan jag hittade denna, med vad jag antar är Koffi själv, iklädd någon sorts formel-1-jacka (???) osäkert pekandes mot mig på omslaget. Vill inte ge efter för klyschan som säger att all afrikansk musik måste beskrivas med "rytmisk", eller liknande adjektiv. Men, visst, det svänger väl ganska bra ibland. Och Koffi Olomides röst kan beröra en vid några få tillfällen, som t.ex. i slutet av Koweït, Rive Gauche. Det låter sorgligt när han pressar ur sig sina "Lewu lewu lewu", men jag vet inte vad något betyder i detta album. Jag tog mig igenom den knappa timmen utan att någonting gjort något större avtryck, tyvärr. Bästa låt: Koweït, Rive Gauche, då det enda jag minns direkt efter lyssningen är "Lewu lewu lewu"
It is to slow to be pop and to fast for slow music, so “not quite my tempo”. Don’t like the french 2.5/5
Not my kind of music.
Nice but sort of repetitive
não é meu estilo de música, mas não é ruim
Fun vibes, but it is so 90’s it hurts, and the songs overstay their welcome every time.
It’s fun, it’s fresh, it’s different & its French!...I think? Anyhoo, I would’ve never listened to this album in any other instance than for this review so that in itself is a plus for broadening my mind. I am glad I listened to these European pop songs which induce a feel good vibe with their Caribbean calypso reggae flavour. Would I want to purchase this album or choose it out of line up to play again though?...probably not. 2 Stars!
Fine, some songs were very good, but overall forgettable outside of those
Weird but well done
This guy sounds like he's having a ripe old time of it, but the music got quite boring, quite quickly. I bet it's great to dance to, but I'm listening to this whilst I work. Any road, I can't dance. A quick look at this guy's Wikipedia page and, wow, he seems like a real piece of shit.
A vibe
I could not get into this one. It just doesn't feel like anything special to me: background music, and nothing more
Easy breezy. Not my thing but fine. Boy, you really realize just how insanely long most albums are doing this experiment, don’t you?
Dope
Pussa pussy guy
Meh
Realised very quickly it was not for me
Totally different to what I would listen to normally so that was cool but didn't hold my interest at all
Okay, not really a style I am into. Was on in the background and I didn't hate it.
Good varied instrumentation and voice leading, but French Tropicana is just not my thing.
Super chill listen. Not something id reach for all the time, but i wouldn't turn it off if I was like at a dinner party with my in laws or my parents, and we were having like some charcuterie
Naaaaaah
It feels like vacation!
Not my jam, but an interesting listen
Maybe I'm just super uncultured but I'd never heard of Soukus music (I even spelled it wrong just there). It's fine, seems like a lot of fun to dance to, but holy hell an hour of this was a lot. Especially for something so seemingly formulaic. Favorite track: "Papa bonheur"
Sarmadı
I have no idea what is going on.
meh
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
i read the reviews n got 2 know sum weird shit abt this dude aka that hes a sexual assaulter. ew.
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.
I started checking wikipedia pages before reviewing because of this one
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.
No thanks
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
I'm sure he's very big in the Congo but nowhere else.
Didn’t appeal to me at all
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.
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?
No. 1/2 a star
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.
Fair
did not enjoy
kk 0/5
World music without Paul Simon.
Not my kind of music
Not for me, one star.
Jesus...
Bland
Disliked this intensely
no lo escuché por fomeke pongame el 1 altiro y k weá
Nope
Not my taste at all
I swear if I hear Poussa or Poussez or whatever else this dude said during every single C major African up-beat outro on this album again, I will lose it. Statutory rape doesn't help the man's case either. There's great music out of Africa - Yossou N'dour and Fela Kuti have been well received by me - but this is complete nothing. I'm sure the people of the Congo enjoy this, but what does this 58 minute 9 track repeat-fest of a record have that makes it eligible for a list of this grandeur? I don't need an answer to that. All I want is for this to get away from me and make way for Wu Tang (2/10, 1/5 on this scale)
Ei ihan omaan makuun samba tai mikä tuo on olevinaan
No, thank you.
Sounds like under the sea music, me no likey. But not the worst thing ever. At least it’s musical
This is worse than a Disney soundtrack. It’s lame and it’s unpleasant. No thank you. The Black Album is way better.
I know people that would like this but I’m not one of them. It’s impressive though how I can’t understand what he’s saying but I can definitely tell this if from the 90s.
idk
certified pedophile
Lowkey nicht so richtig gehört, hat mich bisschen genervt, hab aber auch meine Tage Aber eigentlich hätte der maybe zwei bekommen, jetzt war aber alles voll mit seiner vergewaltigung also kann er auch einen haben
hmmmmmmmmm, a little problematic don't u think Will I listen to again: 0%
zvuči ko omot - mimasto, jeftino i loše
It just wasn’t good it did nothing for me
I can’t listen to this. Sorry. Too depressed right now and it is making me even sadder. Wish I could meet him at his wavelength.
Wish I had read the full Wikipedia page before I gave this nasty man clicks on YouTube.
Why was every song so long for no reason.
No
Easy listening, men ikke noe for meg.
Pretty sure I just listened to the same song 9 times in a row?? I didn't really like it the first time or the other eight. Top: Conte De Fees Not Top: Desespoir
The music itself is a 2. Sounds incredibly dated and not that interesting. Gets a 1 because of how awful the artist is
I probably would have given it a 2 perhaps a 3 on another day but the guys a rapist and did an astro world before it was cool.
Couldn't make myself finish this one.
No correlation to the music (thank God I searched the album first)
Very repetitive resort-style music. Just taking this album at face value its veeeery boring. It’d be fine in a beach setting but just sitting down and listening to it is not fun. I’m gonna be hearing “Pousser, poussa” in my dreams tonight. Just not good at all.
Best Track - "Papa Bonheur"
Not a fan of this, made me bored and didn’t feel like dancing. Was just waiting for it to end.
This guy’s criminal history gives new meaning to “Papa Bonheur”
Shit person, shit album.
Couldn’t wait for this to be over
African pop. It gets on my nerves. I was looking for the off switch during the second track. I'd much rather listen to real African music, and I don't like that either. I definitely won't be listening to this again. 1/5
Ok so this album makes me want to go on vacation. It’s a win there. Other than that, I don’t get it. I don’t get it as to why it’s on this list. Does every genre of music deserve representation? I don’t think so. This music may move you in a drunken state but the album doesn’t hold up like a candle being naked farted on. Poor production really kills it I think. It’s heavy on the treble . Nah, not a pass for me.
Dette kommer veldig nære å være musikk som er skreddersydd for å torturere meg sakte. Hver låt høres ut som et cut fra en dårlig Disney-film. Alle de gode egenskapene til albumet er druknet under et slør av pseudo-sentimental '80s bullshit. Jeg tror mye av problemet ligger i sounden jeg med mangel på fagterminologi kaller "tropisk." The Smiths har laget én skikkelig drittlåt, og den heter Golden Lights. Problemene jeg har med den låta, er definerende for denne skiva. Mulig den fortjener 2ern fordi jeg liker aspekter av dette, men tror det er et forsøk på å gaslighte meg selv og at jeg bare bør si det rett ut: dette er dårlig (men ikke like dårlig som Golden Lights).
It may be that this album popped up too close to Femi Kuti for me to enjoy another exotic, jungly beat production. A little more Caribbean feel to it and I didn't like it nearly as much. Koffi and the other featured artists fell flat. Felt bored with this and wanted to hit skip...1.18 stars.
Another unknown foreign album. Sounded like a bunch of African musicians got together and had a good time. It's all over the place but not bad. Wish I could have understood some of the lyrics to find out what it is they are singing about but the music is fun enough for a while before you tune out. It's got vibes, I'll give it that, which is about all you can ask for on an album that otherwise I would never been exposed to. Not bad, not great. 1.49 stars
Before I listened to this, I saw that this guy was convicted of statutory rape (of a 15yo backup dancer). That makes it difficult to separate art from artist, so I won’t. This sounds like the kind of cliche music that White Lotus would use to establish the scene for a new season set in Congo (or, if we’re honest, anywhere in Africa). It’s the kind of carefree and danceable music people look for when they’re dabbling in World music, and I’m sure there’s another, less controversial, musician that sounds just like Kofi Olomide whom I could listen to without the inner conflict. I genuinely don’t care if it’s just a cover band either, as long as they’re from Africa and not sex criminals. Let’s maybe find them for the next list update?
???
I’m not judging the man only the music but in this case they both suck.
nu är det inte precis min genre.. men det kändes väldigt generiskt och enformigt
Nah. Listen to Kanda Bongo Man instead!
no.
Not for me.
What the hell
Pleasant. Faint praise.
Nah bro
Nie wiem do czego mam to porównać, ale wiem że nie będę tego już słuchał
I’m sorry… I just don’t like this type of music. The musicians are good, but I just can’t listen to this and enjoy it.
This album was an hour of my life I’ll never get back. Beyond Olomide’s reputation as, by all accounts, a deeply unpleasant individual, the music itself is a real struggle to endure. While there are fleeting moments that hint at something better, the overall sound feels like a dated, dubbed-out soundtrack that quickly wears thin. I found no reason to return to it and no track worth revisiting. Favourite track: None. Least favourite track: Honestly, every track on the album. Album artwork: Awful.
Sounds like an awful person
Not for me!! I did not enjoy this.