Zap Mama Vinyl LP 2019
1. Mupepe
2. Ndje Mukanie
3. Abadou
4. Marie-Josee
5. Etupe
6. Nabombeli Yo
7. Take Me Coco
8. Son Cubano
9. Guzophela
10. Plekete
11. Bottom
12. I Ne Suhe
13. Mizike
14. Babanzele
15. Din Din
16. Brrlak!
Originally released on Crammed in 1991, Zap Mama's acapella debut album has become a classic, and influenced hosts of vocalists and musicians around the world. It's appearing here on vinyl for the first time.
The brainchild of founder and leader Marie Daulne, Zap Mama consisted at the time of five young women who, inspired by their mixed African/European origins and by the cosmopolitan environment of their hometown Brussels, created a wonderful acapella body of work incorporating influences drawn from Congolese pop, Arabic tunes, Pygmy polyphonics & more (including a touch of gospel and of medieval Spanish chants), guided above all by their wild imagination.
The beauty and freshness of their vocal harmonies, coupled with an entertaining and humorous live show generated tremendous enthusiasm worldwide. Audiences were conquered by their sound and personalities, by their formidable demonstration of the quasi-magical powers of the human voice, but also by the message which was implicitly conveyed: Zap Mama seemed to embody and glorify the virtues of joyful, creative and unfettered cultural blending.
Zap Mama/Adventures in Afropea became one of Crammed's all-time best-selling records. It was nominated for a Grammy and topped the Billboard's world music chart. Zap Mama toured on all continents and recorded a 2nd album for Crammed in 1994. Marie Daulne then continued on her own, went on to record six more (largely non-acapella) albums, always pursuing her transcultural trajectory and working on building bridges between Europe, America and postcolonial Africa.