Soukous Groups

Soukous (from French '' secousse'', "shock, jolt, jerk") is a genre of dance music originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and the Republic of the Congo (formerly French Congo). It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, with faster dance rhythms and bright, intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo, song structures and longer dance sequences.

Soukous fuses traditional Congolese rhythms with contemporary instruments. It customarily incorporates electric guitars, double bass, congas, clips, and brass/woodwinds. Soukous lyrics often explore themes of love, social commentary, amorous narratives, philosophical musings, and ordinary struggles and successes. Singers occasionally sing and croon in Lingala, Kikongo, French and Swahili and bands often consist of a primary vocalist accompanied by several backing singers.

Characteristics

The music typically utilizes a time signature and major chords articulated in arpeggiated forms. Soukous lead guitarists are renowned for their speed, precision, and nimble fingerwork, often navigating the higher registers of the fretboard. The bassline, inspired by hand-drum percussion patterns, is the genre's rhythmic foundation and is typically characterized by a 16th-note cadence. Emerging prominently during Mobutu Sese Seko's reign in Zaire, the assertive bass style of soukous emulated regimented motions of military marches (''marche militaire''). This distinctive bass approach involves toggling between lower and higher registers, achieved through a plucking method that employs both the thumb (''p'') and index finger (''i'').

Tonally, soukous is shaped by specific configurations in the bass, midrange, and treble frequencies. The bass is generally accentuated by +3 dB to yield a deep, full-bodied low-end that supports the groove. The midrange, especially around the 700 Hz frequency, is often left flat or enhanced by as much as +6 dB. Meanwhile, the treble frequencies are either left flat or attenuated slightly by -3 dB.

In Matonge, the rhythmic guitar typically accompanies mid-tempo vocal passages, with the bass and bass drums accentuating the dominant beats, while guitarists emphasize the offbeats (one ''and'' two ''and'' three ''and'' four ''and''). During vocal performances, the lead guitarist lays down a groove that underpins harmonized call-and-response singing, often intensified by an echo effect, producing an auditory experience sometimes described as a hypnotic auditory experience.

The percussion section is characterized by an unyielding, fast-paced beat, most commonly referred to as cavacha, with the drummer taking the lead in signaling shifts for the guitarists to match the lead player's transitions. Soukous chord progressions mainly rely on the I, IV, and V chords. Common progressions include:

# I - I - IV - IV
# I - IV - V
# I -I - V-V
# I - IV/V
# V/IV - I
# I/IV - IV/I
# I - V- I - V
# V/IV - I

History

Origins

The origins of the genre can be traced back to Congolese rumba, which emerged in the early 20th century when urban residents of the French Congo and the Belgian Congo embraced the fusion of intertribal Kongolese ''maringa'' dance music near Pool Malebo, infused with guitar techniques from Liberia. The outflow of Kru merchants and sailors from Liberia to Brazzaville during the mid-19th century introduced distinctive guitar-playing techniques that ultimately influenced the use of the accordion to emulate local "''likembe''" (thumb piano, best known worldwide as a mbira) rhythms. As early as 1902, the accordion's melodies resonated through the streets near Pool Malebo's factories.

The outbreak of World War I introduced a new wave of music and dance across the Lower Congo (present-day Kongo Central) and the Pool Malebo region. Emerging from labor camp and conceivably associated with the return of Matadi–Kinshasa Railway construction workers, local dances such as agbaya and maringa gained prominence. The circular agbaya dance was soon replaced by partnered maringa dance music, becoming increasingly ubiquitous in Matadi, Boma, Brazzaville, and Léopoldville (now Kinshasa).
Initially, maringa bands featured the ''likembe'' for melody, a metal rod-struck bottle for rhythm, and a small skin-covered frame drum called ''patenge'' for counter-rhythms. However, by the 1920s, accordions and acoustic guitars progressively supplanted the ''likembe'' as melody instruments. The distinctive hip movements of ''maringa'' dancers, shifting their body weight between legs gained popularity. By 1935, partnered dancing's popularity dispersed expeditiously across the Congo basin, reaching even remote villages. Dance halls emerged in towns and rural areas, while conventional dancing persisted in palm branch huts.

In the early 1940s, Pool Malebo transformed from a barrier into a communication channel linking Brazzaville and Kinshasa. The Cuban son groups like Sexteto Habanero, Trio Matamoros, and Los Guaracheros de Oriente were broadcast on Radio Congo Belge, gaining popularity in the country. Due to influence of Cuban son, the maringa dance music—although unrelated to Cuban rumba—became known as "'' rumba Congolaise''" as the imported records of Sexteto Habanero and Trio Matamoros were often mislabeled as "rumba". Ethnomusicology Professor Kazadi wa Mukuna of Kent State University explicates that the term "rumba" persisted in the Congos due to recording industry interests. Recording studio proprietors reinterpreted the term rumba by attributing it new ''maringa'' rhythm while retaining the name. Consequently, their music became recognized as "Congolese rumba" or "African rumba". Antoine Wendo Kolosoy became the first star of Congolese rumba touring Europe and North America with his band Victoria Bakolo Miziki. His 1948 hit "Marie-Louise," co-written with guitarist Henri Bowane, gained popularity across West Africa. Congolese rumba gained prominence in Congolese music as early pioneers revolutionized their relationship with the instruments they held.

Formation and paternity debate

Etymologically, the term ''soukous'', derived from the French verb ''secouer'', denoting "to shake," initially described a person who moved jerkily but evolved into a dance style synonymous with vitality and cadence. The term ''secousse'' evolved over time, transitioning to ''soucousses'' and eventually ''soucous'' in colloquial language and the media, until the "''c''" fell out of favor, replaced by a "''k''".

During the early 1960s, a surge of young Congolese musicians sought to speed up the slow tempo of Congolese rumba, which precipitated the emergence of soukous. Artists began incorporating faster rhythms, and prominent guitar improvisation, often characterized by high-pitched, fast-paced lines imbued with more heightened African motif. The drummer shifts to the high-octane cadence, wherein the clave rhythm shifts to the snare drum, singers engage in rhythmic chanting (''animation''), and lead guitars take center stage.

The origins of soukous are a matter of dispute, with divergent attributions and viewpoints. Clément Ossinondé, a Congolese musicologist specializing in Congolese music, accredits Franco Luambo and TPOK Jazz with pioneering soukous, citing his ''odemba''-inspired style, known for its fast tempo. Franco is also recognized for revolutionizing the genre's themes by infusing significant social and political issues into the lyrics, making the music a platform for social consciousness

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