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Obakadences
Pierre Akendengue
World - Released October 1, 2001 | Celluloïd
Distinctions
The Qobuz Ideal Discography
The blind Gabonese poet/singer/composer/dramatist Pierre Akendengue is one of the world's great songwriting geniuses. His two albums immediately prior to this one, Lambarena and Maladalite, were collaborations with the brilliant French producer Hughes de Courson. Both were towering, career-defining achievements and his admirers were left wondering what manner of follow-up he could possibly devise. The good news is that the material on the present album is typically fresh, iconoclastic, and joyous. On this work of his late-middle age, the Maestro employs an array of eclectic multicultural references from the African continent, the Caribbean, South America, and North America. His light, vibrato-laced tenor soars above intricate call-and-response backup vocals and female-dominated chorales like a puckish master of ceremonies, projecting a questing intellect and mature humor. The tracks were recorded between Libreville, Gabon, and Paris, France, which may explain why the arrangements seem less glossy, although they feature dozens of musicians, including armies of brass and acoustic hand-percussionists plus a relaxed, soukous-style lead guitar. The tunes are highly sophisticated, even when wreathed in deceptively childlike chanting. A lyrical ballad called "Lambaiya" is especially winsome, with lyrical squeezeboxes and gleaming, kora-like keyboard runs. However, despite the engaging loveliness of the pieces and Akendengue's firm command of his forces, the ambience is compromised by gauche synths and overemphasized basslines. Even so, this is a rewarding set, brimming over with lush melodies and thoughtful, humanistic sentiments.
© Christina Roden /TiVo
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La Couleur de l'Afrique
Pierre Akendengue
Africa - Released November 9, 2018 | Lusafrica
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Maladalité
Pierre Akendengue
World - Released November 1, 1996 | Celluloïd
On Maladalité, produced by his Lambarena collaborator Hughes de Courson, Akendengue delivers some of his finest work to date, thus making it the most accessible recording of his career and a good start to familiarize oneself with this great Gabonese artist. Due to the richness in musical ideas and the depth of his lyrics, it must also be seen as one of the quintessential albums of world music in the '90s. With the first "Maladalité" and last track "Ewulupupa" being a kind of philosophical "bracket," in the songs in between, Akendengue tells simple but in-depth stories of African life. The word "maladalité" being a word game by merging the two French words malade (sick) and alité (confined to bed), he uses this image of an ailing continent in "Ewulupupa" for painting a picture of an imaginary contemporary African state. This state has four boundaries: debt in the North, elections financed by foreigners in the East, famine and war in the South, oil fields and occupying troops in the West. Unfortunately the lyrics are only reprinted in French, which requires a good grasp of the language to dive into Akendengue's lyrical world. The music consists of multi-layered interplays between different vocal setups (check out "Maladalité" or "Ghetaabee" for an example of how complex this can become), not to mention the general musical craftsmanship throughout the album. Furthermore, Akendengue delivers with "Eau Claire," "R'Ragnambié," "Akewa," and "Double Distance," some of the most stunning ballads that will linger on some time. Whereas Akendengue is the brainchild of all songs, it is the collective effort of his performing ensemble which pulls the project off, and each musician deserves credit for an outstanding performance.
© Frank Eisenhuth /TiVo
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Rereleases of the Albums «Eseringila» and «Mengo»
Pierre Akendengue
World - Released March 1, 2001 | Celluloïd
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Gabon, Eveil de la conscience patriotique
Pierre Akendengue
Africa - Released December 15, 2017 | Lusafrica
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Africa obota / Nandipo
Pierre Akendengue
Miscellaneous - Released January 6, 1976 | Éditions Saravah
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Libérée La Liberté / Mvt Arusha
Pierre Akendengue
Africa - Released July 1, 2016 | Lusafrica