Deeply impressed by the music of Kasai Allstars, French-Senegalese director Alain Gomis drew inspiration from their music, and from the voice and character of their singer Muambuyi to write and direct his new fiction movie, entitled 'Félicité'. The film's eponymous protagonist is a proud, free-willed woman who sets out on a breakneck race through the streets of electric Kinshasa to save her son. Her profession: singer with the Kasai Allstars!
The band wrote and performed most of the soundtrack, and appears onscreen playing their own part. Muambuyi's voice is omnipresent, and is being heard every time Félicité (played by Congolese actress Vero Tshanda) sings in the bars of Kinshasa, backed by Kasai Allstars.
The 'Around Félicité' album includes the film's main pieces, performed by Kasai Allstars and by the Kinshasa Symphonic Orchestra (who specially arranged three works by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt), alongside new tracks by Kasai Allstars, as well as interludes consisting of fragments of dialogues and sound bites taken from the soundtrack.
'Around Félicité' comes with a companion piece: 'Félicité Remixes', a collection of ten remixes of Kasai Allstars tracks by electronic music producers from Europe, North America and Africa, including reworks by Clap! Clap!, Daedelus and Africaine 808. 'Félicité Remixes' is available as a bonus disc included in the CD version of the album, as well as a separate digital album available on all streaming and download platforms.
'Around Félicité' also comes out as a vinyl double-LP including the album plus five of the remixes.
TRACK LISTING
Disc 1:
Tshalemba - Kasai Allstars
In Praise Of Homeboys - Kasai Allstars
Kapinga Yamba - Kasai Allstars
Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen, O Immanuel - Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste Plays Arvo Pärt
Lobelela - Kasai Allstars
Tshitua Fuila Mbuloba - Kasai Allstars
Bilonda - Kasai Allstars
My Heart's In Highlands - Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste Plays Arvo Pärt
Mabela - Kasai Allstars
Quick As White - Kasai Allstars
Fratres - Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste Plays Arvo Pärt
Disc 2:
Quick As White By RAMZi**
Félicité One By High Wolf **
Drowning Goat By Daedelus
In Praise Of Homeboys By Africaine 808
Salute To Kalombo By Ekiti Sound System
Quick As White By Clap! Clap!
Tshitua Fuila Mbuloba By Loopido**
Félicité Two By Mo4n4**
Drowning Goat By Esa**
Félicité Three By RAMZi
**Exclusive To The CD Version