I might be biased but I feel as though our music makes the best use of just about every instrument as well as creating the melodies. Listening to Franco Makiadi and hearing the guitar arrangements and riffs kind of reminds me of The continuation of what Jazz music should have been. Hearing the early Viva and Victoria really reminds me of Rock'N'Roll. I feel as though Rumba is not enough of a qualifier for what we do and what we brought over the years. Really makes me wonder why our music doesn't get as much recognition in the world I personally feel as though we could be with the Elvis and Frank Sinatras and Rolling Stones and beyond. Any thoughts on why we weren't able to
Really push it on a global scale other than Paris London and the Tokyo concerts ?

Only we can push our music ahead onto the global stage, recognition of talent starts at home...in every household

Very true but I believe it's already very well cherished at home

this is why i just call it 'congolese music'.

True it's hard to qualify it any other way.

to answer your question i am of the belief that america's music industry deliberately keeps out music from other markets. every once in a while a latin american or caribbean (most times jamaican) song will make its way through and become a hit but in general its very closed. to the average american music doesn't exist outside of the united states. even at the height of congolese music's popularity on a world scale in the 80s when you could readily find congolese records/cds/etc at places like virgin and tower records the average american didn't know anything about congolese music. you won't find it on mtv or bet or any outlets like that. if the execs here are not interested they won't give opportunities to artists with that music. i'm also a bit of a conspiracy theorist and i think as part of the conditioning of americans to feel superior to the rest of the world we are given limited outlets to consume "culture". despite the internet and all the information that is out there its hard for the average american to imagine africa beyond poverty and huts and i honestly believe that this is deliberate on the part of those who control media.

now we see the rise of 'afrobeat' (i put it in quotes bc when i think afrobeat i think of artists like fela kuti lol not 2face) and you have artists like wizkid and this new congolese artist just signed to roc nation named young paris. the american industry is trying to get in on that market now. but only bc artists like drake and french montana have made hits using this sound is the only reason why they're 'open' to it. actual congolese artists could definitely build a fanbase here if they were to piggyback off of this properly.

Yeah I the summer was full of afro beats thanks to drake. Plus when I made the thread I was more thinking of the classics that came out of our music in the 70s 80s and 90s. The new generation is barely getting over a dry spell of inspiration so it'd be even harder for them to go "global"