For those who are younger, Jimmy Cliff is a ska/reagge artist and among Jamaica's biggest legends. In 1987 he came to Kinshasa and performed in a packed Stade 20 Mai (today Stade Tata Raphael). After a few performances, he ended up by living for a short time in Lingwala (Kinshasa) and even married a Congolese woman. In the same period he recorded an EP inviting Tabu Ley's Afrisa International, Grand Zaiko Wawa of Pepe Felly Manuaku and TP OK Jazz of Franco Luambo Makiadi. They made the songs Shout of Freedom, Love Me, Girls and Cars.

A good album he later remixed: Love Me, Love Me.

Actually Jimmy Cliff did a great job doing how the groups were. OK Jazz tended to be more social while Afrisa was more romantic.

Girls and Cars featering Afrisa International of Tabu Ley Rochereau

The original "échange culturel". Not that everything is being adapted for the Western market. The song Shout for Freedom made with TP Ok Jazz had something special. Their instrumentalist section did a great job. All songs had their own identity. I only wonder why they didn't invite Zaiko Langa Langa or Victoria Eleison as 4th band.

After hearing this album, I would like to hear American popstars making albums backed by Congolese bands. R. Kelly is in jail, but what about Usher, Alicia Keys & Beyonce ? Something that will probably not happen even in my wildest dreams.