A debut fuelled by splashes of ndombolo, Afro-house, and Afropop

The debut album of multi-faceted Congolese entertainer Samarino distills the essence of Kinshasa’s sonic landscapes alongside Afara Tsena, Gally Garvey, Dj Cent 15, PSON, Mac Gayver, GLENN PRECIOUS, and Rebo. Making an invigorated addition to the pantheon of Francophone music—with sprinklings of English—the artist born Benjamin Kalonda melodically sways between Afrobeats, hip-hop, house, and ndombolo-infused instrumentation. With its polyrhythms, percussion, chants, and searing synths, the dance-floor-geared “Delta force” perfectly foreshadows a segue into Côte d’Ivoire in the company of Serge Beynaud (“Kalebe”). Alongside the Afara Tsena-assisted “Kilelo,” the aforementioned are reiterations of traditional rhythms, deftly placed beside contemporary sounds: the groovy amapiano of “You Know,” the drill bassline of “Nga f’o esimba,” and the R&B harmonies of album closer, “Olobaki.”