Perhaps one of the coolest yet low key collaborations to ever take place was that between Congolese vocalist/composer Bony Bikaye, French musician/producer Hector Zazou, and modular synth group CY1. First teaming up in 1983 for Noir et Blanc, this unlikely trio of talented acts created a sound that seamlessly merged Afrobeat, Afrofunk, bouncy synth-pop, and early electronic dance music with a continent-spanning array of African music. The music they produced was feisty, intense and, most importantly, like nothing else. While Noir et Blanc was something of an experiment, the team returned in 1985 with the dazzling effort Mr. Manager. Originally released as a five-song EP, the album did not make a major splash at the time but became a cult favorite at dance clubs in the decades that followed. Now the venerable label Crammed Discs has given us a fresh reissue of Mr. Manager pumped up with a slew of previously unreleased tracks and singles.
The back of the album describes the title of Mr. Manager as “a metaphor for power, for the dictatorship of economic profit, which oppresses people all around the globe.” Bony Bikaye adds that the album “reflects the spirit of joyful dissent and optimism which prevailed around us in 1985, when encounters between people and cultures seemed possible.” Indeed, this sentiment rings true today when the American people have just booted the despicable Donald Trump from the presidency in favor of love and inclusion. From the opening title track, it’s clear that this is an album of celebration and happiness. It’s easy to hear similarities to what Americans like Paul Simon and the Talking Heads were doing around the same time as they explored a range of African musical styles. But whereas those acts took bits and pieces and imported them to the rest of the world through the lens of rock and roll, this collection of songs feels entirely rooted in the African continent. “Nostalgie” is a highlight with its exuberant, upbeat throwdown of synth magic and vibrant chorus of background singers to make it one of the album’s most danceable tracks, although they all are. “Soki Akei” follows a compelling display of vocals, with the soulful backing singers Mwamba Kasuba, Nicole MT and M’Bombo K delivering hair-raising passion amidst a soundtrack of sparse and intense synth. “(Little) Angel” unloads sharp Bowie-esque guitar riffs with a wonderfully sinister and catchy funk groove that is amplified by flourishes of brass, percussion and background singers.
The vinyl version of Mr. Manager is nothing special to behold as it comes without any liner notes or special add-ons, but it is still a proper party record that is sure to surprise and delight anyone who you play it for. We all know vinyl is still a novelty though, and the Crammed Discs people have given us plenty to savor with all of the digital extras. This is where we get to hear material that was unreleased, such as the slow-burning and methodical meditation “Signorina,” the shimmering percussion and spooky synth dance lines of “Le Menteur (Mokosi),” the flashy and spunky 80s groover “Sopa (Don’t Stand Back In Red),” the frenetic and kaleidoscopic “Nakangi,” the drum machine-heavy tune “Yondo,” which is followed by the dense, trippy and dark drum machine experimentation on “Dubby Musica” that feels way ahead of its time.
Across the spectrum of tracks on this newly reissued edition of Mr. Manager, we hear a mélange of musical styles that foreshadowed and paved the way for both electronic dance music and the fusion of international music with mainstream pop. These things would become huge and we still hear remnants in today’s music, especially in the way young artists have learned to fearlessly defy genre boundaries. Mr. Manager is an energetic, danceable feast for the senses that serves as a musical reminder that on the planet earth we are all in this together.
Photo credit: Xavier Lambours-lores
