"Siama's Congo World Quartet" - traditional feel-good music from Congo with the allure of vocal harmonies, dramatic cello, global rhythms and more, featuring master guitarist/singer Siama Matuzungidi, vocalist Dallas Johnson, cellist Jacqueline Ultan and percussionist Tim O'Keefe.
Longer description:
"Siama's Congo World Quartet" has a traditional Congolese feel-good sound mixed with a colorful palette of musical influences and dramatic nuance. Featuring Siama’s masterful, intricate acoustic guitar and spirited vocals, renowned cellist Jacqueline Ultan, singer Dallas Johnson and Tim O’Keefe on percussion and harmonica, they’ll take you back in time to experience the rural, under-the-stars sounds of DR Congo and the upbeat soukous dance halls of East Africa. They may even get you to sing along in Kikongo, Lingala and Swahili.
Siama earned the moniker, “soukous legend” as he recorded hundreds of radio hits during the ’70s-80s and performed on four continents with many of the biggest soukous artists. (Soukous is an infectious dance genre known as the "sound of happiness"). Now based in Minneapolis, Siama's latest album ("Rivers - from the Congo to the Mississippi") is garnering attention the world-over and he and Dallas are busy recording a CD of fun new kids' songs. Siama's performed at many of the area's premier venues including Minneapolis Institute of Art, Intermedia Arts, MacPhail Center for Music, the Ordway Theatre’s Children’s Festival, Cedar Cultural Center, Como Conservatory, Lowertown Guitar Festival and his music can be heard on MPR, KFAI and The Current. In May, a "Lowertown Line" documentary about Siama's life and music will premier on 102 PBS stations across the country.
Siama’s Congo World Quartet features:
Siama Matuzungidi (guitar & vocals)
Dallas Johnson (vocals, ukulele & likembe)
Tim O’Keefe (percussion & harmonica)
Jacqueline Ultan (cello)
Performance at Como Conservatory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd3s3mnvnZ0
Video of performance at Baby Blue Arts Studio
http://babybluearts.com/siamas-world-quartet/#more-202