Made in Belgium: Baloji

Baloji isn't quite the most mainstream commercial artist. After a difficult youth he joins the hiphop band Starflam but they quite in 2003 after which Baloji doesn't have the ambition anymore to make music.

But then he got a letter from his biological mother in Congo from whom he had not heard since he was 3. His father, a Congolese business man had taken him away at that age and had brought him to "the country of Marvin Gaye" where Baloji lived in foster families. His mom had recognised him on a music channel on tv and asked him what he had done in the last 20 years.

His first solo-album "Hotel Impala" is his musical biography which he brings her personally in 2007 as an answer. His 2nd album "Kinshasa Succursale" has been recorded in Congo in collaboration with some of the most well-known artists there to dig further in that more authentic Congolese sound.


His music isn't exactly material for commercial hits and a lot of airplay on the radio, yet he is often found on music festivals. My French isn't good enough to understand his raps more than some bits and pieces here and there and that's a real pity as I feel I'm missing out. I wish I could grasp more what the music is about.




Karibu ya bintou




Où en sommes-nous




Coup de gaz



Congo video

Comments

Virtualsprite said…
Interesting. I'm not a big fan of rap or hip hop, but I enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing! I love these snippets of Belgian culture.
Brian Miller said…
nice. the first vid was interesting and the beat was fun...wish i could understand...
Ellen said…
I also love your collections of music, it is always a cultural experience for me :) Thanks for keeping up with my blog :)
Snooker said…
I too feel lost without understanding more of the text, but "Où en sommes-nous" sounded quite lovely... even if it was recorded with background sounds intact. Very nice. Thanks for the introduction.

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