WOMAD

Safroman

From Congo Dem. Rep.

Another deity from the land of guitar gods
As job titles go, it's rather an impressive one - High Priest of La Rumba Congolaise. Sure, it's an unofficial role with no company car or luncheon voucher allowance, but it's an esteemed nickname nonetheless, one pronounced upon its holder over the course of many years of both dues-paying and glory. Safro Manzangi attained the name on account of his six-string sorcery that left all-comers spellbound. Those rumba and soukous stripes were earned within the ranks of Kinshasa's top bands - outfits like Victoria Eleison and Papa Wemba's awesome Viva La Musica - where his giddy guitar lines placed him firmly in the vanguard of rumba lingala's '80s new wave. A Londoner by residence for the past couple of decades, Safroman remains both ambassador and astonishing performer, one whose deliciously liquid picking puts him alongside Congolese guitar greats like Diblo Dibala and, of course, the mighty Franco. Come join the Safroman congregation.
(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2010)

Safroman- Super Guru

Safroman's » Myspace Page