Congo Beat

It’s a long way from the central African republic of Congo to the People’s Republic but that’s where Niwel Tsumbu found himself when he arrived in Ireland in 2004.
“A lot of people were leaving The Congo around that time due to the situation there,” he says. “I had a friend in Cork and that’s where I ended up”.

In his seven years as an honorary Corkonian, Tsumbu has forged a reputation as a distinctive guitarist, vocalist and composer and has collaborated with the cream of Irish musicians. With two albums to his name and a third – S ’all Vibration – about to be released, he describes his music as a blend of two traditions and a fusion of world, jazz and classical music, informed by the music of his homeland.
“My goal is to take the music of my land, and add my own voice to it, which is shaped from everything I hear from Ireland and from around the world,” he continues. “My music has changed a lot in the past few years. I like evolving and I like new sounds. I also like tradition but I don’t stay stuck in the past.”
Tsumbu has been playing guitar since he was about 16 in a style that originated in The Congo.
“It involves a lot of high notes on the guitar – kind of like the hi-life music of Nigeria, which is very much designed for dancing. It’s a modern music style that started in the late ‘60s, usually with a line-up of drums, bass and electric guitar. These are still the important instruments in the music.”
Playing both electric and acoustic, he swaps instruments to suit the sound and the line-up he happens to be playing with at the time, which he says can vary from solo to trio, quartet to quintet and beyond.
“I recorded using a Yamaha SG. Now I have a Godin, which I use mostly when playing live. Acoustic-wise I use a Taylor nylon-string which I really like. I never was really into acoustic steel-string guitars. My style when I use acoustic is to fingerpick, a kind of a classical technique. On the electric I always use the plectrum. I have my own ways of playing and I like figuring out things for myself. I would take the standard technique and personalise it. Recording is a different process for me than playing live. It’s kind of experimenting using the studio as an instrument. I wouldn’t try to replicate it live.”
His influences, he says, vary from African musicians such as Salif Keita, the world music superstar from Mali (“I’ve loved him since I was a kid”), to Nigeria’s Fela Kuti and soul legend, James Brown. “When it comes to rock players, I love Brian May from Queen. He’s a really great player. I also like Steve Vai and Jimi Hendrix. I love them all – I’m very open to all kinds of music.”
Asked whether he finds any similarities between African and Irish traditional forms he smiles broadly.
“I’m always being asked that. And I always answer that, ‘It’s all in the vibrations’, which is why I called my new album that. But yeah, there are a lot similarities. It’s mainly down to the kind of instruments used, not the music itself. Anything played on the uileann pipes for example sounds Irish to me. If you played the same tune on an African instrument it would sound African.”
The bulk of the new album was recorded in Dublin at Temple Lane Studios with a mix of Irish and international musicians. Some sessions were conducted at the now legendary Grouse Lodge in Westmeath. “It’s a magical place and it was a fantastic place to work,” he enthuses. “You can just feel the nature all around you. I stayed in the same room that Michal Jackson used when he stayed there (laughs). I specifically requested that I be allowed use the room where the King of Pop stayed.”
Tsumbu has performed with the fusion collective Trasna (also including Mel Mercier, and Liam Ó Maonlaí) at the Festival of World Cultures and in China at Expo 2010 alongside Xiaohui Ma (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon soundtrack). His performance of ‘Electric Counterpoint’ at the Reich Festival in Cork in front of composer Steve Reich was, he says a major highlight for him. Currently enjoying a year-long stint alongside composer Roger Doyle at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, he recently performed with Donal Dineen at the Body & Soul and Electric Picnic festivals. Doyle’s touring band features Tsumbu on guitar and vocals, Peter Erdei on bass (Hungary), Darragh O’Kelly on keyboards (Ireland), Diego Joaquin Ramirez on drums (USA/Ireland) and Eamonn Cagney on percussion (Ireland). Following an Irish tour in October he will be touring with Gavin Friday on his forthcoming European dates.
“I absolutely love playing live,” Tsumbu beams. “To me, it’s heaven. Going to China last year was fantastic for me but there’ve been a lot of highlights recently and hopefully there’ll be more to come.”

S’all Vibration is out now. Niwel Tsumbu’s Irish tour begins on October 18 at the Rosin Dubh, Galway. For other dates see niweltsumbu.com.