This book does a decent job describing the music scene in present day DR Congo (former Zaire). It especially highlights the hierarchial nature of Congolese bands and the sorry plight of most band members who don't hold the title of band leader (Le President). It also reveals the unusual and intricate relationships between bands and their fans in the Congo
Unfortunately the author is very unconvincing when he delves into how Mobutu's political system helped define the Congolese music. Apart from constantly repeating the old and tired "Mobutu was a ruthless and corrupt dictator routine", there is no particularly revealing analysis of how Mobutu's system influenced music direction. His main assertion that Mobutu nurtured and propped up an unpopular school of Zairean music style (Odemba) over the more "independent and popular" Soukous comes out as lame and unresearched. All evidence cited to support this premise is curiously from "anonymous sources from the streets of Kinshasa."
Overall this would have been a good book, without the author trying a bit too hard to politically endear it to a specific audience.
