Emotion | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1995 | |||
Studio |
Real World,
Box, Wiltshire Studio Guillaume Tell, Suresnes | |||
Length | 38:16 | |||
Label | Real World [1] | |||
Producer | Stephen Hague | |||
Papa Wemba chronology | ||||
|
Emotion is an album by the Congolese singer Papa Wemba, released in 1995. [2] [3] Wemba sang mostly in Lingala. [4]
The album peaked at No. 14 on Billboard's World Albums chart. [5] Wemba promoted it by touring North America. [6]
The album was produced by Stephen Hague. [7] [8] "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", a duet with Juliet Roberts, is a cover of the Otis Redding song; Redding was Wemba's favorite singer. [9] [10] [11] Jean-Philippe Rykiel played keyboards on Emotion. [12] Wemba addresses racism on "Epelo", heartbreak on "Ah Ouais", and the dangers in the world on "Sala Keba". [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Calgary Herald | A [15] |
Robert Christgau | A− [16] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
Houston Press | [17] |
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
The Guardian wrote that "Wemba's singing is high, relaxed and fine as ever, whether he's tackling a synth-backed funky dance piece, or switching to a guitar-backed ballad." [13] Robert Christgau stated: "Piercing and penetrating without a hint of muezzin, he also commands a 'natural,' 'conversational' timbre richer and rangier than that of his more soft-sung Zairean colleagues." [16]
The Toronto Star noted that "soukous purists likely won't have it... But terrific listening for everyone else." [18] The Calgary Herald determined that "the propulsive, rolling polyrythmic rhythms here owe as much to western pop as to Wemba's Zairean traditions." [15] The Houston Press concluded that "Hague insured that Wemba's vocals took center stage on each tune, turning down the driving African percussion just a notch." [17]
AllMusic wrote that, "in mixing his unique brand of African soukous with various Western influences, Papa Wemba took a bold step into the international pop market already populated by Senegalese singing sensations Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal." [14]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Yolele" | Lokua Kanza · Papa Wemba | 3:22 |
2. | "Mandola" | Jacques Rouvier · Wemba | 3:49 |
3. | "Show Me the Way" | Kanza · Wemba | 4:01 |
4. | "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)" | Otis Redding · Steve Cropper | 3:13 |
5. | "Rail On" | Kanza · Wemba | 2:26 |
6. | "Shofele" | Maika Munan · Wemba | 3:09 |
7. | "Image" | Christian Polloni · Wemba | 4:20 |
8. | "Sala Keba (Be Careful)" | Kanza · Wemba | 3:40 |
9. | "Awa Y' Okeyi (If You Go Away)" | Kanza · Wemba | 1:55 |
10. | "Epelo" | Polloni · Wemba | 4:02 |
11. | "Ah Ouais (Oh Yes)" | Rouvier · Wemba | 4:19 |
Total length: | 38:16 |
Emotion | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1995 | |||
Studio |
Real World,
Box, Wiltshire Studio Guillaume Tell, Suresnes | |||
Length | 38:16 | |||
Label | Real World [1] | |||
Producer | Stephen Hague | |||
Papa Wemba chronology | ||||
|
Emotion is an album by the Congolese singer Papa Wemba, released in 1995. [2] [3] Wemba sang mostly in Lingala. [4]
The album peaked at No. 14 on Billboard's World Albums chart. [5] Wemba promoted it by touring North America. [6]
The album was produced by Stephen Hague. [7] [8] "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", a duet with Juliet Roberts, is a cover of the Otis Redding song; Redding was Wemba's favorite singer. [9] [10] [11] Jean-Philippe Rykiel played keyboards on Emotion. [12] Wemba addresses racism on "Epelo", heartbreak on "Ah Ouais", and the dangers in the world on "Sala Keba". [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Calgary Herald | A [15] |
Robert Christgau | A− [16] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
Houston Press | [17] |
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
The Guardian wrote that "Wemba's singing is high, relaxed and fine as ever, whether he's tackling a synth-backed funky dance piece, or switching to a guitar-backed ballad." [13] Robert Christgau stated: "Piercing and penetrating without a hint of muezzin, he also commands a 'natural,' 'conversational' timbre richer and rangier than that of his more soft-sung Zairean colleagues." [16]
The Toronto Star noted that "soukous purists likely won't have it... But terrific listening for everyone else." [18] The Calgary Herald determined that "the propulsive, rolling polyrythmic rhythms here owe as much to western pop as to Wemba's Zairean traditions." [15] The Houston Press concluded that "Hague insured that Wemba's vocals took center stage on each tune, turning down the driving African percussion just a notch." [17]
AllMusic wrote that, "in mixing his unique brand of African soukous with various Western influences, Papa Wemba took a bold step into the international pop market already populated by Senegalese singing sensations Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal." [14]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Yolele" | Lokua Kanza · Papa Wemba | 3:22 |
2. | "Mandola" | Jacques Rouvier · Wemba | 3:49 |
3. | "Show Me the Way" | Kanza · Wemba | 4:01 |
4. | "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)" | Otis Redding · Steve Cropper | 3:13 |
5. | "Rail On" | Kanza · Wemba | 2:26 |
6. | "Shofele" | Maika Munan · Wemba | 3:09 |
7. | "Image" | Christian Polloni · Wemba | 4:20 |
8. | "Sala Keba (Be Careful)" | Kanza · Wemba | 3:40 |
9. | "Awa Y' Okeyi (If You Go Away)" | Kanza · Wemba | 1:55 |
10. | "Epelo" | Polloni · Wemba | 4:02 |
11. | "Ah Ouais (Oh Yes)" | Rouvier · Wemba | 4:19 |
Total length: | 38:16 |