Chlorophylle

French four-piece La Sève (literally ‘The Sap’) are juicy. Aptly named, they bring the vibe of the tropical forest in the rippling, tumbling rhythms of Congolese rumba and Cameroonian bikutsi rock – a genre that developed in the 20th century from the traditional music of the Beti, and is often a song and dance performed by women for healing rituals and significant life events.

The French group are fronted by the charismatic Guillaume Cornuel on electric guitar and vocals, with the electric guitars of Gregory Brustier and Sam Paris swaying beside him, and held in place by the drums of Frédéric Jebejian aka Fitou, they channel the likes of Congo’s Flamme Kapaya, Nigeria’s Celestine Ukwu and Cameroon’s Théodore ‘Zanzibar’ Epeme in central African grooves to make you move.

Overall, the fairly constant tempo and limited vocals give a sense of an extended jam session, especially in the early tracks, but for lovers of Congoloese soukous and rumba by greats such as Tabu Ley Rochereau, Franco Luambo and Kanda Bongo Man, this is great fun, while the lesser-known sounds of Cameroon add a different dimension.