Color

Essentially this is a fusion album of French accordion café music with a Congolese slant. Papa Noel is a veteran Congolese guitarist who has been a member of Le Grand Kallé's African Jazz, Les Bantous and Franco's OK Jazz. In later years he was one of the founders of the group Kékélé but subsequently dropped out in order to pursue some more diverse and low-key musical directions. Viviane Arnoux is a French accordionist trained in both classical and jazz. She has previously toured regularly with Sam Mangwana and as a member of Kékélé.

As an accordion and guitar duo they are a very attractive compact act. There are 13 songs here, all new compositions apart from one old Congolese song from Leon Bukasa with whom Papa Noel made his recording debut in 1957. Papa Noel mostly leads the vocals but there is a strength and confidence in Arnoux's harmonies that helps to support his occasional vocal fragility. He has lost none of his guitar playing dexterity and, while the music is generally low-key, there is some dazzling guitar work. However the accordion is the lead instrument on this album and Viviane Arnoux plays with a tremendous sense of melody and a simultaneous rhythmic nous. This is charming and unpretentious stuff.