Congolese musical magician Niwel Tsumbu comes West

Congolese singer and guitarist Niwel Tsumbu and his Song of the Nations band will visit Galway on Friday and Saturday next as part of an Irish tour in association with Music Network.

Since his arrival in Ireland in 2004, Cork based Niwel has developed a solid reputation as an elegant and fluent guitarist, vocalist and composer.

His ability to vividly blend African rhythms, rumba, new jazz, classical flamenco and more has gained him a loyal following all over Ireland. Playing electric and acoustic guitars and singing mostly in his native Lingala, Niwel performs a range of music that stretches from contemporary versions of Congolese traditional music from the 1930s and 40s to modern jazz.

His album, Song of the Nation was praised for its arrangements of violins, clarinet, bass and percussion, an arrangement which is reflected in his live shows, as his five-piece band was formed around the album, which was released to four and five-star reviews last Spring.

His debut album helped cement Niwel’s reputation as a superb composer and performer of progressive, eclectic music. It allowed Song of the Nations Band to embark on a hectic touring schedule including concerts at Festival of World Cultures, Africa Day and an incredible appearance at Electric Picnic alongside Donal Dineen, Kíla and world music legend Baaba Maal.

In his live shows he takes “his audience on a journey of discovery that traverses the peaks and troughs of life’s unpredictable terrain with startling precision” according to Irish Times music reviewer Siobhán Long.

Recently he has been flexing his newly-developed acting muscles with a role in the comic Irish film, Happy Ever Afters,which was released late last year, with a superb cast including Michael McElhatton, Simon Delaney, Ger Ryan and Susan FitzGerald among others. He plays the part of the band leader in the film and he also composed and performed the movie’s soundtrack.

There was a heart-warming end to 2009 for Niwel as he returned to Kinshasa after an absence of five years from the Congo. As well as visiting family and friends, he enjoyed a successful time promoting his music on TV and radio there to huge audiences, and realised that his profile at home has been ever growing in his absence. He will return to Kinshasa in August this year to perform at a prestigious jazz festival in the Congo’s capital city.

In general 2010 promises to be a significant one for Niwel, with both a new studio album and a live album due out in coming months, while in May and June, he will perform a specially commissioned concert of music in the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, Co Wicklow. He will also be playing concerts in the UK.

Meanwhile, this current Irish tour gives fans in Galway another chance to see Niwel and his band in action as they continue to promote the album, as well as unleashing new material on their audiences.

Niwel Tsumbu and The Spirit of the Nation will be in the Róisín Dubh on Friday next, February 19 at 8.30pm. Admission is €12 (non-members) and €10 (members) Bookings: www.roisindubh.netOn Saturday, February 20 they will be in Áras Éanna Arts Centre, Inis Oírr at 8.30pm €10/5 Bookings: 099 75150/ [email protected].