Fredy, you were born in Congo-Brazzaville, the neighbouring country of The Democratic Republic of the Congo. The two countries are separated by the Congo River, but are they really all that different?
Fredy Massamba: "No, the river is really nothing more than a natural barrier. Brazzaville and Kinshasa are the two most closely situated capital cities in the world; the same languages are spoken in both cities, Kikongo and Lingala, and we share the same music, the rumba. In one word, it's just Congo!"
You're from a place called Pointe-Noire. Tell us a bit more about that city.
Fredy Massamba: "Pointe-Noire is the economical capital of Congo-Brazzaville. The city is situated on the coast line and it's also there that ELF (Elf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003, red.) has its petrol refinery plants. It's a beautiful city and in Congo-Brazzaville it's known as "the green capital". The principal ethnicity in Pointe-Noire is the Bavili tribe, a people known for their musical skills. I'm not of Bavili descent, I'm Bakongo myself, but I think I was lucky to have had the chance to grow up in a musical place like Pointe-Noire."
At which point did you realize your future would lie in music?
Fredy Massamba: "That was after I got my baccalaureate. At that moment - I'm talking about the early part of the eighties now - I was getting more and more involved in hip hop. It was around the time of the release of the movie "Beat Street" (Stan Lathan, 1984, red.), a film that had a big impact in the Congo. Apart from that, I grew up in a musically inclined family as well; my father owned an orchestra and sponsored various artists. He was a popular figure and there's even a well-known song in the Congo that was dedicated to him (sings). I grew up listening to people like Bob Marley, U Roy, Jimmy Cliff and James Brown, because that was the music my father adored. His musical taste was a bit different from most other Congolese and that influenced me a lot. As I just mentioned, I started out in hip hop and break-dance but very quickly I realized I didn't want to continue on this westernized path. I then started to explore the nine different regions of the country to learn more about the original rhythms that were out there: muntuachi, ndombolo, bakongo, bateke, bapunu and so on. In the end, I had the great fortune to meet up with the Tambours de Brazza and that's how my career got started."
Your music is a mix of western influences and traditional African elements. Doesn't that blending down of the original music risks to make authentic African music disappear in the long run?
Fredy Massamba: "Well, for starters, I'm very tradition-minded. My debut album is called ‘Ethnophony' and, as that title clearly illustrates, the primary focus is still on the ethnic side of the music. I want everybody to be able to recognise themselves in my music; people from the Congo will find a part of their identity reflected in it and western audiences will be able to relate to the soul flavours. I don't think we're risking to lose track of our roots, on the contrary, it's a challenge to use original African instruments and rhythms and try to mix them with music styles people aren't expecting."
On stage, you use a kind of whistle made from a small whiskey bottle. Is that an instrument that you've invented yourself or did it exist already in the Congo?
Fredy Massamba: "I didn't invent anything! Originally, these kinds of flutes were crafted out of bamboo and mainly used by the Baka, the pygmy people living in the north of the Congo, but also in Bangui in the Central African Republic or in Cameroon. I already knew the instrument, but I rediscovered it when I started working with Marie Daulne of Zap Mama. She really taught me a lot. Because I couldn't get hold of the original instrument, I tried to emulate the sound by using a small bottle. The volume of water in the bottle controls the tone of the whistle."
The influence of the pygmy people is also audible in the chants of your background singers. The Baka have faced a lot of discrimination in the past, what's the situation like these days?
Fredy Massamba: "In my opinion, the pygmy people represent the future. They are still marginalized and discriminated, but the outside world is becoming increasingly interested in their culture and way of life. Like it happened with the Aboriginals in Australia, people are starting to recognize the values their pure way of life holds. Musically speaking, the harmonies they use are of a complexity that is a times astounding to western ears. To all those that still think they are nothing more than little idiots, I just want to say: "Stop that!", just go and meet them and you'll understand."
In short, what does Fredy Massamba stand for?
Fredy Massamba: "Fredy Massamba stands for humanity. I've experienced troubled times, wars even, but I've also experienced great times whilst on tour or with people I met on the road. Living life to the fullest and experiencing what it means to be human are two things that are of the utmost importance to me."