There’s nothing more uplifting than listening to a beautiful love song while living through Covid. “Boom Keke” is such a song. It was released in March and was written by Dema Luyindula also known as DPretty, among other musicians. He is a young, aspiring African vocalist and songwriter.
This track is introduced with a spare, elegant, acoustic guitar and over it we hear the vocal of a man in love. There is a musical interplay between the male vocalist and his female counterpart JPink. DPretty’s smooth voice runs easily over the undercurrent of Henry Gabin on bass, Ema Longama on keyboard, Lole Kabusa on backing vocals, and JJ Museu on drums. The sound is a mix of pop and gentle, African rhythm.
DPretty romances the woman, but not in a harsh or overbearing way. There is a respect in the lyrics that is refreshing to hear. This is a soulful track. The words “Boom Keke” are repeated throughout as a refrain and are used to mimic the sound of a heartbeat. The two words also supplement the rhythm. The high quality work of music producer Heaven Boy (formal name Josue Packthread) also enhances this work.
DPretty is not just a handsome face or a romantic crooner. He is a man of purpose. Now more than ever, he is aware of what is going on in his birthplace, the Congo. It is a place in a brutal war. In May, a volcano erupted, killing and displacing many people (see https://friendsofthecongo.org). I sat down with DPretty who is now based in Atlanta to discuss both his music and his strong humanitarian impulse.
Do you come from a musical family or how did music come to you?
I don’t come from a musical family directly other than that my siblings and my parents sang in church. But being from the Congo, our culture is heavily influenced by music so that alone makes it feel that music is part of my DNA. Also when we started a non-profit organization, Congolese Genocide Awareness (https://www.facebook.com/drcga), I turned a letter Patrice Lumumba wrote to his wife into a song. So then I decided since I have this passion, why not use it to promote social change.
Who is the audience for your music?
It is not like back in the day where you released music in one country and only specific people heard it. Yes, we do target specific groups, primarily Africans in the diaspora, but I also want to use the music as a vehicle for our humanitarian message about the Congo, to get it out to as many people as I can.
You left the Congo at age 12. They say sometimes people who live in exile feel a stronger sense of identity with their birth country, than someone who still lives there. Can you speak to that?
I moved here with my entire family. At home, we spoke French and Lingala, the languages continued. A lot of our values remained even though we moved geographically. Yes, we had to adapt, but there are certain traditions and rules that remained the same. What changed for me coming here was the climate and the people, but the culture remains in me. And this is why I merge my Congolese roots with American culture and music. I aim to create music that is different and has not been heard.
One challenge is that when you bring together these two musical worlds, something could get lost in that translation. How do you avoid that from happening?
Initially it was a challenge to even decide what language to record in. Should I sing in Lingala or in English? Lubangi Muniania of Tabilulu Productions, my production company, gave me this advice, “So when you do music what language are the instruments in? It is whatever touches you that comes from the soul.” His words were very freeing for me. I am letting myself be naturally inspired. If the idea comes in English, I do it in English. If the bridge comes in Lingala then I do that.
Even though I couldn’t understand what Franco Luambo sang about, the legendary Congolese musician, yet I knew he was coming from a powerful place.
I couldn’t agree more. I am a fan of music, I listen to a lot of different genres of music. I used to listen to a band called Kassav who sang in Creole. I grew up listening even though I didn’t understand their songs. But there was something in them that affected and moved me.
This current single is romantic. Do the songs you write vary or do they have the same style?
They vary. My first single was titled, “Hit Me Up” and it was a party song. My second song was called “Stay On,” and it was rap. It was a motivational song that I wrote for parents who struggle with the day-to-day routine of going to work, paying bills, taking care of kids. That can become very draining. I wrote that song as someone who is in the same boat, to say that ‘you are not alone in this and we have to keep pushing forward’. And ultimately, it is for a good cause.
So, yes, my songs vary, but even though the current single is a love song. It stemmed from issues with the pandemic, and us being in confinement. For some people that confinement was positive, because it was more time that they got to spend with their loved ones, to rekindle love, so that was a source of inspiration, but for others it was very stressful, a challenging time of depression. Now we are turning the corner with the pandemic. So this song brings love to remedy some of these issues, but also its about being chic again which means we can dress up and go out and have a good time.
Do you mean like Nile Rodgers band Chic? (I interject; and we both chuckle).
Exactly, yes.
I’ve heard you say that bringing joy to people is important to you.
Yes and part of it is how the music is directed. I respect women, so I don’t want to send messages of conflict. And when women are respected, it brings joy. Doing music should be about bringing positivity – a good time to people and making the world truly a better place.
And as a musician are you learning?
Music is a field that requires constant learning and I have a lot to learn. It was very important to me if I was going to learn, I had to do it the proper way. If you compare an earlier song “Cherie Coco” with this one “Boom Keke”, you can hear the learning process that I went through in my voice.
How do you create?
Melodies come to me easily. I always want to evolve. I listen to music in general. I am not stuck on one process. There are times when I listen to instrumental music, which inspires me a lot. Or I am inspired by conversations, like I am having with you right now.
Are you still inspired now even though we are in the middle of a pandemic?
Yes, I‘ve been very inspired and had a lot of time to think about my writing. “Boom Keke” is an example of that inspiration, it is part of my upcoming album that I am working on. I really want my team to release it when the time is right. The project is going very well and I continue to be inspired daily.
That’s great. Can we now speak about your humanitarian work?
Coming from the Congo and now living in the US, it would be easy to get comfortable. I could sit every Sunday with popcorn and watch football games. But it is hard to forget where you come from. We started this NGO as a way of trying not to forget the Congolese people. We’ve done a lot of services, including working on the infrastructure of the Panzi Hospital with Denis Mukwege.
(He is a gynecologist who helped many people, especially women, and won the Nobel Peace Prize.)
And we’ve worked with a group called The Art Revolution, where students and activists made sculptures of bodies out of bones to pay tribute to victims of genocide. We want to continue to bring this awareness, to say that things in the Congo are not good. But we have a new President. We hope things will get better with time, and perhaps, as he is newly elected, he is someone who can make a difference.
So, you encompass both the musical and the humanitarian worlds?
Yes, I sleep, breathe, and want to talk, about music. My goal also is to use the platform of music to effect social change. Africa has so many issues that need to be addressed, whether it is education, healthcare, or famine. The aim is also to meet with decision makers in order to find solutions.
I am reminded of an earlier Congo, when Patrice Lumumba was about to become President, how important the music was as a part of the drive for independence. It was used as a way to motivate people. Do you believe music has the power to move people to take action?
Yes, it can move people to act, especially for artists that have a strong fan base and resources. From their platform, it becomes even more effective. The difference between the US and the Congo, is that some Congolese-based artists do have fear when they speak about social issues, because that may lead to your life being threatened or your being killed. We were just talking about Lumumba who was killed in his fight for independence.
Here in the US, there is more freedom of speech to talk about social change. What I really want to do is make music that speaks to people, but in a creative way. Bob Marley sang about social issues, and others were very subtle about it.
We’ve touched on a lot, is there anything you would like to end with?
Yes, I would like people to follow me on social media, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter not only so that they can hear my music, but also be aware of my nonprofit’s projects. We do need help. We cannot do this work alone. We started this non-profit in 2011, and as of yet have not been awarded any grants. We fundraise, but the vast majority of money that we put into our work is generated from us. Ideally, we would like to do work beyond the Congo in other parts of Africa too.
Yes, we do see some of the same challenges occur all the way across the continent of Africa.
Exactly, there is no reliable electrical power inside the Congo or running water. These are basic needs that must be addressed. I would love to be able to perform more, so that I can generate more income to help more people. But also the more I can perform, the more I can go back to the Congo and entertain for free – to bring joy to these places. Every time I go to Africa, you see these kids, they play, and they kick a ball. I would love to go to entertain them even if it is for a just a day.
For more about DPretty: www.dpretty.com
To learn about CGA visit: www.facebook.com/drcga
For more information about Tabilulu Productions: https://www.facebook.com/Tabilulu.Productions/
(headline image: DPretty – Photo by Martin Wetu)
Author: Dorothy Johnson-Laird
Dorothy Johnson-Laird comes from a long line of musicians, including a music teacher in the 1820s in England. As a child she trained in both classical and jazz piano. Dorothy has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. At New School University, she was the Research Assistant for a course taught on gender issues and women in blues music. Dorothy’s passion is African music. She was formerly a regular contributor to worldmusic.about.com.