Congo Sanchez, the trio. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Listening Party is a new DCist music feature that reviews and analyzes new albums released by D.C.-area artists.
By DCist Contributor Andy Cerutti
In 2011, Thievery Corporation added a young drummer named Jeff Franca to their roster of all-star artists. Shortly after that, Franca launched his own solo project called Congo Sanchez; since then, the band has made a big splash in the D.C.’s eclectic, evolving music world. Franca became See-I’s drummer in 2010 and this led to him joining Thievery Corporation the following year, and he is still touring the world with the downtempo super group. Even though the percussionist left See-I earlier this year, he helped produce their new album and has also co-produced with both The Funk Ark and Empresarios.
This week, Congo Sanchez released his debut album, Dealin’ With This, on San Diego-based Herb Records. Congo Sanchez now performs and tours as a trio with vocalists Flex Mathews and Haile Supreme, accompanying the multi-talented Franca. The album is full of the afro-Latin and dub vibes of Franca’s previous material, but also branches out into new instrumental directions and even has a few upbeat club-friendly tracks.
In addition to vocals by Mathews and Supreme, the album features collaborations with Mr. Lif, Brittany Tanner, and Petworth rapper Ras Nebyu. Dealin’ With This utilizes a variety of sounds and perspectives to portray different viewpoints, all with the rhythm of rebellion. When asked about the theme of the album, the outspoken artist said “the music was made to tell a story and take a stance on the general ‘politricks’ of the New World Order. The message is consistent and the stories are true. No nice cars, no bottles of Patron, no budget. DIY baby!”
All of Franca’s touring and production experience has informed Dealin’ With This. As he puts it, “Use what is around you to make your art. There is always somebody somewhere that can bring a tinge of flavor.“ In addition to his regular mainstays, this Congo Sanchez album features several other D.C. area vocalists, including Brittany Tanner. On the track “Are You Ready,” Tanner’s smooth vocals slide perfectly though and around and in between the club beats, augmented with live instrumentation.
“A Shadow Left Behind” captures Franca’s rebellious spirit with vocals by Nebyu laid on top of chill trip-hop beats, guitar solos, and fresh percussion work. Fellow Thievery Corporation collaborator Mr. Lif is featured on “Love Lost,” a neo-soul ballad with hip-hop sensibilities, which is definitely one of the stand-out tracks on the album.
Franca has also gained widespread praise this fall for his very successful crowd-funding project “Shed The Dreads And Grow Hope for Childhood Cancer.” He launched an Indiegogo campaign with the goal of raising $15,000 and the promise of cutting off his dreadlocks for charity. The campaign ended just last week and he more than exceeded his goal with a total of $24,000. With the addition money, he helped launched a new charity called Band of Parents, which supports families who have a child battling cancer.
The inspiration for the project came from Franca’s younger brother, who died of neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer, by his 21st birthday. Donations and support poured in from around the world, and Congo Sanchez was even featured on several local news programs. Always eager to give back and help the next generation, he started a YouTube Web series called “Congo’s Crate,” in which he trains viewers in the art of the drum break.
Congo Sanchez is already out on a national tour in support of the new album, and will start 2015 strong as one of the “Artists-at-Large” on the 13th annual Jam Cruise. When asked about being a local band, Franca just laughs and redirects the conversation back to worldwide touring experience. He quips, “Our current collective is D.C.-based and puts forth a strong effort to maintain the musical documentation of the vibrations of the District.”
He is quick to give credit to D.C.’s musical heritage of go-go, funk, and soul and lists area artists like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and Thievery Corporation among his influences. What does the future hold for Congo Sanchez? “Where we will go, nobody knows, but we love to tour and do so whenever we can. This time on the road gives a great perspective of what we really have here in D.C. as artists and musicians.”
