Editing Soukous (section)

{{Short description|African music genre}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Soukous
| image             = Le groupe Loketo.jpg
| caption           = Congolese band [[Loketo]] (left to right: Jean Baron, [[Aurlus Mabélé]], Mav Cacharel; standing: [[Diblo Dibala]]) recording a studio album in 1985.
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Congolese rumba]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Late 1960s in [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|DRC]] and [[Republic of the Congo]], 1980s in [[France]]
| derivatives       = [[Muziki wa dansi]] and [[ndombolo]]
| subgenrelist      = 
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = 
| regional_scenes   = Congolese sound ([[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Tanzania]]), fast-paced soukous (Paris)
| other_topics      = [[List of soukous musicians|Soukous musicians]]
}}

'''Soukous''' (from [[French language|French]] ''[[wikt:secousse|secousse]]'', "shock, jolt, jerk") is a genre of [[dance music]] originating from the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (formerly [[Zaire]]) and the [[Republic of the Congo]] (formerly [[French Congo]]).<ref name="encyc1">{{cite book|last1=Appiah|first1=Anthony|last2=Gates|first2=Henry Louis|title=Encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 1|date=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, UK|pages=407–408|isbn=9780195337709|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC&pg=RA1-PA407}}</ref> It derived from [[Congolese rumba]] in the 1960s, with faster dance rhythms and bright, intricate [[musical improvisation|guitar improvisation]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Appiah |first1=Anthony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC |title=Encyclopedia of Africa |last2=Gates (Jr.) |first2=Henry Louis |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-533770-9 |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |pages=407–408 |language=en}}</ref> and gained popularity in the 1980s in [[France]].<ref name="encyc2">{{cite book |last1=Peek |first1=Philip M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmmUAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA548 |title=African Folklore: An Encyclopedia |last2=Yankah |first2=Kwesi |date=2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135948733 |location=New York, NY |page=548}}</ref> Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo, song structures and longer dance sequences.<ref name="encyc2" />

Soukous fuses traditional Congolese rhythms with contemporary instruments. It customarily incorporates [[electric guitar]]s, [[double bass]], [[conga]]s, clips, and [[Brass instrument|brass]]/[[Woodwind instrument|woodwinds]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Carole Boyce |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ETPEAAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora [3 volumes]: Origins, Experiences, and Culture [3 volumes] |date=2008-07-29 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-85109-705-0 |location=Santa Barbara, California |pages=849 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Domosh |first1=Mona |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DKLq8YzQMH4C |title=The Human Mosaic |last2=Jordan-Bychkov |first2=Terry G. |last3=Neumann |first3=Roderick P. |last4=Price |first4=Patricia L. |publisher=Macmillan |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-4292-7200-1 |pages=416 |language=en}}</ref> Soukous lyrics often explore themes of [[love]], [[social commentary]], [[Intimate relationship|amorous narratives]], philosophical musings, and ordinary [[Struggle session|struggles]] and [[success]]es.<ref name=":0" /> Singers occasionally sing and croon in [[Lingala]], [[Kikongo]], [[French language|French]] and [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and bands often consist of a primary vocalist accompanied by several [[Backing vocalist|backing singers]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Olwig |first1=Karen Fog |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rXaBAgAAQBAJ |title=Work and Migration: Life and Livelihoods in a Globalizing World |last2=Sorensen |first2=Ninna Nyberg |date=2003-08-27 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-50306-3 |location=Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |pages=56 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Russell |first=K.F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hK84AQAAIAAJ&q=soukous%20swahili,%20french%20and%20lingala |title=Rhythm Music Magazine: RMM |publisher=K.F. Russell |year=1997 |pages=45 |language=en}}</ref>