Tchico - Giselle (1983)

Pambou Tchicaya Denis, better known as Tchico, came of age in Les Bantous de la Capitale, but in the late 70s left Brazzaville on a musical odyssey that would take him first to Nigeria, and then to other neighboring countries. This record captures sweet-voiced Tchico during a mid-career period in Paris, with support from a first-rate session band that included Bopol, Dally Kimoko and others.

Perhaps because of his light voice, Tchico's music seems like the champagne of rumba, not-too-serious but refreshing and pleasurable. While the cover of this album would indicate its title is the singer's nickname, excellent discographies here and here use the first track's name as the title. At one time Global Groove had this record and a treasure trove of Tchico's numerous, varied recordings. This may be a slightly cleaner version than previously available.

Enjoy!